Why Me Canyon?

Another highlight was Waimea Canyon, in Kauai.  It's called the Grand Canyon of the Pacific.  This stop has a story! 

We drove up some crazy curvy roads to get here and snapped some pictures (including this one of Jason) at a lookout with an amazing view right? Well, I decided we needed an even better view.  According to my trusty map, there was a waterfall just a mile off the road inside the canyon.  I'm thinking its this phenomenal site, so I convince Jason to check it out.  We get out of the car and we're walking down this level dirt path and I think any second the woods will part and a waterfall will jut out from the sky.

Well, we keep walking and no waterfall.  Keep in mind we are in flip flops, and brought a half a bottle of water with us.  We're walking and talking....and see a this sign...Waipoo Falls 1 mile.  At this point Jason is ready to turn around, but he knows I won't turn around until I have some sort of "Ah ha moment." And besides, what's one more mile....?

 

We keep going...then the trail turns a little rough...as in down hill!

 At this point, even I'm ready to throw in the towel.  We're sweaty and hot and sandals don't have the best traction when you're heading down hill.  Then some crazy hiker says, "You're almost there, really it's a spectacular view you should keep going."  So against our better judgment we keep going.  Frankly we're lucky we didn't break an ankle. We were slipping and sliding all over the place and you know what? We never made it to the waterfall!!  'The spectacular view' was this, another lookout point.

It was a beautiful site, but the beauty came second to the thought of having to hike back out of here!

We snapped our picture, took a mintue to take it all in (and rest) and started back.

From here on out, Jason called this 'Why Me Canyon'...a twisted variation of it's true name Waimea (Why-a-mea) Canyon.  This has become the famous picture....the 'Why Me' stance in the middle of the dessert.

Both of us were tempted to rip out that sign that said the falls were 1mi.  Never trust a wooden sign in a forest lol.  It was a rough hike, but we definitley have a story to tell!

Pearl Harbor

While in Honolulu we went to see Pearl Harbor.  More than one million people visit this floating monument every year.  They ferry small boats of people out to the site that sits on top of the USS Arizona, one of four ships sunk by the Japanese on December 7, 1941.

    Our visit was an eerie experience.  A few pieces of the battle-scarred ship are above water and you can see streaks of oil as it slowly leaks out of the seventy year old tomb. 

The wall inside the 184 foot memorial lists the 1,102 soldiers who lost their lives that December day.

Surf's up

After Kauai we went to Honolulu.  We stayed right near Waikiki Beach, which we quickly learned was a much faster paced area.  It's basically Fifth Avenue with a beach.  Fast paced or not, it was still sunny and gorgeous.     

Once we adjusted to the change in pace, we set out to have a little fun. We watched some crazy surfers, and had more funny looking drinks with fruit lol.  Everyone is a surfer here. 

A trip favorite

Hanalei Bay was one our favorite spots in Kauai.  We drove about an hour north of the resort to hang out here for the day and it was well worth it.  The water is calm and aqua marine colored, and even though its a public beach very few people were there.  It was so peaceful.  In front of us was the bay, to the left of us mountains.

The north part of the island, Princeville, is known for being the rainy side of the island.  It rained for about a minute on our way there and that was it.  Outside the beach area there is an old school shopping area.  It's not built up and overpriced, its just mom and pop shops which was really cool.  We bought a few things and then had a Hawaiian staple - Shave Ice.  It's like a snow-cone, only a million times better.  A friend of ours recommended this particular vendor so we had to get some here, and on a hot day it hit the spot.

We really like how laid back everyone is on the island.  No business has a clock on the wall, traffic goes about 35 miles per hour, and no one is in a hurry. 

Beauty from above

While in Kauai we took a helicopter tour, since more than half the island can only be seen by air.  One family owns 85% of the island and they are very protective of it.  The entire western side of the island has no roads, it's just mountains and waterfalls you can only see from above.  Our hour long ride took us over the Na Pali Coast, where we took some amazing pictures. 

This one you might recognize - its the waterfall used for the movie Jurassic Park - only accessible by helicopter.

 

Paradise

Ah, Hawaii.  Just looking at the pictures puts us in a good mood.  For our honeymoon, we spent four nights in Kauai and three in Oahu.  This rock cliff was right near our resort in Kauai.  Because of the crazy time change, we were up for the sunrise the first morning we were there.  We decided to be ambitious and went on top of the rock cliff right to watch the sunrise. (There was a walking trail, we didn't need to put on hiking gear or anything lol.) 

It was gorgeous and a great way to start our week in paradise.

