What a Year!!

I love New Year’s Eve.  It gives you a defined point to start fresh, make new goals for yourself, and grow.  It also gives you a chance to reflect on the past 12 months.  It’s so easy for me to get caught up in the here and now and forget where I’ve been.  I’m always really surprised how much I got accomplished, all the amazing people I’ve met, and all the fun places we’ve visited in just 1 year.  Starting this blog in June was one of the best moves I’ve made recently.  It’s opened my eyes to a whole new world of possibilities and is just a blast for me to work on.  Thank you so much for helping me to grow my blog over the last 6 months.  Here’s a collection of some of my favorite photos of looks/travels from 2013 (You can click on the image to view the original post).  Cheers to a brand new year!  Let’s make it the best one yet!!

Hawaiian Sunset Montage

As a finale to my Hawaiian adventure, I’ve compiled all the beautiful sunset/sunrise shots from throughout the trip.  I never really did get used to the time change so I was up by 6 am and usually passed out embarrassingly early every day.  I actually liked it because I got to see both the sunset and sunrise!  I’m everything a morning person is not so I can’t remember the last time I saw a sunrise!  I have to say… I kind of like them!!

Thanks for following me on my Hawaiian Adventure!  We have a few other trips in the works and I can’t wait to share more details with you when everything gets nailed down.  Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter (@WanderingHeels) for all the details!

 

Rental Review: Mika Taki House with Lagoon

This house is almost too spectacular to review.  I kind of want to keep it a secret so it stays our little hidden gem.  I can’t do that to you though!  The whole point of visiting these amazing places it to share them!

This 4 bedroom 4.5 bathroom house is situated just a few blocks from the main Hilo area but is far enough away to feel secluded.  You’re surrounded by lush tropical rainforest that bursts to life every night.  The froggy noises are so loud that light sleepers might have a difficult time sleeping.  It felt really fun for us though since it’s unlike anything I’ve ever experienced.  The home itself is fully stocked with everything you could possibly need on your stay.  Seriously, we didn’t need to buy anything while we were there except bug spray (and food and wine of  course).  With all the rain (Hilo has the highest rainfall in the USA!) comes lots of bugs.  I got about a million mosquito bites on our stay in Hilo.  I’m kind of a target for them though.  I’ll get 12 and my friends will get 1… so unfair.

Another amazing bonus about this place is the private lagoon with waterfall.  It’s spectacular.  You could probably not leave the house for a few days and just lounge by the lagoon, BBQ, and be perfectly content with life.  The lagoon has big tadpoles, prawns, and tons of little fishies that were fun to watch.  It’s a tad on the chilly side but a nice relief from the warm weather and humidity.

We’re talking about renting this place out for our entire family some time soon.  It’s really one of the best rental properties I’ve ever experienced.  Leaving was the only thing I didn’t like about it.

Find out more info or book your stay here!

Tons of tropical fruit trees surround the property

The rainforest view from our bedroom

A cute sitting area overlooking the rainforest

Huge palms trees tower over the property

Loved the secluded lagoon

Stunning lagoon… I couldn’t believe it was our own!

A cute little dock on the lagoon

Boys will be boys…

The steps down to the lagoon

Kilauea Caverns of Fire

We knew this place was going to be amazing when we called and Steve responded with so much enthusiasm about showing us the lava tubes.  Especially when he told us he had already headed home but was “totally cool” with coming back.  Normally I would have just waited until the next day but since we were on our last few last days in Hilo, we took Steve up on his offer.  I’m so happy we did!!  Granted, driving there I was pretty sure we were entering the beginning scene of a scary movie.  You know… the part where the tourists are super stoked to be somewhere remote but there are spooky yellow eyes peeking out from the brush ready to pounce?

We were greeted by Steve’s dog Cinnamon and all the creepy feelings went away.  The lava tubes are absolutely amazing.  There’s a beautiful sparkly bacteria on the ceiling of the entrance that looked like the night sky when you shined your flashlight on it.  Steve knew everything about how these spectacular lava rock formations were formed.  When we were fairly deep into the tube, we all turned out our flashlights to feel true darkness.  You literally can’t see your hand in front of your face!!  It’s such a unique feeling.  I highly recommend a visit to the Kilauea Caverns of Fire on your next visit to The Big Island of Hawaii.  It’s truly a fantastic experience!

This amazing lava rock was formed at the exact moment a rock dropped into hardening lava but was still fluid enough to ripple.

The iron content in the rock is what forms all the different colors of lava rock.

 

 

A Secret Hike in Hilo

After we said our goodbyes to the North Shore, we took an island hopper flight over to The Big Island to stay in Hilo for a few nights.  Originally we were supposed to visit the Volcano National Park but because of the government shutdown we weren’t able to go.  No worries though!  Hilo was full of super fun things for us to do!!

One of my favorite adventures was a totally unplanned stop on our way up to Akaka Falls.  There was a teenie tiny trail head on the side of the road with a stunning view.  So we pulled over to take some shots and decided to head down the trail a bit.  I’m so glad we did!  There were little hidden beaches, mini waterfalls, and plenty of ocean views.  If you’re looking for this secret spot, it’s about 1 mile South of the Hawaiian Botanical Garden entrance.  Just keep your eyes peeled for a small trail head sign just before one of the bigger curves in the road.

Tip:  Do this hike before buying your tickets to the botanical garden.  Once you’re a ticket holder, you can’t do this hike for insurance reasons.  Also, bring some water shoes.  You’ll be walking across a few streams and things you won’t want to miss out on!