Hawaii | Our Anniversary

This past February, Mr. San Diego and I celebrated our first year of marriage with a week in Hawaii!

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Under normal circumstances, I would have A LOT of photos from an adventure such as this, but on the second day of our vacation, Mr. San Diego ended up in the Emergency Room! GASP. We put our vows of "in sickness and in health" to the test when he passed out fifteen minutes before the start of an excursion. It was TERRIFYING and he spent a couple hours being poked by doctors until they determined that he had an extreme case of food poisoning! Yes, we know exactly what he ate that got him sick, and I'll caution anyone going to Kauai to avoid any food being cooked in a barrel. 

Even with Mr. San Diego being out of commission for a few days, we were still able to do some exploring! 

It has been five months since our trip but I still wanted to share our adventure with you all. Better late than never, right?

HaʻENA Beach - North shore, kauai

We drove up toward the "end of the road" to North Shore and the scenery was absolutely mind-blowing. There are no words that could truly express the beauty of Kauai, and I quite literally stopped breathing at certain points because it absolutely took my breath away. 

I've never felt such tranquility as I did sitting on this practically empty North Shore beach, drinking out of a freshly opened coconut, listening to the sounds of the waves, and feeling the ocean mist on my skin. I wish I could have bottled up that feeling to keep forever. I'm not entirely sure if this beach was fairly empty because we were there in February, but having an unobstructed view of the scenery was absolute bliss. There was a topless man in rain boots selling machete-opened coconuts, a small shave-iced food truck, restrooms, ample space for parking, A CAVE, and a lifeguard tower. We spent a few hours relaxing and trying to keep the roosters away from our coconuts!

Location: Map

Lava Lava Beach Club - Kapa’a, Kauai

For the day of our Anniversary (our first morning there), we decided to have brunch at Lava Lava Beach Club. It is the only restaurant on the island where you can dip your toes in the sand while eating your meal, and it was the perfect place to start our day with brunch and mimosas only steps away from the ocean. 

They had the most DELICIOUS macadamia nut pancakes with coconut syrup and passion fruit mimosas! I could have eaten here every single day.

U.S.S. Arizona Memorial, Pearl Harbor, Oahu

After a few days, we hopped to Oahu to visit Pearl Harbor.

It is an overwhelming experience and one that I hope everyone gets the opportunity to have. Listening to the stories, seeing the aftermath, learning of the devastating loses - you feel a sense of reverence coupled with shock from seeing the reality of something that is such a monumental tragedy in American history. It transcends the stories to become a tangible lesson for those of us who did not experience it.

Heavenly - Waikiki, Oahu

We ate here every single morning while in Waikiki. We loved the Big Island French Toast so much that we didn't even bother looking for another place to eat! It has such a cool vibe and was VERY popular, but we got there very early most mornings and beat the crowds. 

Website: heavenly-waikiki.com
Instagram: @heavenly.hi
Location: 342 Seaside Ave, Honolulu, HI 96815
Reservations? Yes

Paradise Cove Luau - Kapolei, Oahu

We couldn't leave Hawaii without experiencing at least one luau, and I'm fairly certain we chose the most beautiful one on the island. The views alone were stunning! Aside from the perfect weather and incredible sunset, there were fun activities before dinner, great tropical cocktails, incredibly friendly staff members, a delicious dinner, and an outstanding show! 

Website: paradisecove.com
Instagram: @paradisecoveluau
Location: 92-1089 Alii Nui Drive, Kapolei, Hawaii 96707
Reservations? YES - Highly Recommended

Aside from the trip to the ER, our trip to Hawaii was incredible. While Mr. San Diego was recovering in our hotel room, I spent a good amount of time by the pool overlooking the ocean while reading a great book, all while working on a killer tan. We ate tons of fruit, relaxed on beaches, and enjoyed celebrating our first year as husband and wife.

I can't wait to go back again!

XOXO

AdventureKarina DiscoversAdventure, Hawaii, AnniversaryComment