Cliff Jumping at Waimea Bay in Hawaii!

VIDEO HERE:

http://youtu.be/UIpEjzxf1L4

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ALOHA and welcome to Parsons Adventures! If you haven't read our other posts, go read em! We are full of excitement here in Hawaii, and we try to keep things as cheap as possible! We also have our super cool Youtube Channel, so click on the video above and go subscribe because we have lots of other videos to see! 

THIS WEEKEND OMG! Possibly the FUNNEST weekend we have had yet!! (I say that because we have had so many other AWESOME adventures, it's hard to pick a favorite!)

So, first of all, Brad and I do take the bus pretty much everywhere, but recently we signed up for Car Share through Enterprise-which basically is renting a car for a limited time and sharing it with others. So instead of paying for a full day, you make a reservation online for however many hours you want, and it's $5 an hour! No hassle, just go pick up the car, unlock it with the card key they issue you when you sign up, and go! That's what Brad and I did this past Saturday morning because taking a bus all the way to North Shore is a LONG ride. And we don't like leaving Kodiak for a long time. So we reserved a car for 6 hours. (7:00 am-1:00 pm) 

ANYWAYS, TO THE FUN PART! We got up at 6:00 am, got ready, walked the couple blocks to Enterprise, picked up  our car at 7:00 am, and drove to Waimea Bay! 

OUR TIP OF THE DAY: Get there early! I can't stress enough how important this is if you plan on coming here! Like, 7:00 or 8:00 am. We got there at 8:00 am and got a parking spot at the Waimea Bay Beach Park lot. (If you go any later, it's really tough to get a spot!)

Obviously, once we get there, the first place we head to is JUMP ROCK! The EPIC, best cliff jumping spot EVER! (Picture below). There are different levels you can jump off of, and it's a popular spot for local and tourist alike! We jumped several times, mainly off the high jump, and Brad also did a front flip off one of the lower jumps. 

It's an amazing feeling, and the water is so refreshing! Not too hot, not too cold! Perfect! Plus AWESOME view at the top! Crystal clear, calm, ocean water! Go in the SUMMER time! I hear during the winter, the waves are too huge to even think about it! This is the place where the big wave surfing competitions take place in winter months! Definitely bring your GOPRO or underwater camera for this! The rock is smooth enough to climb in your bare feet, and it's such an easy way up; little kids do it. 

The only bad thing that happened was once when I jumped, I felt my ear POP as I hit the water and it started pounding! I'm not sure if it was my ear drum, or just getting acclimated to the height, but it HURT! I sat on the beach for a little bit, holding my head. Then, after about 10 minutes the pain started to go away until I was fine! But man! I still don't know what happened! 

Anyways we took a break from jumping for a while and went behind that area to snorkel for a little bit! At that time we only had Brad's snorkel gear (I don't have any of my own), so we switched off as we swam out there and took GoPro video of some tropical fish! There aren't nearly as many fish as there are in Lanai (says Brad), but there are still lots and I thought they were pretty cool!!
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After that we jumped again off the rock, then left the beach to go SNORKELING! 

We drove east for about 5 minutes and you hit Shark's Cove! A popular snorkeling spot (as well as 3 tables; all near each other). I rented some snorkel gear for $16 (you get it for the full day) at the snorkel place right across the street from Shark's Cove. The employees are very nice, and will tell you the best spots, depending on your skill level, for kids, where to park, etc. It is advised to not leave your stuff on the beach anywhere (for good reason), or leave your stuff in your car. You can rent a locker for $5, or take a chance like we did and leave stuff in the car or on the beach. Your choice. We live on the edge, you know? Lol.

So we started out snorkeling at Shark's Cove. There were cool tropical fish, big reefs, but also lots and lots of people, including scuba divers (which were pretty cool to watch actually). The rocks were hard to get around going out there and coming back but the snorkel is definitely worth it.

BUT, as fun as Shark's Cove was, HERE is what I recommend! About 10 minutes back the other way (past Waimea Bay, towards Haleiwa), is Laniakea Beach (aka Turtle Beach). GO THERE INSTEAD and here's why!

