Our Dream Beach: Kapalua Bay

Everyone has their own image of a perfect beach. You get that image in your head when you are having a bad day: you stepped in a puddle and soaked your shoes right through, forgot to pay your credit card bill on time, and picked up your feverish child from daycare. On those days, you want to feel the warm, ocean breeze on your face. So you go to the perfect beach, even if it’s only in your mind.

That vision of the perfect beach for me these days, is Kapalua Bay in Maui. On our way to school in the mornings, my son and I reminisce about the days we spent there this summer. He likes that he can go out by himself on the Boogie board, since the beach is protected from the big waves by the reef just outside of the bay. He can float out there for hours, until he becomes 90 percent salt water.

I like that he can float out there for hours, and that I can sit on the beach and watch him, without also becoming 90 percent salt water myself. I also like that there is excellent snorkeling a few feet from shore. You can wade out and put your face in the water to see the fish. Basically, it is the perfect place to take a beginner snorkeler or lazy lady.

So this Monday, I’m rolling out my beach towel, taking out my paperback and heading over to Kapalua Bay. Hey, a girl can dream.

Good to Know: Kapalua Bay is in front of the Ritz-Carlton Private Club Residences, but is accessible to everyone. The Ritz has a shack that rents out snorkeling equipment, kayaks, and sells Chocotacos for those cases of beach-munchies. There are showers and a bathroom, though it wasn’t always very clean.The best time to go is early in the morning. If you get there before nine, then you will experience the bliss of having found paradise. A bit later, the small beach begins to fill up with beach towels and umbrellas. The parking is limited, with only about 30 spots available. Hint: For more exact parking directions check out our Maui google map under Kapalua Bay.

Go read about all the other Monday Dreaming going on at Mother of All Trips.

Family Travel Tips
Kapalua

Hiking (a Bit of) the Napali Coast

A few months back, I wrote about how I was dreaming of Kaui. I was taking my son there for his first visit, and I wanted to hike the Kalalau trail of the Napali Coast with him. I knew there were going to be some challenges in taking a child out for that hike. It’s strenuous, slippery, and along some steep cliffs.

But I’m a determined sort of woman-on most days-so I took him anyway.

We hiked it in the safest way possible. That is, we only hiked for about an hour. The first part of the trail was rocky and slippery. My son had an easier time of it than I did. The fact that I was hiking in my flip-flops probably didn’t help, but I will go to the ends of the earth with my flip-flops on. It was also very, very windy that day. So my son’s hat flew off the side of the trail. Neither my sister, nor I, felt like we were trail-savvy enough to hike down the side of the cliff to get the hat. So we gave it up as lost.

We stopped for a bit to watch the pod of dolphins leaping out of the water below. I don’t know if I will ever forget the sight of those dolphins, in the waters of the Napali coast, sparkling under the morning sun. Actually, I know I won’t forget sharing that experience with my son.

After the long climb up, we made it to a level part of the trail. Here is where you get your first sweeping glimpse of the Napali Coast. We took our pictures, took in the views, and got my son’s hat delivered to us via two young hikers. I’m so glad that there were two more sprightly individuals hiking the trail behind us, or my son wouldn’t have gotten his favorite hat back. We saw one other family hiking the trail with younger children, but most of the other hikers were the young, extreme adventure sort of people. They actually had on real hiking shoes, and passed us by like we were the old station wagon holding them up on the highway. We got back on the trail, attempted to swing on some vines like Tarzan, and made it back to Ke’e beach in time for a midmorning nap.

Here are my tips for hiking the Kalalau trail:

1. I cannot stress how important it is to go before 9 in the morning, mostly because the parking area for the Kalalau trail is very small. You don’t want to have to do any extra hiking from the overflow parking.

2. Don’t wear flip flops (a.k.a. as slippers in Hawaii) unless you have undergone years of special training.

3. Don’t give your child anything to hold, that you will miss if it slips out of his hand and down the side of the cliff. This rule also applies to loose-fitting hats.

