“Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under the trees on a summer’s day, listening to the murmur of water, or watching the clouds float across the blue sky, is by no means a waste of time.”
~ Sir John Lubbock
This is one of my favorite quotes and justifies everything I did on my recent trip to the Hawaiian Islands, which was a lot of relaxing on beaches and listening to the ocean waves. And it was not a waste of time. We all need time to recharge and as a family, Hawaii is one of our favorite places to do just that.
This is a small, recap of my trip, before I write a more extensive one.
I left off here a few weeks ago after returning from Cabo San Lucas. We are fortunate to have had two amazing family vacations this summer, with beautiful weather each time. OMG, we ate so much on each trip, but it was worth it!
My boys love the beach, the bigger the waves the better. It scares the heck out of me as I watch them tumble and get tossed through the surf. They love Hawaii in the summertime because the water is a lot warmer, but the Spring boasts bigger waves. It’s hard for them to decide which part of the year they love more. Such problems right?
I have no preference and will happily spend any part of the year in Hawaii.
One of our favorite beaches on Oahu is Waimenelo Bay Beach. There is never a crowd and the waves are great for body surfing and boogie boarding. We sit for hours while watching billowy clouds pass overhead. Total, total paradise.
We stopped for a while at Kualoa Regional Park on the Windward side of the island. The views are incredible in every direction and there was hardly anyone around. One of Kualoa Park’s main attractions is the view to nearby Mokoli’i Island, you can see it here in my Instagram post.
A little further North, still on the Windward side of Oahu, we stopped for a quick bite from The Shrimp Shack in Hauula. The coconut shrimp was outstanding and the folks were very friendly! We enjoyed it as an appetizer on our way to lunch on the North Shore.
I took this picture using an extreme zoom lens. I thought these were the cutest water wings I had ever seen. I don’t know where to get them, but this little guy loved bouncing around in the waves with them on. They seemed to work really well.
Another favorite stop in Hawaii is always Yokohama Bay. It’s very secluded and at least an hour’s drive from Waikiki. The scenery is breathtaking and cannot be totally captured by a picture.
The Windward side has lots of debris on its beaches. If given the time I would happily pick through all the driftwood finding the perfect shaped pieces as well as many unusual pieces of coral that wash up here. But no one in my family seems to have the patience for this.
More about Hawaii later…..
Before we left, the meadow, which is essentially our backyard, was cut and put into hay bales. A neighbor does this for us and uses it to feed his animals. A win-win for both of us.
I also threw a mojito party late last month. Let me just say, this mojito recipe will rival any mojito you get at your favorite restaurant. Give it a go. I also served this cocktail, which was also a big hit!
We recently went to see the very popular, The Book of Mormon. We have never laughed so hard.
Since the play was crafted by the creator’s of South Park, you can guarantee there is a high level of inappropriateness with every scene. If you can handle that, go see it.
Before the play we had dinner at Higgins in Portland. Here is a snap shot of what we ordered. You can read my Yelp review if you are interested in going there yourself. Overall the food was great, but like any restaurant there are a few minor things the restaurant could improve on in the future.
Higgins is a great stop before attending the Keller Auditorium for a show.
We had a fun night at a recent benefit for the Willamette Valley Cancer Foundation. They provide great support for those suffering from cancer in our area. We are lucky to have so many wineries here in the valley who provide the location to have these fundraisers.
And it wouldn’t be a benefit in wine country without a wine wall. Lots of great wineries donate bottles to raise funds for the program.
And the food was pretty amazing too.
Things I’ve seen around the web this week:
Are you thirsty? Try this.
The cutest summer treat!
An ice cream must.
I want to slather this on everything.
More crazy-good ice cream inspiration.
Corn rules.
Holy wow, these.
What? Yes. I’ll take five.
Summer dessert love.
Get in my belly.
Chicken envy.
Making this for dinner soon.
This sounds amazing.
Pie + Candy = Joy.
It’s 5 o’clock somewhere.
I want. I want.
My kid’s want this.
Ummm, hello. Yum.
Dinner!
Cake love!!
Grilling time.
That is all friends, until next time. See other editions of Bites of Life.
One Year Ago: The Best Cherry-Orange Sangria
