I have always thought that coming to the end of any experience is bittersweet. On one hand, you’re looking forward to getting home and settled into your routine, but one the other, vacation rocks. There is a definite reason why we save up all year and pay to have these experiences. I will not die rich, I won’t leave my kids with millions of dollars, but I will leave them with the memories of times spent together in some of the most amazing places on the planet. Teaching my children to be citizens of the world and part of the greater fabric of humanity is my most important job as a parent-even if staying in the US. Although Hawaii is one of the 50, it is still a place completely unique of all of the other places I’ve been in this country. Really though, I’m getting a little ahead of myself.
Today dawned bright and sunny with a bit of rain. If you’ve never been to this island that last statement will make no sense, if you’ve been here at all-you get it. Having been up late last night at the luau, the entire family took advantage of the chance to sleep in a bit. While I appreciate the rest, I really wanted to go to Ke’e Beach to snorkel, but by the time we got there, there was no parking to be had. We gave a salute to the unapproachable beach and went back towards Hanalei. There was a beach there with a river flowing into it that looked to be promising. After unloading the car and walking a solid 200 yards, we reached the water. Lucy and Ethel played in the river with their grandfather while I decided to give the ocean a shot. Two minutes and a mighty struggle later, I yielded to the mighty Pacific and let her have it. I was exhausted after that little time and since the girls were ready to move on, we went back towards Hanalei Bay.
The Bay was exactly what was needed. While the girls played and the boss and her dad sat, I headed into town. I had promised Lucy that I would buy her an “I Survived the Kalalau Trail” shirt. After looking all around downtown Hanalei (all of 10 minutes) I found the shirt for her and her sister. I headed to the Big Save and bought some food for the crowd and went back to meet all at the beach. Once we were all sufficiently recharged, I hopped in the Bay to play with my kids. If you have children, you absolutely cannot beat Hanalei Bay in the summer for fun. The waves were big enough for tricks and fun, but not so big that I feared for their safety. Before long, a few hours had passed and I had a promise to keep.
The very first day we were here I promised Lucy that she could jump off of the pier at Hanalei. This was our chance. Lucy, Ethel, and myself walked the entire length of the bay to the pier enjoying the view and our company. It tool a pretty good while, but we made it. When we got there, Lucy was the first to jump off the pier followed soon by Ethel. Clearly, I had to make the jump and I did. A small tip…If you decide to jump and climb up the ladder, be careful. The ladder is crazy slippery and it is really easy to lose your grip. And so, our final day in Hanalei came to an end. Wait, is it true? Did the boss really pick up a property flier for a house? I may be rubbing off on her…
We came back to Bali Hai, showered, and rested a bit. Eventually, we headed into Kapa’a for dinner. The Eastside restaurant , came highly recommended and it was great. The server was on board with the whole gluten thing, and my Mahi was fantastic. If you are in Kapa’a and need a good gluten-free option, I can tell you that for me, all is well. After dinner, we knocked around Kapa’a for a bit and I bought the obligatory gifts folks. The standard macadamia nuts, Hawaiian rum, stickers, etc.
When you come to the end of the day, you wonder where it went. No day had encapsulated this more than today. For what was meant to be a beach day with some town time built in, the day absolutely flew by. I had fun hanging with my kids in the ocean and walking with them. By the time we got to the pier; the moment, the feeling, and the view was gone. Hopefully, Lucy and Ethel will appreciate where they were at that moment with their dad. If it all ended tomorrow, I know that I my final thoughts would be of my children on Kauai. Wait though, didn’t the boss grab me a listing for my dream property???