4. This trail is not for toddlers or most preschoolers. You will drive yourself nuts telling them to be careful to not slip off the side of the trail.

5. Be prepared for your child to act as if he’s the adventurer in a scene from a movie. He will be truly impressed and unlikely to ever forget hiking that trail with you. Hopefully, he’ll remember it when you argue with him over curfew in his teenage years.

I’m linking up to the original Monday dreamer, Mother of All Trips. Go check out all the other dreamy posts.

Family Travel Tips
Hanalei

The Fuzzy Moments

Life is not always in focus, and neither is this photo. I’ve gotten pretty good at snapping pictures of my quick-moving son, but there are times when I just can’t capture every moment in its perfect state. Photography with kids is sometimes challenging. I’m usually clicking away on my camera and also talking, walking or barking directions at the same time. Even so, I often find little photographic nuggets of awesome, amongst the hundreds of photo discards.

This is the heart-shaped piece of coral my son found, and gifted to me, on Anini Beach in Kaui. I don’t like to take the flora and fauna from the beach, if I can help it. This time, I couldn’t help it. I really wanted to bring that special coral home with me, but we ended leaving it behind. At least, I have this fuzzy photo of my heart-shaped coral, to remind me of that glorious moment with my son, on a quiet beach in Kaui.

I’m participating in Delicious Baby’s Photo Friday, click on over there for other travel moments captured in photo.

Postcard From Maui

This isn’t a scratch and sniff photo, but I sure wish it was. Then I’d be able to transport you to the Alii Kula Lavender Farm with me, and you would breathe in the lavender breezes high up in the mountains of Maui. I can’t do that, so you’ll just have to use your powers of imagination. After visiting this place, I was ready to quit my job and become a lavender farmer. This place was just that beautiful.

Until my next postcard, aloha.

Napali Coast, Here We Come

I’m so close to my dream this week, that I can almost feel that red dirt between my toes. In just a few days, we’re headed for a two-week vacation to Hawaii. I know…I’m one lucky girl.

We’re spending the first week in Maui and the second week in Kaui, a.k.a. in our household as the “sacred place”. I have nothing but love for Kaui. This is an old, faded picture of me hiking along the Napali Coast on the Kalalau Trail. I was much thinner, in better shape, but missing my seven-year old sidekick, whom I’m always writing about.

Because I had the luxury of hiking that trail without a kid, I did some things I would never consider doing today. On that particular hike, my sister and I headed out onto the trail right around high noon, with only one bottle of water, no snacks, no first-aid kit, and no hats. Who knows if I even bothered to put on some sunscreen or mosquito repellent. We were young, dumb, and apparently carrying very light backpacks.

We hiked for an hour to the first beach along the trail and planned to hike another 40 minutes upriver from the beach, to some waterfalls. We only made it as far as the beach. By the time we got there, we had run out of water, we were hungry and the midday heat was exhausting us. So we cooled off in the ocean a bit (we had remembered to wear our swimsuits) and hiked back. On the way back we got so thirsty, that we filled our bottles with water from the streams running down the mountain-not the smartest thing to do. This was in the days before Survivor, but we would’ve been the perfect candidates for the show. Luckily, we made it back alright and in time for a very late lunch. Bubba Burgers helped take the edge off after our harrowing wilderness experience.

Despite our lack of hiking-preparedness, we enjoyed our rambles along the Kalalau Trail. It is the most beautiful hike I’ve ever done, so you can imagine how excited I am to take my son there. Here’s the problem: all the guidebooks say that it’s not a safe trail to take young children on. The recommendation is that only children over the age of eight attempt the hike, because of spots where the trail narrows to just under two feet across. So I don’t envision we’ll get very far on the trail this time.

