We are a family of five that decided to leave our normal lives behind and travel around the world for 180 days. Joey and I are both physicians back home in Lexington, KY and our kids are Wilson (a smart, funny, pragmatic 14 year old who approaches life with the wisdom of an 80 year old and the mischievous grin of someone who gets the inside joke), Bailey (an opinionated, strong-willed, compassionate 12 year old who never misses anything and may rule the world someday), and Gus (an energetic, passionate 9 year old who lives every second of his waking life with everything he has and would give the shirt off his back to ease the suffering of an earthworm). We love traveling, trying new things, meeting awesome people, eating good food, and adventure sports. In this blog, we will be sharing the stories of the places we experience along the way. We will share our successes and our failures in hopes that this is inspiring, helpful, and entertaining to our friends, family, and anyone else who happens to discover us. For more on why we decided to do this, see our blog post on “Traveling is my favorite thing”. Read More About Our Philosophy.
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Pearl Harbor Memorial: Visiting memorials/museums of tragic historical events with kids.
I have mixed feelings about visiting memorials of tragic events with kids. On one hand, these memorials can do a great job of showing how tragic and meaningful these historical events were and I want my kids to know about and understand the gravity of these events. On the other hand, it can be challenging when they don’t really “get it” or they act like kids and run around being loud and goofing off when it really isn’t appropriate. That is what happened to us at the 911 memorial. Gus was only 5 at the time, and, of course, didn’t really perceive the gravity of the situation. I, meanwhile, am sobbing after listening to the recordings of the first responders and our two mental states just didn’t go well together. I have learned a few lessons.
Lanikai Beach and the Lanikai Pillbox Hike
So, what makes Lanikai so awesome? 1. Extremely fine, soft, buttery sand. 2. A shockingly healthy and extensive protective reef. This was definitely the healthiest reef and best snorkelling we did in Hawaii. Other areas may be better in the summer, but this was our favorite winter snorkelling. 3. The Mokes. These two conical islands about 1 mile offshore add to the picturesque setting. 4. Calm waters. We went on a relatively windy day with choppy 3-5 foot waves on the east shore, but the water at the beach was calm and flat due to the large protective reef. 5. The size. This beach stretches on for half a mile. Even though there were a good number of people there, it didn’t feel crowded because everyone could spread out.
Which Hawaiian Island is Right for You?
If you have ample resources and can only visit one island: Maui.
If you want to see Hawaii but you are on a budget: Oahu.
If you are into hiking or less developed destinations: Kauai.
If you want to see volcanoes: The Big Island.
Ideally, when planning a trip to Hawaii, I would recommend picking two islands and taking a weekday Southwest flight between the islands if possible. The inter island flights are super easy and cheap and you get the bonus aerial view of the islands. When we come back, I will likely plan 9 days in Maui and 3 days in Kauai to hike the Na’Pali coast. My advice would be to pick one island for a longer stay (7-10 days) and then a second island for a shorter stay (3-4 days) just to hit the high points.
Why you Should Go to Yokohama Bay and hike to Ka’ena Point
What we liked: Swimming in Yokohama Bay!; Albatrosses; Views of the coast line and mountains
What we didn’t like: The point itself was a little anticlimatic as a destination. The trail was hot and exposed, even at 5:00 PM. Getting locked in the park at 7:00 PM!
I highly recommend visiting Yokohama Bay. It is our favorite beach on Oahu. Combining it with the hike to Ka’ena point before or after is a perfect half day activity.
7 Foods to try in Hawaii: Deliciousness and Diversity
Hawaiians should get more credit for their food. They have a reputation for eating Spam, a canned meat product, and it is true that Spam is eaten with much greater frequency here than in other US states, but I feel like their appreciation of Spam really overshadows their unique and complicated cuisine. Just like the Hawaiian people are a melting pot of Asian, Pacific Island, and American cultures, Hawaiian cuisine incorporates and takes the best from all of these culinary traditions. Mix that up with tons of fresh fish and fresh fruit and you have a cuisine to match the scenery. Hawaiians have also embraced the food truck, the roadside stand, and the divey fast casual joint, so some of the best Hawaiian dishes are found in unassuming digs and won’t break the bank. Here is a sampling of some of the uniquely Hawaiian foods we have tried so far.
