Liene's Adventures - 365 Days of Hawaii - Our Hawaii Diary (Days 61-120)

365 Days of Hawaii - Our Hawaii Diary (Days 61-120)

: on 11 August 2020; Hits: 1269

You can read about the start of our Hawaii life here:

AUGUST

DAY 61

When visiting the little playground / park next to our new house, the boys found this huge odd-looking fruit on the ground. Upon consulting google, we found out that the tree is called Kigelia or Sausage tree because of the sausage-looking fruit it produces. The tree is native to tropical Africa but also grows here on Hawaii. The fruit can grow up to 2ft long and weight almost 15lbs. Although the fruit is highly poisonous to humans, it is part of the diet to many animals in Africa. And even more peculiar is the way it grows - the fruit hang down from long, rope-like vines. Definitely one of the weirdest looking plants I have seen here so far!

DAY 62

Today we decided to go back to the little walking trail on Hickam AFB that we used to go to almost every day when we first arrived. It is a really cool path for kids - it's paved, so they can ride their bikes or scooters, and it goes along a bay with tons of tropical fish hanging out by the shallow coral shores. We have seen all sizes, shapes and colors of fish here, including crabs, sea urchins, sea cucumbers and even a resident octopus. Kids love throwing fish food to them and all the birds that flock around for crumbs. For the non-swimmers, this is an amazing spot to see reef fish! And the coastal views are amazing too!

DAY 63

One of the most common birds we have come to see on Hawaii is Cattle Egret - a type of marsh / water bird. They are like sparrows or pigeons in other parts of the world - common, non-picky and sturdy. Although Cattle Egrets are considered pests (they are nest predators of some endemic Hawaiian birds), they were actually deliberately introduced to Hawaii in hopes that they would control flies that were harassing cattle herds on the islands. Although originally from Africa, egrets seem to have adapted well to living in this island paradise! My boys love looking for them and yelling out loudly ''EGRET!'' every time they see one.

DAY 64

When Hawaii decides to shut down, we have to look for entertainment anywhere we can. I think a local park with some water sprinklers will do just fine for my boys!

DAY 65

I am still amazed at these brightly colored trees each time I see one! Sometimes they are so fully covered with the bright orange flowers that they seem to be on fire! Hence the name Delonix Regia or Flame Royal Poinciana. This beautiful tree originally comes from Madagascar, but nowadays has spread to other tropical regions of the world, including Hawaii. Sometimes it feels like we get to see bits and pieces of everything here - there are plants, animals and birds here in Hawaii that are native to so many other parts of the world, be it Africa, Asia or other Pacific islands. It's like getting a little insight into remote corners of the world without really ever leaving...

DAY 66

I cannot believe I am on 'Day 66' but have not yet talked about pineapples! Pineapples are a Hawaii symbol and usually one of the first things people think of when word 'Hawaii' is mentioned. Again, although not native to these islands (Hawaii pineapple origins can be traced back to South America), they were a big thing here in 1900s. Although pineapple production in Hawaii has dramatically decreased since then, you can still see them being farmed at Dole Plantation. And wast pineapple fields stretch to the horizon there. You can buy fresh (and very sweet!) pineapples anywhere on the island, including pineapple ice cream, smoothies, cakes, pies and even pineapple sausage, burgers with pineapples and of course the Hawaiian pizza (with pineapples)! Nowhere else in the world have I ever eaten pineapples as naturally sweet and melt-in-your-mouth tasty as in Hawaii! A must try for anyone!

DAY 67

This afternoon we decided to make a little impromptu trip to see the Punchbowl. Punchbowl Crater is an extinct volcanic tuff cone which is also the location of the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific. It serves as a memorial and last resting place for those who served in the US Armed Forces. Although it is an active cemetery, the entrance to it is granted to everyone interested. When here, please respect all the cemetery rules - this is not a tourist attraction to do selfies at. The panorama platform, however, does offer beautiful views over Honolulu and Diamond Head.

DAY 68

When making our way downtown, we passed this tourist sign which I had never noticed before. Of course, I made my husband turn the car around to go take this obligatory tourist photo! Aloha from Waikiki!

DAY 69

We had spent all day doing errands and chores around the house, and by the time afternoon came, we felt like we had to get our boys out of the house as they had nowhere to let out their energy. So, we decided to go take a long evening walk around Honolulu. It was actually very relaxing and we spent a couple hours walking along the ocean until it was time for the sunset! The views were so pretty and I am very happy we made ourselves get out of the house and come experience this beauty of Hawaii, regardless of how tired we felt before.