Laniakea Beach is a famous spot to see sea turtles! (Hence the nickname Turtle Beach), but last time we went, there were tourists everywhere on the beach taking pictures of the ones that came up on shore to rest. They crowd around them on the beach, trying to get a good selfie but also trying not to get too close because it's illegal to touch/ride them and you don't want to hound them either. They are just animals trying to get some rest on the beach and don't want to be disturbed. There are SEVERAL sea turtles to see there and you can see them in the water too! I was thinking to myself, I don't want to take pictures on the beach, I want to be in the water with them! So I bet to myself that if I snorkeled out in that area away from the beach, I could maybe see one, AND I DID!

So Brad and I found a parking spot on the side of the road by the ranch with the horses across the street from the beach. We walked to the beach and since Brad was tired and wanted to stay with our stuff, I ventured out alone. The beach was super easy to get in with snorkel gear (as opposed to Shark's Cove which was rocky and pokey; I got some scratches to prove it). And ironically there aren't that many people out there! (At least not when we went-and on a Saturday too!). For many tourists, it's a pit stop to see a sea turtle, and then they're on their way.

I was snorkeling around, looking at the cool fish and reef when all of the sudden I spot one! A little sea turtle out of the corner of my eye! Such a magical moment! It seemed like it lasted like 5 minutes, but in reality, after looking at the video, it was really only about 20 seconds haha! Oh well! He came SO CLOSE to me! I reached my hand out so people could see how close, but made sure not to touch him because it's illegal and someone would have made some snark comment on my video if I had.

I film him and let him come swim past me; I know that if you chase them they will just leave; and they are faster underwater than you may think! I kept my GoPro on and hoped he would stay for a while longer. I heard a beep underwater, and it wasn't familiar, so I look at my GoPro, PRAYING that the battery didn't die! But I realize it wasn't mine, but a fellow snorkeler had seen me filming the turtle and he came and turned on his GoPro. I feel like being bitter and saying that he was the one that chased the turtle away...because then he just got sick of us and swam off. The other snorkeler had a long stick for his GoPro which helps in getting a better shot, but I think it gets the animals annoyed and they will just leave...but that's just me. All in all, I had my moment, and when we both came above water, we talked about how cool that was.

Oh my gosh I was floating on air! I couldn't wait to get back to the beach to tell Brad! The only thing that could have made it better, was if he was there with me! I love adventures with Brad! This is such an incredible experience, and what better time to do it, than when we have been married for ONE year! :) He's my partner in all we do here. I love going on adventures with Kodiak too, don't get me wrong. But, it's nice to have the love of my life there to say "Wow, look at that!", or "Let's go try it!"

Anyways, I danced the whole way back to our car and then we made the drive back to Waikiki to return our car. We would have stayed longer if it wasn't for our reservation ending. I made it only 6 hours on purpose in order to get home to Kodiak. I don't like leaving him home for very long. He does well, but I just don't like it. I feel like we are abandoning him.

But WOW, SUCH an incredible morning! It was just how I imagined, and I couldn't have asked for a better day! Beautiful weather, on a GORGEOUS island with so many things to do!

JUST A HEADS UP, next week is SO EXCITING because my FAMILY is finally coming to Hawaii! (Well, 3 of them!) My parents and my youngest brother Danny (16), fly out to see me on Friday!! I can't wait! I am so excited; I have planned so many cool things for them to do! Who knows, maybe they will get to see a turtle too! ;)

Pictures are posted below as well as a link to the VIDEO!
http://youtu.be/UIpEjzxf1L4

Mahalo for reading and ALOHA!

Xtreme Parasailing on the 4th of July!

VIDEO OF XTREME PARASAILING ON THE 4TH OF JULY HERE:

http://youtu.be/V31M-uP7WTQ

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HAPPY 4TH OF JULY COMIN TO YOU FROM HAWAII!

Anddd...Aloha! 

