Hop, Jump, skip, and fly away to Hawaii!

Ok, so you may think I'm crazy..but I just had to!

Mi Amor was going to Hawaii for work and I had two days off of work, which obviously meant I needed to hop, jump, skip, and fly away to Hawaii with him! Yes, yes, some of you may think this is insane! I would basically have two full days in Hawaii, but how could I resist a frequent flyer miles ticket!?

Honestly, I will say this is one of the best decisions I've made. I know that if Mi Amor is reading this right now he will laugh. We planned this kind of last minute...it was 11pm on a Sunday the week before we would actually leave and I was getting sleepy and cranky. Can you blame me!? At first I thought it wasn't worth all this hassle for an expensive airplane ticket and hotel for only two full days. However, Mi Amor stayed calm, he finagled and used some miles. We also decided to try out AirBnb. That next Saturday we hopped on a flight that would take us to LA then on to Honolulu!

We landed on Saturday at 5PM which gave us some time to explore Waikiki Strip and go to The Moana Lani Spa. Mi Amor had received complimentary Spa passes and neither of us had really ever been to a Spa. It was such a relaxing introduction to Hawaii. The Spa looked out over the beach and the smell of ocean waves, salt, and sand floated into the rooms. It was very wonderful!

That Sunday was my first full day in Hawaii. We really did make the most of it! We woke up early (also thank you time change and Jet lag, otherwise I'm not too sure I would have woken up so early!). Jumped out of bed and got into the car to head to Manoa Falls. The clouds started to roll in and hung heavy over our heads, but that did not stop us from parking near the trail head and starting our hike!

The rain slowly started to sprinkle and then the small rain drops turned into faster bigger drops. That did not deter us from doing this hike. The trees covered us and the rain felt incredible on our skin. The water cooling us down as we walked up towards the waterfall. There weren't that many other people on the hike, which made it like our own adventure, exploring a new place not sure what we'd find! The green's of the trees were only heightened by the water caressing them making the foliage vibrant.

We reached the falls, the hike was fairly easy and didn't feel long at all, I would recommend it if you want to experience some nature but aren't committed to a 5 hour hike! The Falls were incredible! The rain had fueled them, the water was free-falling down the mountain side. Was such an amazing force to witness and stare up and up and up to the top where the water couldn't wait to jump down! The sound of the rushing water was so relaxing and beautiful to hear.

The rain had slowed down by the time we made our way back to the car, but the clouds remained in the sky threatening to rain again. We thought we should do a scenic drive along Kalanianaole Highway and stop at any beaches along the way, as long as the weather let us. The drive was very beautiful, giving us the island feel. We did happen to stop at a few beaches along the way.

We also tried a "Hole-in-the-wall" Restaurant, Hawaii is famous for those. We had the best fish tacos! Seriously. They were so good, there was an amazing mango salsa on them. We ate them so fast that I didn't get to snap a picture! We also had some fish and rice that was also delicious!

Waimanalo  - Ono's Steaks & Shrimp Shack — Waimanalo - Ono's Steaks & Shrimp Shack

After filling our bellies we continued on our drive. We saw Diamond Head and wrapped around the road back to Waikiki. Hawaii just has so many beautiful sights, the ocean to one side and beautiful green mountains and trees to the other.

The rain tried to damper our afternoon, but I enjoyed trying to hop outside in between summer showers! By the evening the weather cleared up and we were able to walk around Waikiki Beach and enjoy an incredible sunset!

The next day our main mission was to go up in the air parasailing!! First we had to get some food to fuel our goal. We went to this adorable cafe called "Heavenly". The name says it all. The food was very good and the coffee cups were adorable!

Then, Yes, we did it! We found a parasailing company near the beach and were able to hop on a boat later that day to go! I was so nervous. It's something I have always wanted to do but never been able to. As we were on the boat riding out into the ocean I got a little more nervous and scared. What if the strings snap?! That's what was going through my mind along with excitement! When it was our turn my heart was beating faster but then as soon as we were up in the air it was beautiful and peaceful. It was just the two of us up there looking out over Honolulu. Was truly incredible! A great way to end our trip!