DAY 70

When I found out about a local market, called ''Swap meet Hawaii'', I decided I absolutely had to see it. It takes place at Oahu Aloha Stadium every weekend from 8AM - 1PM. It is a huge event full of local vendors selling everything Hawaii - clothing, souvenirs, household items and decor, local food, drinks etc. The event is huge and wraps around the whole stadium. We spent almost an hour here and managed to see only about a quarter of it (we also bought a lot of items for decorating our house, and some dresses and shirts). We will definitely be back next weekend to explore the rest of it!

DAY 71

Today we decided to drive out to Shark's Cove again to engage in some water activities. As beaches are still closed, Shark's Cove is the perfect place to go with young kids - the water is very shallow here and protected from the waves by a lava wall, which makes it a safe place for kids to ''swim''. While my boys were enjoying their water activities under the supervision of my husband, I went over to the deep end for some snorkeling. Plenty of fish to see again! As expected for a Sunday afternoon, however, the Cove got a little too crowded for my liking. For the most part though, everyone managed to keep a good distance.

DAY 72

Food trucks are still a hit for us here! We love Hawaii street food - very authentic and tasty! Our most often picks are Hawaii BBQ, coconut shrimp, and fish tacos. The 2 main places we go to are: one on the North Shore in Haleiwa, and the other in the parking lot of Waikele Premium Outlets in Waipahu. Both have good selections.

DAY 73

Today's Hawaii scenery - Waimea Bay Beach Park. Saw this amazing view while driving along the coast.

DAY 74

We were very excited to hit another trail today - I was looking forward to some exercise, the boys were eager to explore the woods and run off some energy; however, once we arrived at the trailhead, we found a big fat sign stating that trails are now closed 24/7. Even the last trail system, 'Na Ala Hele', that people could still go on, got shut down by the state in order to ''minimize'' the spread of Covid. Seriously, a remote trail in the woods is making people sick, but not the malls, overcrowded grocery stores, water parks or golf courses? All of those are fine, but a hiking trail will, apparently, make it or break it, so all the trails had to be shut down! With none left to hike anymore, we were forced to go back home. As mad as we are about it, luckily, we still have this view to enjoy from our own back porch. This is my happy place with a hot cup of morning coffee...

DAY 75

After our disappointment with the closed trails the day before, I did some research and found a 3.5-mile trek around the airfield at Wheeler AFB that many military folks use for workouts. With not many other options, I figured it was better than nothing. The whole path is paved, so it was a good spot to let the boys ride their bikes. The view of the mountains was nice as well and we enjoyed watching all the planes and helicopters on the military airfield. And - we have a few more miles under our belt!

DAY 76

Today I finally gave in and agreed to try out our inflatable kayak in the Hawaiian waters. I was a little hesitant about taking an air-dependent boat into the ocean (you know... shark bites, and sharp corals...); however, it turned out quite alright! We started at Hickam Beach boat launch and then cruised the coast up and down for a while. We even found a little secret sandy beach with no-one on it! We will have to do this again!

DAY 77

As we did not get to fully explore the ''swap meet'' market last weekend, we went back to it this weekend to see all the other items for sale there. We bought a few more dresses and little knick-knacks, and then stumbled upon this little dragonfruit stand. They, of course, were grown right here on Oahu. I got 1 for each boy to try, and they liked it so much we had to go back for more! Dragonfruit is actually a fruit that grows on a cactus, and it comes in 2 varieties - red or white flesh (inside). It has a slightly sweet taste with solid consistency. It won't necessarily become my favorite fruit, but I do appreciate the opportunity here in Hawaii to try things I would normally not be exposed to!

DAY 78

Another walk I found we could go on (that wasn't closed) was Ala Wai Canal path in Honolulu. Again - not a real hike by any means - but at least something that let us be active. Boys grabbed their kick-scooters this time, and my husband and I were trying to catch up with them on foot. There were other joggers, strollers and dog-walkers enjoying the path as well but it did not get too crowded. What I did not like about it though, was all the homeless people setting up their tents and laying on benches and lawns all along the canal every few yards. I have nothing against homeless, but with our boys occasionally taking off and riding their scooters quite a distance ahead of us, it did make me quite nervous. So, we will go and enjoy Honolulu in the future but we, most likely, won't use the canal path too often.