Welcome back to yet another ADVENTUROUS blog! This weekend started off better than normal weekends because Brad came home a day early! He flew back from Lanai on Thursday night rather than Friday night! So we spent Friday together, went to the beach, and some other stuff that I am forgetting..BUT he was home! 

Saturday we got up and got on the bus (42 to Ewa Beach), which passes by Kewalo Basin-and that's where we got off. We had already signed up for our Xtreme Parasail Adventure Online at:

http://www.xtremeparasail.com

We signed up for the Deluxe Parasail Adventure which puts you 850 ft in the air for just under $200 for the both of us. Yea, pricy, but what is cheap in Hawaii? Come on. Discount for signing up online too! Remember that!

So we got to Kewalo Basin a bit earlier than scheduled. We checked in, then walked around the harbor, shot some video, THEN the time finally came to get on the boat! This activity actually went by really quick surprisingly. They automatically get you out to the ocean, get your life jackets on, and start! 

We were lucky enough to go FIRST! Oh boy!! We were so excited! The 2 boat crew guys are fast; one drives the boat while the other straps you into the harness, they get you all hooked up, and let you fly! 

We SOARED 850 ft in the air and YOU KNOW WHAT?! It wasn't scary...at all...hahaha I am totally serious! It was fun going up and getting dipped in the ocean at one point, but...Brad related it to riding a ferris wheel. That's pretty accurate I say! You get up there and it's very quiet and scenic! It was actually relaxing! 

That's coming from me, and just to go OFF topic here, our studio apartment that we live in is in the heart of Waikiki, and we have a sliding glass door and windows attached to our balcony right? WELL, the only problem I have is the NOISE you can hear because there's NO sound barrier whatsover (and he smell, but I'll get to that in a sec). I work graveshift half the week so I try and sleep during the day. UGH, there's major construction going on in a complex next to us, there's ALWAYS traffic, sirens, people yelling, dogs barking, birds everywhere, it's LOUD! Night time isn't really much better. It does simmer down a bit, but you can still hear everything! 

AS I AM WRITING THIS, it's loud! So they only peace and quiet we get is like, at the STORE. Seriously! Not Walmart FYI, that place is crazy. But if you go to Sam's Club and go to the back of the store...it's nice and quiet. That's weird if you have to go to Sam's Club to get some peace and quiet around here! 

The smell is also getting to me. We live behind the Food Pantry, next to dumpsters, homeless people sleep around here/along the canal where I walk Kodiak, and our building's garbage shoot can STINK TO HIGH HEAVENS! I hear that because it's summer it's bad. 


ANYWAYS, back to the PARASAILING ADVENTURE, we got along with all the other people on board; everyone was super nice. The boat crew even knew a little japanese for the japanese tourists. (Which make up like 90% of the tourists here no joke!), and we took video for them while they were up there flying! 

We drove back to the harbor (waving at a wedding on the way), and that was it! Took like 45 minutes-an hour maybe for the whole thing! Crazy! 

After that we went home, and relaxed! Kodiak had gone on a hike with an awesome neighbor who has 2 heelers-one blue and one red :) He was cool enough to take Kodiak along! (I trimmed his dog's nails in return; good trade!) 

Later we ALSO went to a church friend's pool party/BBQ, where we swam, ate some yummy bbq, and sorta got a glimpse of the firework show at Ala Moana. There are a lot of tall buildings so we could really only see a corner of it haha. Still, it was nice, and I can't remember the last time I swam in a actual, chlorine pool. It felt so warm and nice!! 

That's the end of our July 4th in 2015! Independence Day is my 2nd favorite holiday (right after Christmas!), I LOVE 4th of July! (Last year Brad and I camped at the Palisades in Idaho the night before, fished, cliff jumped, and went to Hawk Fest-a popular Country concert. It was awesome! There's so much to do during the summer; it really doesn't last long enough. 

OKAY! That's all I am writing for now! Here's some pics and the video of us parasailing! Be sure to Subscribe to our Youtube channel to see past and future videos!! Many more to come!