Our resort, The Grand Hyatt, was breathtaking as well.  This is the lobby.  As soon as you walk in you see the ocean, it was breathtaking.

The food was great, the views were amazing, and the staff was friendly.  All in all, we couldn't have asked for a better place to stay.

Everything was landscaped beautifully. Just walking around the resort was a treat. Each day we only spent half the day out and about, and then we came back and relaxed.

Wedding moments

There are a lot of moments during that day we'll remember.  So many people say your wedding day goes by in an instant, and it's true but Jason and I really made an effort to take it all in.  Because we did that, I felt like we really enjoyed those special moments like when Ashley and Josh gave their toast.  Both of them were heartfelt and funny and we really appreciated their kind words.

The cake cutting was another 'moment.'  Jason was semi-nice about giving me some cake, I on the other hand, took no mercy lol. 

Our reception

One thing is certain - our families know how to throw a great party!  About 120 people came out to celebrate with us, and celebrate we did!  Jason and I were truly overwhelmed by the number of people who wanted to share this day with us. 

The reception was at The Boathouse, a quaint little restaurant sitting on the lake.  Our guests sat on the dock overlooking Lake Ontario.  We had a great spread of food, from appetizers to a buffet, and an open bar!  There was no way anyone left there hungry or thirsty lol.  Once everyone finished eating, we hit the dance floor!

Our first dance was Tom Petty's Wildflowers.

I'm happy to say quite a few people hit the dance floor! 

Even after sunset, we were still on the dance floor!  Our feet hurt so bad the next day, but it was all worth it!  We had a great time!

We had a full house, and we're so glad you could all be with us on our wedding day!

The Boathouse - view from a dock

Picture Stop

After the ceremony the wedding party, 14 people strong, piled into the limo and headed for Sackets Harbor.  Before going to the reception we stopped for some pictures near some abandoned brick buildings.  It wasn’t a random stop, I had scoped the place out first.  The buildings sit along the battlefield in Sackets Harbor, a small lake town with historic ties to the Battle of 1812.  The building was once used as a mess hall for the soldiers based in the area.  To some, this rough looking shack might seem like an odd place to take wedding pictures but we thought it was pretty unique.   

Shining examples

We owe a big thank you to our parents for helping us make our wedding day perfect.  Aside from helping us work out all the details of the day, they are true examples of married life.  Jason's parents just celebrated their 41st wedding anniversary and my parents have been married 28 years.  (I've been to quite a few weddings lately and I can't remember the last time both sets of parents were married.  It sounds crazy, but it is the truth.) 

We owe a lot to our parents.  Thank you for everything.

Our rock star wedding party!

We had a rock star wedding party!  Jason and I have been fortunate enough to meet great friends throughout our lives.  We've bounced around from state to state and in each place met people who became family, and all of them were at our side on our big day.  People traveled from Minnesota, Vermont, Montana, and all over NY to celebrate with us.

Plus we had an adorable flower girl! Jason's cousin Maggie did a great job walking down the aisle with a bright smile.

To our wedding party: Words can't describe how much we appreciate everything you did!  It meant so much to have you all there.

The guys ushering in guests.

The girls helping me get ready.

Jason and his best man and twin brother, Josh.

Lisa and her sister Ashley, maid of honor.

Our Wedding Day!

It was the perfect day.  I know that sounds like a generic start to a story, but it’s the truth.   

On the morning of the wedding the girls woke up at the crack of dawn to get their hair done.  On the way, the weather was iffy, it was windy and wet but it didn’t matter.  Once we got to the salon the hairspray started flowing.  It was so thick, it looked like a smoke filled bingo hall in the 60’s lol.  Bobby pins flying, cameras flashing, irons curling.  It took about two hours for all of us to get dolled up, and then it was time to break out the fancy dresses.  With the help of gracious bridesmaids and my maid of honor, I was laced into my ivory dress.  

 After adding the accessories, we headed for the limo.

With the girls singing, “Going to the Chapel” we took the 15 minute drive to our old, one room church. Waiting in the limo was the hardest part.  It felt like hours to me.  I was ready to swing open the church doors and head down the aisle, but I waited.   Jason walked his parents in, followed by the wedding party, and then it was my turn.  

 With dad at my side, I made it down the aisle.  (Aside from getting my heel caught in a heating vent on the floor on the way down, it was flawless lol)

I won’t get all sappy on you, I’ll just say the ceremony was perfect.  It was heartfelt and emotional, and we were so happy it felt like we were floating on air.

When we walked out of the church as husband and wife, the dreary start of a day turned into a gorgeous sun filled afternoon.