DAY 79

A while ago I mentioned that Hawaii is not quite as lush and tropical as many perceive it to be. This picture was taken on the Leeward side of Oahu and you can clearly see the difference between the green and brown grass. The lush green lawn (along the sidewalk) is part of the resort area and is regularly watered by the water sprinkler system. The brown field is not part of the resort and gets no water other than occasional passing rain shower (which sometimes doesn't happen for weeks). Brown, dry, burnt out and desert-like is what most of the Leeward side of Oahu would look like during summer months if not for artificial watering systems.

DAY 80

Hawaii born and raised - island treats we get to enjoy here! We will sure miss the amazingly sweet Hawaii pineapples when it's time for us to move away!

DAY 81

Speaking of local treasures - coconuts truly sometimes grow like weeds around here! Too bad we do not have the skills to climb the palm trees to get them... With a fresh coconut selling for around $5 a piece (to tourists), just count how much money is up in this tree! I counted 84 nuts from just what can bee seen in the picture on this one side of the palm tree!

SEPTEMBER

DAY 82

After I found out that my favorite beach on the island (Bellows) has been opened up for water activities again, I waited for my husband to come home from work, we loaded up and drove out to Bellows beach. I guess nobody knew yet that the beach was open as we were the only ones for miles with no other soul in sight. As it was quite late, we ended up playing into the sunset and the combination of having the whole beach and ocean to ourselves made it for quite a surreal sight!

DAY 83

As we woke up in the morning, we had this quick idea to just go on a little road trip around the southeast side of Oahu. Since our move to Hawaii, we have traveled to bits and pieces of this part of the island but not the hole way around. It is a very beautiful coastline, lined with turquoise beaches, far islands in the ocean, cliffs and lava rock carved scenery. The photo is of Makapu'u Beach in Kaupo Bay with Kāohikaipu Island State Seabird Sanctuary in the background.

DAY 84

When lounging on the beach is not allowed in Hawaii, people take it to the ocean - surfing is the #1 activity around here! World surfing championships take place in Hawaii too!

DAY 85

This view from our lanai (balcony) never gets old, be it sunrise, sunset or any other part of the day. I enjoy a hot cup of coffee at sunrise in the morning, and have sunset-watching parties with friends and family in the evening. We watch airplanes in the sky and ships in the bay, rainbows over the mountains and parrots in our mango trees. I cannot be more happy to call Hawaii my home for the next 3 years!

DAY 86

White sand, ocean and palm tree breeze - the serenity of Hawaii islands!

DAY 87

One of the most common animals we see around here are little geckos and lizards. They are everywhere - in yards, in trees, in parks, flowerbeds... anywhere we turn, they just scatter and run to hide. We even had one living in our kitchen for about a month until we finally caught the little free-loader and released it in the backyard. Our boys love to play catch-and-release with them every once in a while. Little critters like these are just part of life in the tropics (now, let's not talk about other commoners, like centipedes and roaches - those are NOT cute!)

DAY 88

This weekend we discovered a little hidden gem - the beautiful Kahana Bay about 25 minutes north of Kaneohe. The Bay has gorgeous canals weaving through lush, green rainforest with tropical plants and trees engulfing the sides of the canal, and tall mountain ranges that can be seen from any angle. We brought our kayak and paddled through this jungle river as deep into the jungle as we could, and then turned around and took another canal that took us straight out into the ocean where we jumped in for a swim before paddling back.

DAY 89

I have passed the UPS store quite a few times and always noticed various brightly colored coconuts displayed up front. I always thought they were fun Hawaii decorations. Only today did I take a closer look at them and realized that they are actually POSTCARDS! Literally - on the back of the coconut there is a space to write ''TO:____" and ''FROM:_____'' and the post office will mail your chosen coconut to the recipient. I think this is actually such a fun idea and I might mail some one day myself!

DAY 90

When taking curvy coastal roads around Hawaii, you can never predict what scenery awaits you around the next corner - but you can be sure that it will never cease to amaze you! Hawaii must be as close to Paradise as it gets!

DAY 91

Noble steeds at Kualoa Ranch enjoying green pastures at sunset while waiting for Covid to end and tourists to return back to the islands...

DAY 92

'Love more worry less' - that's the island motto we try to live by. Some days are easier than other (as everyday life gets in the way regardless of where one lives) but it does feel like life here is more relaxed and easy-going... I think they call it the island vibe here.

