Maha'ulepu Trail

When I tell people that 1) our honeymoon was relaxing and 2) we went on four hikes, people tend to question #1. Yes, we like a good hike, but we truly did balance our days out with some beach time or other more relaxing activities. It's just that if I spent an entire day on the beach, I would resemble a lobster. Sooooo hikes are a nice break :)

The Maha'ulepu Trail was more of a beachside stroll - it started at Shipwreck Beach and followed the shore north, going down to private little beaches and back up to a cliffside. Bonus: it was so quiet; we ran into maybe 4 people the whole time!

The greenery and geological formations were beautiful.

We hiked down to this natural little pond and waded for quite some time - watching the waves crash right in front of us!

Taking it all in.

We even found a second home!

Joe was pretty stoked about it.

One of the beaches with some lava rock.

E+J!

(we totally changed someone's hard work into our initials...)

Kalalau Trail

One of the things that appealed to me the most about Kauai was the abundance of hikes. I had heard so many amazing things about them - the breathtaking views, outrageous greenery and of course, a little sweat never hurt anyone. With a little tip from Maddie (who heard about it from Kimber who heard from Erin), we decided to give the Kalalau Trail of the Napali Coast a shot. No, not the part that earns it the title of one of America's Most Dangerous Hikes. Nope, we opted for the abbreviated, safer version.

Two miles in to a secluded beach, then two more miles into this valley that ended with the Hanakapi'ai Falls - 300 feet of waterfall that fed into a natural Olympic-sized pool! This is seriously the kind of waterfall people dream about - it was absolutely mesmerizing.

After a little dip, rest and snack, we hiked the 4 miles back out. It was a grueling hike, but I think we had mentally prepared for it since so many people had told us about it, so we managed :) If you ever find yourself in Kauai, this hike needs to be at the top of your list!

Views, views and more views. 

See the little microscopic person? The picture doesn't even get the whole waterfall either!

We took a dip at the falls. It was FREEZING.

 Secluded Hanakapi'ai Beach

We treated ourselves with shaved ice after the hike :)

P.S. Back to blogging! Hope I can keep it up again this time!

The rest of the weekend

So my friends, here's how the rest of the magical weekend went down:
1. We hiked up to Fragrance Lake and Lookout Point for a little picnic. I can't get enough of that hike. It is so peaceful up there!
2. We took a stroll around downtown Fairhaven in Bellingham, where we ate gelato and did some wine tasting at Purple Smiles.
3. We had a lovely dinner with my Mom on the deck with the sun shining down on us. Bonus: My neighbors were having a wedding, so we listened to great music, toasts and laughter all night!
4. We visited The Old Edison for live music and a beer.
5. We went out to Kathy's house on Clear Lake for kayaking and floating. Pure relaxation.

Fragrance Lake - so still and calm

Does she fall?!

No fall by this lady!

Lookout Point with Samish Island in the background

The Old Edison

It's Kayak:30!

Off on a kayak adventure.

Now it's float:30!

Can't wait for the next magical weekend!

Rattlesnake Ridge

Reasons why you need to hike Rattlesnake Ridge as soon as possible:

1. It's like take my breath away beautiful up top. (Did I get the Top Gun song stuck in your head? It's stuck in mine now.) We're talking 360 degree views. Two different lakes and mountains in every direction.


2. It's not too tough. It feels like you did a little working out, but you're not going to wake up sore the next day.


3. It's only 2 hours tops (each way), but I highly recommend factoring in some good picnicking time at the top. You won't want to leave right away.


4. While the rock ledge is filled with people, there's enough room for everyone and every spot has a fantastic view. No need to hurry along to make room for new people.


5. They sell beer at the top. Isn't that rad?

You lacing up your hiking boots yet?

This sign is reassuring.

Oh, ok, no beer at the top, but I really wanted to get you excited about the hike. Did it work? P.S. Not sure beer and steep cliffs go hand-in-hand...

Chasin' Waterfalls

Since our weather has been a little more on the miserable side, Joe and I jumped at the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors when the sun made a special guest appearance yesterday. We decided that a hike is just what the doctor ordered, so we opted for Snoqualmie Falls since neither of us had been there in years. When we got there, there were signs all over that said the trail is closed until 2013. Oops. Oh well, it is still such a beautiful site to see! I love that even a few hundred feet up on the observation deck, you can still feel the mist from the cascading water. Pretty incredible.

And thanks to my trusty Day Hike book, we were able to find another trail nearby, so the drive east wasn't completely a bust. Stay tuned for details on our hike tomorrow!

Conquered Cougar Mountain

Awhile ago, I bought a great hiking book for trails in the Central Cascades and on Saturday, Joe and I decided to give one a shot. Due to a little bit of a late start, we opted for a quicker, closer hike on Cougar Mountain. After a couple miles uphill hiking, seeking the peak of Cougar Mountain, we finally made it to the end of our hike.

The end was in the middle of the woods. With a bench. And a journal. That's it. No viewpoint. No waterfall. No cliffside. A bench.

BUT, I'll admit, it was still a great hike - a little cardio mixed in with the great outdoors. I think the best part was actually reading the locked up journal where people write about their hiking experiences. As you can see, we were a little snarky because we expected a little more, but I'm sure we just wrote what everyone else was thinking.

We're working up to Mailbox Peak (I don't think Joe knows this yet). It looks beautiful and it's so cute they have an actual mailbox on the top. Don't you think?!

Us with the bench.