Skookum Campground

This was our first adventure, as a family, in the Oregon Cascade mountains. We set out looking for some epic views of lakes and waterfalls.  Who knew that on this grand adventure we would run into some snow. Its was in the 70's, and those patches of white were holding on to the bits of shade, but fading fast. The melting snow made the pools and falls of water that much more grand.

There are obstacles in our way, but we can still see the trail. It looks cold, but the weather is glorious.

Found a couple adorable frogs swimming in the puddles.

We could hear the low rumbles of this waterfall before we even reached it. This first photo is from above, and the next is from the mid way down.

And then we came around the corner to this jaw dropping view. Erma Bell Lake in all her glory. "Time to whip out the fishing pole!" Weston said with excitement.

Weston is a happy camper. He caught his fish!

Between two of the Erma Bell lakes was this beauty. It was a steep climb down, but worth these shots. It made me feel like I was on Kauai again with the misty spray and mossy rocks.

It just kept getting better. Middle Erma Bell was just as beautiful as her big sister.

The flowers were so  pretty. I tried to good photos of some, but couldn't capture them all. With the white dogwood trees in bloom, and all the different varieties of ground flowers, it was hard to keep my eyes on the trail.

There is always one or two that get a little tuckered out from the journey. But we all left feeling a little closer to nature and each other.

Snorkeling at Anini Beach

One of my favorite activities is to swim with sea creatures.  The little Mermaid song comes into my head, "Darling its better, down where its wetter, take it from me!" We went snorkeling our last day on Kauai. A perfect ending to a wonderful adventure with my husband.  Although we captured beautiful fish life, I also want to say the reef, it self, was not as impressive. I know that Hawaii gets lots of foot traffic year around, and that can definitely be a contributing factor, but I also learned that some sunscreens are really harmful too. So please, before you go swimming or snorkeling in beautiful waters around the world, look up Coral reef safe sunscreens. I wish we would have known. James and I are all about not leaving our "footprint" when we go out and explore nature. Humans can do great damage, and not even think about the impact is has on all of us. Love this earth we live on. I hope we all learn to love and care for it a little more. 

This video has a school of strange long looking fish I think they are either needle fish or Trumpet fish.

James chasing the fish.

Na Pali Coast Kayaking Trip

One of the most intense kayaking trips I have ever been on.  This trip started off and ended with calm waters, but the middle was "All hands on deck!"  Unfortunately, I only have photos of the very beginning of our 17 mile trip. We were very sad about that. What is not captured in this post are waterfalls, blue lagoons, dolphins, turtles, epic waves, and a table full of people eating delicious food talking about crossing this trip off their bucket list.  This coast is by far the most beautiful landscape I have ever seen.    

 Sitting in a lava tube listening to our guide blow through a Conch Shell. It was pretty cool.

Tubing Down the Irrigation Canal on Kauai

 On our second day we went on a fun tubing adventure. The tour was only a little over 2 hours, but was a lot of fun. This part of Kauai is actually private land. The irrigation canal helped supply water to the hundreds of acres of sugar cane that once inhabited this beautiful valley.  I thought the hard hat and head lamp were over kill until I went in the first tunnel and wacked my head on the rock wall. There are 5 tunnels, each one was dark and creepy. We caught a couple rapids for some increased excitement. I would recommend this for a family event. I was missing the kids. They really would have enjoyed this.

Kalalau Trail Kauai

According to the guide book a friend gave us, this is Hawaii's most famous trail.  It is the Kalalau Trail and goes deep into the Na Pali coast.  We wanted to day hike just four miles of it, making it eight miles round trip.  This trail is quite popular. Its a beautiful hike along the Na Pali coast through waterfalls and lush greenery. The views are spectacular, which is why it can get heavy foot traffic.

 We have been getting a lot of rain, which has made the trail quite muddy and slick. It was like playing a game of  "don't touch the lava" as you jumped from rock to rock.

 I just can't get over how blue the ocean is here. The occasional breeze was nice and cool, making the hike tolerable despite the high humidity.

 The foliage was so lush. The variety of plants and flowers was abundant everywhere we looked.

 We crossed many streams with little waterfalls. Each unique in beauty.

 So. Much. Mud.

 James and I are getting excited for our kayaking trip down this coast. The water and wind will be pushing us along which is helpful because the trip is 16 miles. I am sure the views will be spectacular.

 We made it to the beach which was two miles in. It was a perfect spot to have lunch.

 Back onto the trail to the falls.  Again with the mud.

 There were areas of huge bamboo clusters formed along the trail.

 Still on the trail. We had to cross this river three time. At this point there were pink tags in the trees to help guide you to the falls.

On our last crossing of the river, just my luck, I slipped and landed on a huge rock straight on my tailbone. The pain instantly shot up my spine and shook my brain. It hurt bad. I tried to stand and it hurt even more. Then my vision became blurry and the sounds around me dimmed. My vision was the worst. It was like an old fuzzy black an white TV, only red with white fuzz around the edges. I was struggling to stay focused and confused about why this was happening. My lips and hands became tingly and numb. Its was so bizarre. James sat and held me for a long while. I wanted to cry because we were so close and I wanted to reach my destination so badly but James insisted we turn back. The hike back was brutal enough, I couldn't add more to it. I tried to talk James into going the rest of the way without me to get some pictures, but he would not leave me.  Next time I am on a trail like this, I will embrace the water and mud instead of avoiding it. If I would have just crossed the river by wading through the water, we would have made it. So glad James was there with me to lift me through all the hard spots on our way back to the car. My bottom still hurts this morning, but I am thankful I can still enjoy Kauai.