DAY 93

While going on a little expedition along the Leeward coast, we cruised up and down some tiny mountainous side streets and stumbled upon this cute, little house. Looks like straight out of a fairy-tale - so lush, colorful and peaceful. What more do you need for a perfect weekend getaway?! Someone picked the perfect spot for their house!

DAY 94

Duke Paoa Kahanamoku - you will find his statue welcoming you with open arms when walking along Waikiki Beach. Duke was a true Hawaiian hero and one of the world's greatest watermen, a master of swimming, surfing and outrigger canoe paddling. He grew up swimming and surfing in Waikiki. He was instrumental in helping to spread the sport of surfing and the spirit of aloha around the world—which eventually earned him the nickname "the father of modern surfing."

DAY 95

When paddling around in our canoe at Kahana Bay Beach Park, there were many beautiful views. But this one just took my breath away! These were the tallest palm trees I had ever seen, and the mountain backdrop made it look like a scene out of the Jurassic World. By the way, do you know that part of the Jurassic World movie was actually filmed in these very mountain ranges on Oahu? And it is definitely easy to see why. I don't think seeing a dinosaur walk out of the bushes here would have surprised me all that much!

DAY 96

As this Covid lockdown in Hawaii just does not come to an end, it had been quite a while since we went to play on the beach. Today was the first day beaches were open again after weeks of shut-down, so of course me and the boys headed out for some long-needed sun and sand. And the boys made a new beach-friend!

DAY 97

Coastal roads of Hawaii - turquoise water, black lava rock carved coastline and green mountains. There is picture perfect scenery around every turn. This was just another ''Hawaiian road trip'' we decided to take by driving all the way to Kaena Point State Park. It's a fairly remote dead end road on the far side of the island which ends up at Kaena Point wildlife refuge and requires a long hike to the tip of the island. One day we will do this hike, but for today we just enjoyed the roadside views.

DAY 98

This is indeed wild Hawaii - not a botanical garden, not a plant nursery, but the dry side of the island. Cacti like these are not a common sight but they do exist. If not for the mountains in the distance, I would think we are looking at some desert landscape in Arizona or New Mexico.

DAY 99

After a little pause, we decided it was time to go enjoy the ocean again and we went back to our favorite beach today - Bellows. Apart from swimming, I was super excited to go see the turtle nests on the beach. Although they are roped off and cannot be approached, it was still very exciting to see them. Of course, I am a little jealous of the conservation project workers who get to monitor these nests and will eventually see the little turtles hatch and run for the ocean. This is the first time in history that turtles have laid eggs on this particular beach. Altogether, 13 nests have been found here.

DAY 100

After we missed our turn on the highway when going to Kailua this morning, we ended up having to take an unfamiliar road across the mountains, which ended up having some awesome road-side scenic pull-offs! Sometimes it is fun to get a little lost!

DAY 101

Some tropical flowers blooming right here in our backyard! We really enjoy our Hawaii yard with mango and lychee trees, a few parrots here and there, little lizards running around and all the other tropical foliage we don't know the names of (and that we have previously only seen at botanical gardens). And the best thing - we will never have to shovel snow here! :-)

DAY 102

This weekend we had some real beach-time overload! We rented an ocean-side cabin at Bellows AFB and spent 2 days by the ocean - bodyboarding, swimming, flying kites, bodyboarding, playing in the sand, and bodyboarding some more... Yes, we did A LOT of bodyboarding, and the huge waves were perfect for it. While our youngest preferred playing in the sand, the 4-year old had a blast perfecting his bodyboarding skills. We definitely had tons of fun this weekend and it was a great family mini getaway.

DAY 103

Hawaii islands are volcanic in origin, formed by lava eruptions millions of years ago; therefore, the coastline often consists of black, sharp lava rocks so hard that nothing can grow on them. Although there are no more active volcanoes on the island of Oahu, the last volcanic eruption on Hawaii happened just 2 years ago (in 2018) on the Big Island. And one thing is certain - it will not be the last one as there are 4 active volcanoes scattered around all Hawaii Islands and sooner or later they will erupt again.

DAY 104

What an amazing discovery we had today! Our go-to beach so far has always been Hickam Beach but today we discovered a little hidden gem, called Dog Beach (no pets allowed, though)! And as we happened to be here during low tide, the water was just ankle to knee deep as far as we could walk (in the below picture, the deep water only starts by the very horizon at the narrow dark blue line). It felt like we walked almost half a mile into the ocean and the water still did not reach our waist. Little sand islands were formed and scattered all around and we had a blast lifting rocks and exposing various sea creatures - crabs, fish, shrimp etc. - who were hiding underneath waiting for the tide to come back in. The boys had so much fun that we spent over 3hrs here. From now on, we will always time to be here during low tide!