VIDEO HERE: http://youtu.be/V31M-uP7WTQ
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Kayaking in Hawaii!!

VIDEO HERE: 

http://youtu.be/NKlIISTZ-Tk

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ALOHA! SO glad you are still reading with us!! We have had so many amazing adventures, and MORE still to come!! (Feel free to scroll back through the blog on what we have done so far in Hawaii), and stay tuned for more! This like my own personal diary each week, full of excitement that I am sharing with you! We couldn't bring Kodiak on this adventure (I don't think he would have enjoyed it anyways). 

SO KAYAKING! Kailua is the #1 recommended place to Kayak here on Oahu. Why? Because the ocean is a beautiful, turquoise, the waters are smooth, and there are 2 islands (the Moku Lua Islands), you can paddle out to! Just for kayakers! 

Starting off the day, we took Bus 57 towards Kailua/Sea Life Park, and got off in Kailua near the Beach Park. Near there, there's a couple places to rent Kayaks/paddle boards/even segways from. We rented from Kailua Beach Adventures...MAINLY BECAUSE (get this), I looked up a cheaper place online called Endless Adventures, went to go find it, and it wasn't there! I don't know if it was reservation only or what but the address it led us to was like, a neighborhood. So we had to settle for a little more expensive, but it was still worth it. For $70 we got the Kayak for a 1/2 day (with the carrying wheels part, back rests, and paddles), life jackets (required), and a locker to put our things in. 

So we pulled our kayak out to the ocean which isn't far from the rental place, got in, and started to paddle out!! It takes you a little bit to get used to rowing at the same pace, and to really get things going, but it wasn't long before we were paddling strong through the ocean! It's actually a pretty good workout! You're arms get tired easily, but you can also stop for a breather whenever you want, and enjoy the view! You pass Kailua Beach and Lanikai Beach, and head towards to Moku Lua Islands!

We kayaked to the island on the left, which seemed to be the more popular one. There's a plain-in-sight beach where kayakers can paddle on shore to, get out and explore (just not past the signs-part of the island is a reservation area). We explored the right side of the island from the beach. SECRET: Wear some sort of slippahs (flip flops), or water shoes if you do this! It is very rocky/hot; we went in bare feet-NOT a good idea lol. But we did see some fish, cool rock formations, sea urchins, etc. 

My only regret is when I found out there was a place to cliff jump on the OTHER side of the island and we totally didn't know that! Man! Oh well, we hung out on the beach, swam in the clear blue water, then headed back. 

It has been very hot in Hawaii recently (go figure, I know), so activities like this are SO worth it! Nice, and refreshing!! We paddled back (jumping in the water at one point as well), and wheeled the Kayak back to the rental place. 

This is definitely on our recommended list of things to do!! We loved it, and had a GREAT time!

If you are in Hawaii to relax, DON'T do this haha. You gotta be awake and ready to get your arms tired. 

Here is the video and pictures of our adventure! Enjoy!

http://youtu.be/NKlIISTZ-Tk

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Manoa Falls Hike!

VIDEO HERE:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HQwvfrX-sY
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This is the second time I have done this hike with Kodiak, and we absolutely LOVE IT! It's easy to get to, a short drive or bus ride, it's a hike for beginners/intermediate, it's jungly, lush, green, cool, shady, and so much to see!!

TO GET HERE, simply look Manoa Falls up on Google. I take the bus everywhere, so I took Route 5 towards Manoa Valley. About 15 minutes bus ride from Waikiki and you're there! The bus driver usually tells everyone "Manoa Falls", when you arrive at the bus stop, and it's a straight shot up the road from there! You'll pass a restaurant called "Treetops", which you can eat at afterwards (I haven't been there, but feel free to try it for me!), and the concrete road continues, winding around the rainforest!

PARKING: You have 3 options! (I took the bus so these didn't apply to me)

1st: FREE: Park in the residential neighborhood (before Treetops restaurant) and walk a couple minutes to get there.

