We had a very special spring break adventure this year! My husband, son and I went to Kauai with friends and spent a week living in a beautiful house on the north shore of the island.
If you don't know your Kauai geography, the island is home to the wettest spot on earth, and much of that water flows down the north side of the island in rivers and streams and spectacular waterfalls. Many scenes in the Jurassic Park movies were filmed in Kauai, as my dinosaur-obsessed son frequently pointed out!
All that rainfall makes the north shore of the island an ideal home for plants, which is why Kauai is referred to as the garden island. We went on two long hikes during our week there and really enjoyed climbing through the 'jungle'.
On one hike it poured rain, and the muddy trail liquified. We sloshed back in ankle deep mud and saw many hikers feet go right out from under them, causing them to land on their backs in the thick ooze. Fortunately, this did not happen to us!
We packed our week with adventures. We met sea turtles napping on gorgeous beaches.
We rode horses on a beautiful ranch, ending up at yet another incredible waterfall. We ate delicious fresh fish, tropical fruit and far too much ice cream, and spent a lot of time just gazing at whatever lovely view happened to be in front of us.
It might be a shock to anyone who knows me well, but I did not bring my computer on this vacation. I was determined to refuel my spirit, even if it meant scrambling to catch up with work when I got home. I think it was a good choice. I truly felt like I was away from everything stressful.
We live in a beach town, and many people rent houses in our neighborhood for spring break, so my husband and I felt a little silly getting on a plane to fly five hours to a different beach town across the ocean. But there is something about getting away from the responsibilities of home, from the undone chores and the to-do lists, that really makes an enormous difference. Whether the destination is a tropical paradise or just the next town over, I highly recommend that we all set our responsibilities aside once in a while, go somewhere away from home, and give ourselves a restful vacation.
Thank you for joining me today and giving me a chance to share my vacation memories! What places do you love to visit, that help you feel relaxed?
If you don't know your Kauai geography, the island is home to the wettest spot on earth, and much of that water flows down the north side of the island in rivers and streams and spectacular waterfalls. Many scenes in the Jurassic Park movies were filmed in Kauai, as my dinosaur-obsessed son frequently pointed out!
All that rainfall makes the north shore of the island an ideal home for plants, which is why Kauai is referred to as the garden island. We went on two long hikes during our week there and really enjoyed climbing through the 'jungle'.
On one hike it poured rain, and the muddy trail liquified. We sloshed back in ankle deep mud and saw many hikers feet go right out from under them, causing them to land on their backs in the thick ooze. Fortunately, this did not happen to us!
We packed our week with adventures. We met sea turtles napping on gorgeous beaches.
We rode horses on a beautiful ranch, ending up at yet another incredible waterfall. We ate delicious fresh fish, tropical fruit and far too much ice cream, and spent a lot of time just gazing at whatever lovely view happened to be in front of us.
It might be a shock to anyone who knows me well, but I did not bring my computer on this vacation. I was determined to refuel my spirit, even if it meant scrambling to catch up with work when I got home. I think it was a good choice. I truly felt like I was away from everything stressful.
We live in a beach town, and many people rent houses in our neighborhood for spring break, so my husband and I felt a little silly getting on a plane to fly five hours to a different beach town across the ocean. But there is something about getting away from the responsibilities of home, from the undone chores and the to-do lists, that really makes an enormous difference. Whether the destination is a tropical paradise or just the next town over, I highly recommend that we all set our responsibilities aside once in a while, go somewhere away from home, and give ourselves a restful vacation.
Thank you for joining me today and giving me a chance to share my vacation memories! What places do you love to visit, that help you feel relaxed?
I’ve always wanted to go to Hawaii and Kauai looks so beautiful! Wonderful photos, Claire, and they may be as close as I’ll get. :) But I agree with you, a change of scenery is always good for the heart and mind, no matter how small the change. I specially appreciated these pics on yet another wet, dreary day here in Toronto!
ReplyDeleteHi Janice, I'm glad you enjoyed the photos. I think another great thing about vacation is we can revisit our trip in our memories. I'm doing that today because it's chilly here as well. Lots of thick fog and some rain on the way!
DeleteSounds like a great time--haven't made it to Hawaii yet, but your pictures inspire. Good for you for taking a complete break from the computer. My hands always thank me when I take a even a day away.
ReplyDeleteVirginia, it was so hard to leave it behind! I almost grabbed it at the last minute, but then decided that I only had that one chance to be in Kauai, it's not like we can afford to go there a lot! ;-) I'm so glad I decided to to leave it behind. I brought a notebook so I did some writing in that.
DeleteIt looks wonderful. I love beaches, and Hawaii's on my travel bucket list.
ReplyDeleteIt's worth going, Liz! And there are some inexpensive airfares from California right now...
DeleteThis sounds so wonderful that I think visiting Hawaii just moved closer to the top of my bucket list.
ReplyDeleteIt's a very relaxing place, Patricia! And I like it because there is so much to do out of doors, it's all about hiking and swimming and connecting with nature.
DeleteWonderful photos! I've visited Kauai once, and was amazed at the lush vegetation. You're so right about getting away from the responsibilities of home. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThanks for reading and commenting, Beth!
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