DAY 105

Picnic, anyone? Isn't this the most perfect spot - view of the ocean with feet in the sand... You can find little hidden spots like these all around the island, as long as you are adventurous enough to venture off the beaten path.

DAY 106

Some friendly neighbors offered us to sample some breadfruit from their backyard tree. Even though we have never head one before, we are very excited to try it out. Despite the fact that it is called a 'fruit' and grows on a tree like apples, this fruit actually needs to be cooked and prepared more like a potato - it can be fried, mashed, roasted, baked or steamed. It is also very large in size for a fruit - the size of a big, solid cabbage head. The breadfruit originated in New Guinea, the Maluku Islands, and the Philippines, so we get to to sample a little piece of a remote corner of the world again! Hopefully I will figure out how to cook it correctly! The rumor has it that the fruit was named a 'breadfruit' because when cooking it, the house fills with the aroma of a freshly baked bread... We shall see!

DAY 107

Although I have already sent various Hawaii treats to my friends and family as gifts, I actually had not tasted most of them myself. So, when going to a store today, we decided it was finally time for us to sample all the Hawaii goodies ourselves. There are quite a few staples that come to mind when thinking of Hawaii - coconuts, pineapples, macadamia nuts, Kona coffee and more. So, we went ahead and picked a little bit of everything - sweet, salty, hot and cold... And this time we will eat and drink it all by ourselves!

DAY 108

With Hawaii hiking trails open again, we used the opportunity to go and get a little workout in by going up the Makapu'u Lighthouse trail. It's about 2 miles long (with 500ft elevation gain) and leads to a beautiful overlook of the southern shores of Oahu and, of course, the lighthouse. Although we have been on this trail before, it is still an awesome trail every time - the views are gorgeous. And in winter months hikers can see breaching whales in the ocean.

DAY 109

Happy birthday, our 5-year old! His birthday wish was to go on a glass bottom boat tour to see fish and turtles in the ocean (as he does not snorkel yet); however, the boat tours are not operating yet due to Covid. So, we found another option (equally fun) and booked a Jungle Expedition Tour at Kualoa Ranch. This place is so magical that over 50 movies and TV shows have been filmed in the ranch valleys. The Jungle Tour took us through jungle and mountains in an open-air safari truck, stopping at several sights where many popular movies were filmed (and partial movie sets have been left there since filming for visitors to enjoy). Remember Jurassic World? Although our kids hadn't seen any of these movies, they had a ton of fun riding the bumpy safari truck end exploring the sights. Definitely a fun birthday!

DAY 110

On our list today was another hike - a long, hot, sweaty 5.5-mile (round-trip) Ka'ena Point trail. It leads to the Ka'ena Point Natural Area Reserve at Oahu's most northwestern point. The only way to get here is by foot, but, oh, it's so worth it!! The trail leads along the ocean shoreline and through the albatross nesting habitat until it reaches the very tip - bright white coral beach with several tidepools. Hawaiian monk seals enjoy these tidepools (and several sandy beaches along the trail) and they can often be spotted here. We saw 3 seals along the way. We also saw albatross chicks in their ground burrows, as well as mongooses. The hike took us 5hrs to complete, including some picnic and beach-time at Ka'ena Point. We will have 2 tired boys tonight!

DAY 111

I thoroughly enjoy all the fresh, tropical fruits we can buy here on the island! We have tried locally-grown pomelos, dragon fruit, starfruit, breadfruit, lychee, rambutans, coconuts, pineapples, mangoes, guava, avocados, apple bananas, papaya, plantains and probably some others that have skipped my mind. Some of the fruit stands have become a regular stop when we are on the North Shore and I am always looking forward to them!

OCTOBER

DAY 112

We are very excited about the new addition to our family - two stand-up paddle boards! Of course, as soon as we got them, we had to go try them out, so we headed to Kawa Stream / Canals by Kahana Bay. Although I was a little worried at first, maneuvering and staying put on these boards was actually easier than I anticipated. After some practice we even sat our kids on them while we paddled, and it was smooth sailing! 'Yay' to a new activity!