2nd: $5.00: Paid Parking right at the trailhead after Treetops restaurant

3rd: FREE: Pass that paid parking lot and there's another parking lot on the left that's free if there are spots available.
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Okay enough with the info! Let's get to the hike! When Kodiak and I went, it was sprinkling almost the whole time. But it doesn't even matter much because the trail is shaded 99% of the time with huge trees! So if it'd due for rain, I would go anyways, just wear clothes/shoes that can get wet!

With this in mind, bring proper clothing, as well as a plastic bag and some extra slippahs (flip flops). Chances are, it will be very muddy! There is a hose at the trailhead, AFTER the hike, that's a perfect opportunity to take off dirty shoes (put them in the plastic bag), wash your feet, and put on those slippahs to get back in the car/bus.

ALSO of course bring water, sunscreen, and bug spray!

This hike is FULL of cool things to see. Huge trees, trees with initials carved into them, little bridges, the stream that runs by it, a bamboo forest, and of course the Manoa Falls at the end!

There are lots of people that hike this trail, so be friendly, a meet someone new! Everyone, and I mean everyone, was SUPER nice about Kodiak passing them and lots of people would stop and say hi to him. Especially kids. Kodiak likes to go fast (especially on the way down), and so people were extremely nice to let us pass.

We did the hike pretty quick (it took us about 20 minutes each way). You get to the falls and there are people hanging out, resting, and taking pictures.

I was bad and went past the DANGER: STOP HERE sign. As did most everyone else there so i didn't feel any guilt. The pool at the base of the falls is cool and refreshing. You can wade in it, it's just slippery. I took off my clothes and got in all the way. Not many people do this, but man does it feel good and you are nice and refreshed for the hike back down! Kodiak also got in as well.

It started to rain pretty good when we were there, so we packed up and headed back down the trail, got all muddy, but we were both happy!!

I love this hike because it is close to Waikiki, but feels like another world completely! Definitely recommend for any age. (I've seen everyone-from babies to old folk!)

Here are some pictures, and be sure to see our video!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HQwvfrX-sY
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Rope Swinging at Waimano Falls

VIDEO HERE:

http://youtu.be/lXS7HV1YDlw
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If you know Brad, Kodiak and I, you'll know we love jungly hikes in Hawaii! Lush, green, rainforest trails that lead to beautiful waterfalls! And that's exactly what Waimano Falls is!

TO GET TO WAIMANO FALLS, you drive to Komo Mai Dr, (near Waimano Home Rd), and go all the way down until you reach the Komo Mai Dr culdesac. And the trail is RIGHT there, you can't miss it!
We took the bus there, but had a bit of confusion as to where to get off and didn't realize there was another bus that could have taken us almost straight to it. So in order to avoid OUR mistake, take bus 53 (Towards Pacific Palisaides) and it's the very last stop on Komo Mai Dr. There's a stop right across the street as well for coming back so you won't have a problem finding it; it just might be a little wait depending on your timing.

Anyways lucky for us, as we were waiting for another bus, a local drove up in his pick-up and offered us a ride to the trail head, which we were SO thankful for!! As Brad said in the video, we haven't been called "How-lees" yet at all here on Oahu. (He did however, on Lanai-but those guys were drunk and weird). Most locals are super nice as long as you respect the island and them as well! Brad tried to pay him, but he wouldn't accept. Another thing about people here. Even lots of the homeless people won't accept food/money.

We get to the trail head and start the hike! It starts off paved then gets dirty! You quickly pass a water tank on you right, then some power lines (which look like they would be awesome to zipline haha), then you get near the top of the hill. That's the easy part. The HARD part is coming down! It's muddy/steep/slippery, especially after it rains! There are lots of roots which kind of help your footing, but it's also easy to trip on them haha. I fell twice...on my butt! Brad had many close calls but never made the plunge.

The trail gets very narrow and shaded by rainforesty trees, and rocky as well. (Oh yes, be sure to wear tennis shoes that you don't care about getting dirty! But bringing an extra pair of slippahs (flip flops) in your bag for the falls is a good idea too.

