Hawaii

Kauai helicopter tour and more beach fun

Posted by Jason on December 21, 2011 - 1:50am in Our Travels.
When: 
November 29, 2011 to December 1, 2011

After our backpacking trip, we were very sore and tired, but we had one more Kauai adventure in store. Katie and I booked a helicopter tour to get a birds-eye view of Kauai. (Thanks Mom and Dad for sitting through the timeshare sales pitch to get us a discount!) Although the concierge who booked the helicopter for us said that Penelope could join us (what a bad idea), we left Penelope with Omi and Abuelito one more time while we went for the 1 hour tour. Katie and I were a little nervous about getting into a helicopter, given that they crash every now and then.

Backpacking the Na Pali Coast on the Kalalau Trail

Posted by Jason on December 21, 2011 - 1:46am in Our Travels.
When: 
November 27, 2011 to November 28, 2011

In planning our trip to Kauai, Katie and I decided that we would like to backpack along the Na Pali Coast. The coast is formed by a series of sharp cliffs that are hard to describe, but look really cool. I really wanted to try backpacking it, and Katie was interested because the views from the trail are supposed to be amazing. Also, it is a part of the island that is inaccessible to cars, so the only ways to see it are to hike or take a boat.

Kauai - November 2011

Posted by Jason on December 18, 2011 - 5:23pm in Our Travels.
When: 
November 24, 2011 to December 1, 2011

For Thanksgiving this year, Katie and I decided to take Penelope on a vacation to Hawaii. We had been wanting to go back ever since we visited Maui a few years ago, and the Thanksgiving break seemed like a good time to get away from the cold and rain of Seattle. We were very happy that Omi and Abuelito (aka, Jason's parents) were able to join us, and not just because we wanted some babysitters (although that was a big help!).

Fun in Honolulu

Posted by Jason on November 8, 2009 - 5:45pm in Our Travels.
When: 
October 24, 2009

We are about to board our plane to Maui. Today was a busy day. We got up at 6:30am so that Katie could get to the conference and load her talk on to their computers. I went to check out the beach, then packed up our stuff and headed to the conference center. My fake badge worked flawlessly. I got to see Katie give her talk, which went VERY well. She was super prepared, and it was a great talk. But then I was bored as I sat through the remaining talks. There is a reason I don't do genetics.

Maui - October 2009

Posted by Jason on November 7, 2009 - 3:07pm in Our Travels.
When: 
October 24, 2009 to October 28, 2009

Katie and I took a vacation to Maui, Hawaii at the end of October in 2009. For this vacation, we really have to thank the American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG), which had their annual scientific conference in Honolulu this year. Katie, who studies human genetics, was eager to go the conference for both the scientific and scenic value. She submitted her abstract, and was rewarded with a talk! Anyway, once it was clear that Katie was going to Hawaii, it only made sense for me to come along and make it a vacation.

Turtles and Beaches, Relaxing in Maui

Posted by Jason on October 28, 2009 - 6:00pm in Our Travels.
When: 
October 27, 2009 to October 28, 2009

Yesterday was our day of rest and relaxation on the beach. After a yummy breakfast at Stella Blues, we went back to our hotel and went to the beach, known as Turtle Beach. We relaxed in the sun and did some snorkeling. True to its name, we saw a turtle feeding in the rocks a few feet from shore. It was a huge turtle, and very hungry. It let us get very close. At one point, the waves pushed us all very close together, and almost onto the rocks, but the turtle didn't seem to mind.

Haleakalā National Park

Posted by Jason on October 27, 2009 - 3:15am in Our Travels.
When: 
October 26, 2009

Our day started at 3:30AM. We got up early to drive the two hours to the top of Haleakalā Crater, which is just shy of 10,000ft. We got there in time to get a parking spot and a nice place to set up my tripod and camera. It was freezing and windy up there! Daybreak occurred around 6AM, and the sun broke the horizon around 6:25AM. Sunrise was amazing and beautiful. It took many photos, and at least a few of them are really nice (in my opinion). The sun cast a nice deep orange into the crater.

Old Lahaina Lu'au

Posted by Jason on October 26, 2009 - 5:00am in Our Travels.
When: 
October 25, 2009

For dinner, we went to the Old Lahaina Lu'au. We were greeted with leis and mai tais, then shown to our seats. Katie reserved traditional "grass" seating (it was really astroturf), which put us right next to the stage. We were as close to the action as you could get. Before the show, we walked around and watched the sunset over the ocean. Then we enjoyed a fun evening of great food and dancing. The buffet feast was impressive, and the dancers were amazing. After the lu'au, we drove home and went straight to bed.

Snorkeling Adventure

Posted by Jason on October 25, 2009 - 8:15pm in Our Travels.
When: 
October 25, 2009

For our first day on Maui, we woke up at 6am to go on a 7am snorkeling trip with Blue Water Rafting. Despite the early hour, we were feeling pretty good. Our 5+ hour snorkel trip was aboard a Zodiac raft with twin 225hp outboard motors. That thing can go fast. Our captain, Brad, made sure that we had an exciting ride, crashing over 10 foot swells in some places.

Landing in Hawaii

Posted by Jason on October 24, 2009 - 2:40am in Our Travels.
When: 
October 23, 2009

Aloha!

I have arrived in Hawaii! 6 hour flight from Seattle was LONG, but it sure beats flying to Africa. I just got on the shuttle bus to go to the hotel and meet Katie, who has been here four days already for the ASHG conference. I hope to see Steve and Kristina before going to bed tonight for some much needed sleep. Tomorrow is a busy day, with Katie's talk in the morning and then our flight to Maui in the evening. Should be a great birthday vacation.