DAY 113

Today was an absolutely amazing day! As my early birthday gift, I chose to go diving with sharks. Although I wanted to free-dive, my husband would not sign up for that, so we compromised on shark cage diving. Our tour started at 7am (early morning is best for this type of tour) with Hawaiian Shark Encounters and they took the boat 3 miles into the ocean where the sharks live. Again, because of Covid restrictions and no tourists, besides me and my husband there were only 3 other people on this tour, which made it very relaxed and easy-going. Once we reached the shark spot, we could spend as much time as we wanted in the cage watching sharks interact and even bump into our cage from time to time. We spent at least 30-40 minutes here and the sharks stayed around the whole time - there were about 7-10 Galapagos sharks. We learnt a lot about sharks - they are such fascinating creatures and vitally important for the reef and ocean ecosystem.

DAY 114

As I was cleaning up toys and getting my boys ready for bed, I glanced out our back lanai and was greeted by this stunning sunset! I called the kids and we sat there and watched the sun go down... Although these bright colors lasted only a couple minutes before they started to fade, it was a sight we could not take our eyes off of. Although we have beautiful sunsets almost every night, occasionally they are just so stunning that they almost don't seem real, which was the case tonight.

DAY 115

Today I decided to make a little trip down to the South side of Oahu and go explore Koko Crater Botanical Garden. It is a botanical garden in a very natural setting literally inside a volcanic crater - when you walk the garden, volcanic crater walls surround you. You won't find manicured lawns or fancy water fountains here. The garden has a 2-mile trail weaving through various sections and habitats. My favorite ones were Palm Oasis, Madagascar, Cactus Garden and Africa section. Having lived most of my life in colder climate zones, it was amazing to see enormous baobabs stretching into the sky or rare funny-looking trees of Madagascar region growing freely here and thriving. I could almost imagine myself being in Africa or Madagascar while walking here... And the best part - the garden is completely free to attend.

DAY 116

We have seen Chinaman's Hat Island (Mokoli'i) out in the ocean every time we have driven Kamehameha Hwy along the coast on the Windward side and have always been fascinated by it. Apparently, during calm ocean conditions it is possible to kayak to it. We had finally worked up enough courage to commit to attempting this trip - armed with life jackets we boarded our kayak and set sail for Chinaman's Hat from Kualoa Regional Park. It was high tide (necessary for kayaks and paddle boards to cross due to underwater rocks and reefs) and after 20 minutes of hard paddling we landed on Chinaman's Hat! While the boys stayed by the coast to play in the water, I explored the island - climbed part of its very steep trail, went to see the sandy beach on the backside of the island, and also discovered that the island is an albatross nesting habitat as I saw many albatross chicks in their ground ''nests''. We also had some picnic lunch here that we had brought with us and after about an hour or two headed back to the land across the wavy ocean. Although we did not get flipped over by the waves and currents, many people do, so it is better to attempt this trip during weekend when there are lifeguards patrolling who can help in case something does go wrong. The below picture is taken from half-way up the Chinaman's Hat Island looking back at Oahu.

DAY 117

As if we haven't had enough adventures this week already, we decided to go ahead and explore a new trail today. Close to our home we have the 2.5-mile long Upper and Lower Waimano Loop trail - perfect length for the boys to go on without much complaining, and it had some cool tunnels for them to explore. I enjoyed all the tropical greenery on the lower part and beautiful views of the upper part of the trail. Staying active and healthy is so easy here in Hawaii!

DAY 118

I actually really enjoy our new paddle boards. Although I was opposed to getting 2 of them due to cost, I am actually glad we did because now my husband and I can go paddling together, and we just sit the boys on the boards with us and go explore the ocean, bays, mangrove shores and secret beaches. And the boys love jumping off the board for a swim and then climbing back on to keep going - a great exercise for all!

DAY 119

Low tide at Dog Beach uncovers crazy creatures. We had seen plenty of various sized and colored crabs here before, little shrimp, sea urchins and other usual suspects, however, this time we stumbled upon a small baby sea cucumber hiding under a rock. I had never actually seen one so up-close. We were too scared to handle it though, so we admired it and let it be.

DAY 120

Big day for our big boy - he learned to ride his bike without training wheels! We had been trying to have him drop the training wheels for almost a year, and he always refused. All it took was for me to offer him $5 if he learns to ride his bike, and he ditched the training wheels and taught himself to ride his bike in a matter of 1 day! Surely enough, I paid him $5! :-) Next thing on the list is for him to learn to snorkel for a reward of another $5!