Ho’omaluhia Botanical Gardens and why you can skip it
The Ho’omaluhia botanical gardens are nestled just south of the Ko’olau mountains on the windward side of Oahu in Kane’ohe. Entrance to the gardens is free and they are open from 9-4 each day. The gardens comprise 6 different areas and a lake that are connected by a dead end road. Each area has a different theme and it’s own parking lot with restrooms and a walking path through the gardens. A few of the gardens are also connected via mowed, grass paths, so that you can piece together your own loop trail. Additionally, there are a couple short trails that meander through the property and are separate from the gardens.
Makapu’u Lighthouse Point Trail at sunset: A must do.
What: Nicely paved walking trail that winds along the rocky shoreline of the southeastern tip of Oahu and ends at a lookout above the Makapu’u lighthouse, a historic lighthouse built in 1909 and still functional today. While the lighthouse may be the main attraction for some, and it is quaint and historic, the real stars of this hike are the AMAZING views throughout the entire hike.
Where: The southeastern tip of Oahu, just past Hanauma Bay and Sandy Beach, at the most eastern turn of highway 72.
Learning to surf, week 1: what not to do…
We felt we were set up for success; however, 6 surf breaks and 7 days later, we have made very little progress. Below are 3 lessons we have learned so far on what not to do.
Don’t try to teach your kids to surf if you don’t know how to surf yourself. Looking back, I’m not sure why this seemed like a good idea. When we first started learning to snow ski and I was a beginner myself, I knew better. I sent my kids to ski school for 3 years in a row where an expert taught them the fundamentals of learning to ski while I spent the days on the slopes learning to ski myself. When we finally started skiing together, when Gus was 5, Bailey was 7, and Wilson was 9, we hired The Rev, a private instructor, to ski with us all day as well. We spend a lot of time in the water; swimming, water skiing, snorkeling, boogie boarding, cliff jumping, etc, and are very comfortable in the water and I can only retrospectively justify my decision based on this. Now I realize, however, that not hiring an instructor was the wrong move.
Hiking Diamond Head Crater
What: Paved trail with multiple sets of stairs, originally built by the military in 1908 as part of Oahu’s defense system, which leads to the summit of the crater rim along the Southwestern point. Diamond head is the remnant of an extinct volcano that erupted approximately 300,000 years ago, leaving behind the crater. Located along the Eastern border of Waikiki beach, it is an iconic image of Hawaii and you have likely seen a picture of it at some point. The summit offers amazing views of the Southern and Western coasts of Oahu, including Waikiki. We could even see the smaller islands of Molokai, Lanai, and the peaks of Maui in the distance from the top.
Ewa Beach, Oahu
When picking our place for a month-long stay in Hawaii, we made some major sacrifices on size and luxury for location. We wanted to be, not just on any beach, but on a beach with surfable beginner waves in the winter. One of the main reasons we chose Hawaii as one of our month-long stops was to fulfill our goal of learning to surf. Unprompted, Gus also shared his Hawaii goals with us the week before we left.
Gus’s Hawaii Goals:
Eat killer Ramen 2. Learn to surf 3. Catch big fish.
What is this Creepy Sound? Ewa Beach, Hawaii
We had been trying to find the source of the creepy noise for a few days. We thought it could be a cat, but there’s are lots of noises in our neighborhood, and it can be hard to tell what or where the noise comes from. There are many children around and people often have their windows open so sounds drift through the neighborhood. At one point Wendi crept through the street trying to localize the noise, honestly thinking there was a chance there was an abandoned baby in the dumpster, or a dying rabbit, or a mother cat giving birth…maybe a lamb caught in a trap.
The Sun Rising over Kauai from Poipu Beach. January 23rd, 2022