Kodiak did incredibly well on the hike! He had no problems; he likes to lead the way the whole time, but always waits for us to catch up. The perfect hiking dog. There was another dog there too, and they got along. People love to see Kodiak on hikes, with his little backpack. He loves people too so everyone has a great time. I'm sure to lead him to the side for kids to pass, just in case they lose their footing or are scared of dogs. But hikes are Kodiak's favorite thing ever!

FINALLY THE FALLS!

You get to the falls and you are hot, muddy and sweaty so the first thing that happens is the clothes come off! (With swimsuits underneath of course!) We went to the lower part first, busted out the cameras and went straight in. While on person stayed with Kodiak, the other went to jump/swing. There's a rope you can climb up the side of the rocky area with (some muscle strength required), and then you are on a little ledge. Luckily there was someone there catching the rope as it swung back after someone used it. If there isn't, it can be a bit of a challenge to get it over to you.

You don't want to swing too close to the rocks..because ouch. But you don't want to swing too far into the shallow area. The trick is to swing out, then as you swing back a teeny bit, let go. But man it's so fun and so worth it! We did that a couple times, and then jumped in without the rope too. It is SO refreshing!

There's another way to climb around to get to the upper part of the falls, which has the bigger waterfall, and a little wading area. This is where the dogs would swim around in, and is perfect for pictures. I climbed up to the falls and got some cool GoPro shots right next to it. It feels so magical!

So after spending an hour or two at Waimano Falls, we made the trek back. The steep hill is actually called Cardiac Hill, which makes sense. It really gets your heart pumping! Be careful doing this hike with little kids, they WILL get tired, and it will probably take you twice as long. Coming back up we stumbled upon a cranky toddler (and wife) coming down. And they still had a long ways to go!

We got back to Komo Mai and within 5 minutes you are at a bus stop. A bus came within 20 minutes and we had to transfer once to get back to Waikiki. Be sure to research where you're getting on/off in advance.

Back home everyone had a shower (and Kodiak had a bath), and we were pretty tired after that. So a nap was in order, then we did a grocery run. The day was over just like that!

I am posting pictures below, and be sure to go see the video of our hike/rope swinging/fun at Waimano Falls here!:

http://youtu.be/lXS7HV1YDlw
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Swim with Wild Dolphins in Hawaii!

VIDEO HERE:

http://youtu.be/1z1D-AXrS20
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Aloha again! Sorry it's been a little longer than a week since my last post, we had some technical difficulties, but now we are back up to speed!!

Many people (including myself), have on their bucket list, to SWIM WITH DOLPHINS. And guess what?! Brad and I were lucky enough to finally do it! And I have to tell you, it's one of the most MAGICAL experiences we have ever had!! Pictures and videos just don't do it justice; you want that feeling again of being in the clear blue ocean, with these squeaky, majestic dolphins! It's INCREDIBLE!

I'll start from the top. We signed up online for this adventure in advance. (SECRET: you get discounts, and possibly a free camera if you do this!) There are multiple companies you can go through, but I heard that Ko Olina Ocean Adventures is the best. (Here is the website)

http://koolinaoceanadventures.com/

We did the Speedboat Dolphin Snorkel Tour; it was $125/adult, and DEFINITELY worth the money!
This included a shuttle ride from Waikiki, all the gear-life jacket, mask, snorkel, flippers, the 4-5 hour tour with awesome tour guides, a free underwater camera, and lunch afterwards! Bam!

Just FYI, if you are skeptical of swimming with Dolphins out in the big ocean, or have small kids that can't swim, try the Sea Life Park instead. It's more child friendly, and they have dolphins you can kiss/pull you across a small pool, etc. Wasn't for us because we wanted to see them in the wild, instead of in a small tank for like 10 minutes. But, the choice is up to you! Research both options! There was a spunky little 9 year old girl on the tour with us, so many ages can do this; it's probably based more on your own comfort level. The tour guides were extremely helpful to any person who hadn't snorkeled before or was a little scared. They will let you go at your own pace.