But I won’t be scared away altogether. I’m actually planning and making preparations this time. It comes with the mami-territory. I will make sure we get on the trail early in the morning, take plenty of water and snacks, and slather on the sunscreen and mosquito repellent. I don’t care if we only get to hike the first quarter mile and we’re back in fifteen minutes. At least I’ll see some of the beautiful scenery and get to share it with my very cute, seven-year old sidekick. Aaannnddd…..we can celebrate at Bubba Burgers when we’re all done.

I’m linking up to Mother of all Trips’ Mondays are for Dreaming posts. Go check out all those other dreamers.

Today’s Tip: Snorkeling With Young Kids

This week I wrote about one of the best travel experiences I’ve ever had. Of course, it was with my son. When he was five-years old, I took him snorkeling in Hawaii. He had never been snorkeling before and was just learning to swim well. I was not confident it would work out, but it turned out a lot better than expected. With a little preparation, it is possible to take young kids snorkeling. Here’s how:

1. Buy your own snorkel equipment. If you can afford it, this is the best thing you can do when you’re taking young kids snorkeling. I don’t have anything against renting, it’s just so much easier to take your own equipment. We didn’t buy the fanciest mask either. We just went to a local sporting goods store to hunt one down. Remember, if it doesn’t fit in your luggage, you can always have your kids wear it onto the plane (well, maybe not the flippers).
2. Try out that equipment in the pool. We practice in grandma’s pool. My son has already requested that I take out his snorkel equipment, so that he can begin his practice sessions for our upcoming trip to Hawaii. We’ll keep practicing, without the pressure of being out in the ocean full of colorful-fishes-I-want-to-see-right-now. We’re both a whole lot more patient in grandma’s pool.
3. Take along a lifejacket for your kids. Even if they’re great swimmers, it’s just easier for them to float along and enjoy the fishy views. Besides, it’s just safer.
4. Rent a Boogie Board. It helps to have a floating platform to hold onto. You can also get yourself a flotation belt. I refused to rent one because I’m just to damn cool. But I’m going to rethink the whole cool-girl thing next time. It would have been much easier to adjust our snorkel masks without having to doggie paddle while doing it. I’m not that talented.
5. Keep the snorkeling sessions short. While my son enjoyed exploring the underwater world, it took a lot out of him (and me). He only wanted to do it five to ten minutes at a time. At that young age, he was happier making sand castles and playing in the waves. It also helps to research which beaches have the easiest and calmest access for beginner snorkelers.

In case you need a little more inspiration or tips on technique, I found a little video footage of one our snorkeling sessions in Maui. I offer me in my dorky snorkeling attire, for your viewing pleasure.

Snorkel Dreams

Snorkeling with a young child for the first time is hardly a peaceful experience. My son went for his first underwater excursion in the clear waters of Maui, at the age of 5. In the weeks before our trip, I tried to get him ready for the new experience. We searched for the perfect snorkel mask and I let him practice in his grandma’s pool. He spent a few afternoons swallowing chlorine water-and whining about it-until he got comfortable enough.

But when the time came to get into the big, blue ocean, all that practice didn’t help us much. We fumbled around on a boogie board near the shore, like a pair of socks in the washing machine. I was focused on paddling us around to the best viewing spots, staying clear of the waves, and constantly adjusting my child’s mask, or mine.

There was a calm, beautiful world underneath me, but I was missing it entirely. Luckily, my son wasn’t missing a thing. I glanced at him underwater, and saw him waving at the fish. I asked what he was doing and he said: “I’m just saying hi to the fishies.” His innocence and wonder made me stop and smile. So I stuck my head back under the waves and, for a moment, let myself flow with my son and the fishies.

Today, I’m dreaming of the fishies and the snorkeling we will do during our upcoming trip to Hawaii. I got our snorkel masks down from their storage box in the garage yesterday and we headed over to grandma’s pool. It may be a poor substitute for the big, blue ocean, but a little practice never hurts. We want to be ready, so we don’t miss a thing.

This is linked up to Mother of All Trips and her lovely Monday Dreaming post. Go check it out.