Sky High

Happy 10 years to us! Our friend Chase (see pilot above) does helicopter tours of the island, and offered us a great deal. We've been told by many people that this is the best thing they've ever done, so while I was skeptical that it would be that awesome, we were looking forward to it. We strapped into the door-less ride and took off. At first we seemed close to the ground, but right before hitting Waimea Canyon, Chase told us to look down. Suddenly, it was like the ground was taken out from under us as we swooped over the canyon.
It was fun to have Chase point out hike after hike that we've done.
The NaPali is never a disappointment.
Here's the famous arch that Harrison Ford flew through in a helicopter. We were bummed that Chase wouldn't fly through, too.

The waterfall at the 6 mile mark on the Kalalau Trail (this is where I got 150 mosquito bites several years ago).

See the kayakers below? They are paddling into the sea caves. We are doing that in ONE WEEK!!!



The reason I wanted to do a helicopter tour is to see the waterfalls coming down Mt. Waialeale. When the weather is not cooperative (about 50% of the time--it is the wettest spot on earth, after all), they won't take you into the crater. We woke up Sat morning and it was rainy, windy, and cold, so we were completely afraid we wouldn't get to see this. Chase told us at the beginning of the flight that the crater was wide open and we'd definitely get to go in, so we breathed easier and enjoyed the ride. Here we are, coming into the crater:
Nothing disappointing about it! There were hundreds of waterfalls.

My favorite spot of the trip:
We also got to see the "Jurassic Park" waterfall. The land surrounding this fall is owned by the Robinsons, so you can only stop here if you are on a tour with them. Maybe someday...

I made an anniversary book for Brady, full of pics over the past 10 years. In one of the picture books I pulled photos from, I had captioned that our 1st anniversary steaks were "delicious." Brady and I crack up over that, because seriously, that was the worst meal EVER and we will always eat out for anniversaries from now until death-do-us-part. That little experience taught me that it is comical and unnecessary to sugar-coat your memories.

So, with that in mind... Brady loved the tour. He loved it, loved it, loved it. I'm not sure where he ranks it in terms of island highlights and must-dos. I liked it. I do not appreciate immediate payoffs nearly as much as when I have to work and sweat for them. I LOVE hiking miles and miles for one view. I've also always had a grudge against helicopters--having them spin overhead after you HAVE hiked miles and miles and you are finally alone on a breathtaking vista is..ugh. I couldn't help thinking about that each time we saw trails. Even though I didn't get off the helicopter thinking, "WOW, that was the best thing ever," I did enjoy it. I'm glad we had the opportunity and now the pictures. This island is gorgeous.

Quick story: Our friend Julie was watching Zachary and Kate for us. About 20 minutes after we dropped them off, she left a message on my phone saying, "Zac fell on legos and I can't get it to stop bleeding. I think we are taking him to the ER." Twenty minutes later, she called and said she got the bleeding to stop. My phone was in the car, so we didn't miss the trip or have a chance to worry. Zac still has a bit of a fat lip, but he was fine. Say what I may about no-effort thrills, but going on a helicopter ride is a hundred times better than spending all afternoon at the ER!