Celebrating Independence

This fourth of July Karen and I decided to pursue one of our favorite past-times....hiking. The Kalalau Trail begins at the entrance to the Napoli Coast. We have concluded that this hike is a must do for visitors.

This pictures sums up the surroundings while hiking....beautiful oceans views accompanied by lush green jungle.

Panda bears would be loving this section of the hike.

The 4.5 mile trail ends at Hanamake'ai Falls....bet you can't pronounce that. I still can't.

Even though we knew we would be hiking to a waterfall with a pool, we still looked like clueless tourists due to our lack of swim-wear. We dove in anyway with our hiking clothes. Swimming behind the waterfall is just as romantic as it sounds. Swimming under it, however, leaves you only with a mouthful of Leptospirosis (the bacteria found in fresh water).

I'm getting better at taking our own pictures.

On the way back from the falls we took a slight detour and discovered the most beautiful beach I've seen in my life. You have to hike two miles from any road to get here. In the winter, this beach will sport 10+ foot waves. I'm currently taking reservations for winter visitors.

Karen's valient attempts to stay awake on the drive home...

We spent the remainder of the day with our friends Nic and Heidi, and their son Ty, eating a yummy salad bar and heading off for fireworks.

Happy July 4th!