Hawaii: One of my favorite states!

Enjoying the Aloha spirit!

Sunshine. Scenic. Relaxing. All things that come to mind when I think about Hawaii. After having traveled to Hawaii twice, I can easily say it’s one of my top 2 favorite states. The Aloha spirit is alive and well and I truly feel at home when visiting these lovely islands. My first visit was to O’ahu and Maui. O’ahu is vibrant and full of activities from hiking, zip-lining and surfing. Staying on the less populated North Shore was a nice respite at the beginning of our trip. We enjoyed a split stay so mid-way through our trip we moved to Disney’s Aulani Resort & Spa. Other than visiting Pearl Harbor memorial, we stayed on property almost the entire time we were at Aulani. There was so much to do! Ukulele lessons, spa treatments, waterslides, pools, dining (on-property and within walking distance), walking trails and, of course, fun character meet-and-greets. Towards the end of our first trip, we flew over to scenic Maui. Snorkeling, ATV rides and   all make Maui great! We found the Old Lahaina Luau to be a must-do. I can’t wait to return to Maui to experience the Road to Hana and the sunrise on Haleakala.

On our second visit, we decided that Kauai deserved all of our attention. We found Kauai to be full of locals with Aloha spirit which made us feel like Hawaiians. All of kinds of adventure can be found on Kauai like tubing, rappelling, surfing and hiking. Local vendors also offer activities like cooking classes and harvesting honey. Kauai doesn’t have massive cities but small quaint towns where boutique shops sell locally made goods and bakeries and diners that serve up local favorites like Spam dishes. The natural beauty of Kauai steals the show though! Beyond every curve your eyes marvel at beautiful hills, mountains, trees and flowers. There so much natural beauty that much of it can’t be seen from a car like the Napoli Coast which is best seen from the air by helicopter or boat. Kauai is great for honeymooners, couples, soft adventurers, repeat visitors or anyone looking for a relaxing Hawaiian experience.