Anyways, the great thing about living in the heart of Waikiki is that we walked 2 minutes to the shuttle and relaxed the whole ride there. (Relaxing also as in...I worked grave shift the night before and got a nice little nap). We got there, got checked in; it was a very nice, smooth process! We waited for about 10-20 minutes at the harbor before the tour guides brought us on the boat, you leave your slippahs (flip flops) at the dock in a safe bin, and climb aboard!

They don't waste any time getting you out to the ocean and briefing you about the sea life creatures. They want you to spend most of your time IN the water of course! At your own speed, you get to enter the water and snorkel around for a bit. Our first spot had some cool fish and a sea turtle!

We got back on the boat and drove to another spot, where the dolphins are! Everyone is so excited to see them, but the tour guides can't stress enough, to STAY STILL when you're in the water. It's very tempting to follow the dolphins to try and get a better look, but you have to stay where you are. They slip you into the water as quietly/smoothly as they can, and tell you to just wait.

THEN, the magic happens! A group of over 50 dolphins swam right under us! Multiple times! They are so cool! We couldn't believe our eyes! We just stared! Incredible!

We got off and on the boat/back into the water with the dolphins for about an hour, they kinda migrate the boat to where the dolphins are hanging out and slip you in for a better look. The dolphins are super smart though, they know exactly where and who you are, and it's completely up to them if they want to come say hi. They stayed about 20 feet away from us most of the time, but it was still amazing!

Our last stop was near a reef with TONS of tropical fish! The tour guides gave us some fish food to feed the bright yellow fish, and we just swam around and enjoyed the snorkeling. At this stop they gave you the option of taking off the life jacket, which most people did, so you could dive under. The water is SO blue and clear; you will definitely want an underwater camera of some sort. GoPro is obviously the best! (Expensive though).

We headed back to the harbor after about 4 hours of snorkel fun! And they had yummy lunch provided! (When you check in, they give you options for your meal). Then the shuttle takes you back to Waikiki. There was only 5 of us who came from Waikiki; everyone else on the tour got their own transportation or was staying at the nearby resort.

It was an AWESOME experience! Stress free, and exciting! But relaxing at the same time! We loved it, and hope to do it again someday!!

Pictures are below, and be sure to check our the video here of our experience!! SUBSCRIBE TO SEE NEW VIDEOS EVERY MONDAY!

Video of us Swimming with Dolphins!

http://youtu.be/1z1D-AXrS20

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Hawaii Lantern Floating Festival 2015

VIDEO OF HAWAII LANTERN FLOATING FESTIVAL 2015 HERE:

http://youtu.be/j9m65SendaU
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Obviously you are here to read about our experience going to the Lantern Floating Festival in May 2015, perhaps you are planning on going on a future date; whatever the case, thanks for taking the time to read, you are awesome!!

Honolulu holds this festival annually on Memorial Day with a huge ceremony that ends with people floating lanterns out on the ocean at Ala Moana Beach (near Magic Island). Each lantern represents a loved one that has passed away, whether military or not.

I decided, since it is Brain Cancer Awareness Month, to go gray for Liam Webb. He's a little boy I used to babysit (along with his older sister). He was a sweet, loving, happy kid! A couple years ago he was diagnosed with brain cancer and passed away later that year from the effects of his chemotherapy treatments. His family is so strong for going through such a trial; they started a foundation in honor of him called "Link Up for Liam" to help out other families (emotionally and financially) that were in their same situation. You can go to their facebook page and "Like" them here

https://www.facebook.com/linkupforliam?fref=ts

Rewinding back, we got to Ala Moana Beach around 9:30am by bus (Routes 8, 19, and 20) come from Waikiki to here very frequently). But oh man! I guess you have to come super super early because we knew there was no way we would get a lantern for Liam. The lanterns are free, therefore everyone wants one, and people will get there super early and camp out until it opens at 10:00am. So we decided to just chill on the beach instead of waiting in line for hours, only to possibly not get a lantern. I respect all of those people though for actually waiting out in the heat for hours, because I knew they had the thought of their loved ones in their hearts. That's probably what kept them going.

We were right on Magic Island (which is where the ceremony took place later on), so we went to the beach which ironically wasn't crowded at all. We snorkeled but didn't see many fish, swam, and just spent a lovely time together just Brad and I. (Since it was Memorial Day he had work off)

After the beach we took the bus back home for lunch and a rest. It's important to give yourself a break when doing a full day of activities.

This reminds me of what MY parents did when my siblings and I were young, and they took us to Disneyworld. (Well, I don't actually remember this, but I remember them telling us the story). My parents would get us up early in our hotel, go to the park as it opened, spend the morning riding the rides, then leave the park before lunchtime. Weird right? Why not just stay the whole day? Here's why: There was just my 2 sisters and I, all under the age of like 7. They would take us back to the hotel for a nap, get up and possibly swim in the hotel pool (which was of course, all to ourselves), THEN head back to Disneyworld. My parents said as they were coming back in the entrance, many families were leaving with their small children because they were crying, cranky, hungry, and tired. Meanwhile we were as happy as can be, being fully fed and rested! We would spend the rest of the day at Disneyworld, up to the nightly fireworks! How smart are my parents!? :)

So we implemented that mentality, went back to our apartment, then came back around 5pm for the Festival! We took into account not getting good seats/a good view. If you want good seats, get there morning/early afternoon. Take into account it's hot, no food around (except for in the expensive mall across the street), and it'll be a long wait, just to be a little more up close than others. A lot of people set up EZ up tents and have huge picnics with a large group of friends or family. It's almost like they are tailgating in my opinion. But we sacrificed good seats with lunch and rest indoors, so sue us. I think it worked out well.

The ceremony started around 6:30pm, with Shinnyo (a buddhist priest), who is very famous from the looks of it, as well as other important contributors, and music. We couldn't really see from where we were.

LANTERN FLOATING BEGINS

Then at 7:15, as the sun goes down, they start lighting everyone's lanterns, and they go down to the water and float them off, taking a moment of remembrance and respect. Everyone is actually very respectful, there wasn't any pushing or shoving or yelling. But it is VERY crowded. I went down with all the people to get good footage for the video and it was dark by the time I got to the water. Everyone wants to be as close as possible, so the front of the crowd is waist-deep in ocean water! Brad didn't get that far because he didn't want to get his tennis shoes wet. But I really wanted to see it up close so I took off my flip flops (or slippahs-as they call them in Hawaii), and trek'd out into the water.

I got soaking wet up to my waist...but the view was worth it! I'm actually glad it was dark by the time I got up close because the lights were just spectacular on the ocean water! People were praying, or hugging, and you can tell they were taking time to remember loved ones. You could feel the love! Bring a camera, preferably a waterproof one like a gopro in case of waves or splashing of any kind. I took like 5 minutes to film, then headed back to the beach.

My recommendation is if you go (ESPECIALLY VISITORS WHO DON'T KNOW YOUR WAY AROUND), do NOT split up! Large groups, forget about it. It was way crowded! Parking there? Get ready for hours of traffic leaving. Buses and shuttles also had a hard time getting out. Brad and I texted to meet at a Walgreens that you had to go through the huge Ala Moana Mall to get to, which worked out pretty well because everyone else either waited for transportation from the Beach, or went INTO the mall. Luckily, we know our way around so we met up then walked home because we knew the buses would be crowded. Basically, set up a meeting place everyone is familiar with in case of separation, and park far away or get ready for a long walk/crowded bus.

That's really the one downfall of this festival, like any other huge event. But I DO recommend going at least once, it was a spectacular thing to see! There are pictures below, as well as the link to our Youtube video showing our experience! Be sure to Subscribe to see new videos every Monday! Aloha!

http://youtu.be/j9m65SendaU