I looked up at palm trees while on sandy beach near Hilo.
Here are a few photos and videos from our family vacation over Christmas week. We visited beaches, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, and lastly, I posted a video of two daredevils on Rainbow Falls in our rental house’s backyard. All I can say is WOW!
Flying into Honolulu over Waikiki Beach. I can’t believe how much it’s grown. I was thankful we stayed on the Big Island in a rain forest!
Kīlauea before the rain started pouring. Our kids and DIL made a day hike out of view points and hiking down into and out of the caldera. My husband and I stuck to the crater rim trail to see views — until it was socked in and we couldn’t see a thing. Plus, it was wet and freezing cold. I wasn’t dressed for the weather. I was thinking Hawaii in my mind. Kudos for the kids hanging in there and seeing marvelous sites.
Looking down into the caldera.
This was a video I took of waves at a beach called Richardson Ocean Park. It was very busy on Christmas Day. My son and DIL traveled further away with our rental car and hiked to a Green Sand Beach (Papakōlea Beach). We took a Lyft to the beach and met the kindest man, Eddie Spaghetti, our driver who was in his 80s and has lived his life in Hawaii. Now that we’re home, Eddie calls and sends us videos and photos of his grandson and other family members. We made a friend!
Richardson Ocean Park was 20 minutes from our rental home.
Here’s the story of Aloha spirit and why the beach park was named after George Richardson.
A little critter hanging out inside a kitchen window.
AND NOW FOR SOME EXCITEMENT:
Was I surprised to see someone standing at the edge of the falls. I watched the guy walking back and forth, scoping it out. Then his friend in a pink boat showed up. They took a few practice runs before doing this! Watch it all.
FYI, I looked up Rainbow Falls and learned that swimming is not allowed because it’s extremely dangerous. Thanks for tagging along on our Hawaiian vacation!
I post Monday, Wednesday and Friday. If you missed part one of our Hawaiian vacation with views of our unique rental home, designed by two architects from San Francisco for their own home, it’s posted HERE.
Would you attempt a daredevil move like the two guys above?
What’s one of the scariest things you’ve done?
Laws, schmaws. That was fun to watch. I’m surprised a kayak could do that.
Me too! The first video I got was just the kayak and it totally submerged under water. It was wild!
I do nothing scary, except maybe try a weird recipe!! And never never never
I went down a huge slide at the Palm Springs water park. That was it for me. I would never doing anything like those guys on the waterfall!
That’s just crazy
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It’s been years and years since I’ve been to Hawaii. Seeing the beach pictures makes me want to go back again EA! Would I throw myself off a waterfall? No way 🙂 I’m not a huge risk taker with most things.
It’s been years since we’ve been to Hawaii, too. We took our first trip when I was in second grade for Christmas week with my family. I’ve been back a couple times since. I can’t believe how much Waikiki has changed! I’m no a risk taker either. I was shaking watching those two guy.
Not for me!! When I was in Hawaii, everyone jumped off a tiny, tame waterfall, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it! I’m not a risk taker at all. I’m so glad you and the family had such an amazing time!! 🙂
I am not a risk taker either. It was fun to be outside taking photos with my phone when the daredevils showed up. It was a trip we will all remember.
Those guys are very brave! And with now swimming allowed too, I can see why. Lovely photos! Have a safe NYE, Elizabeth. 😊
I wonder if the equipment they had included go pro cameras? The things they had on antennas? You have a safe NYE, too!
Thanks! 😊
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This was an amazing stunt. Quite dangerous too. A beautiful place you chose for your Christmas vacation.
It was amazing to watch and to know my husband and I were the only ones to see it! It was such a beautiful place. I’d like to go back and spend more time there. It was a long flight for a short week!
Perhaps when it’s less cold, you can revisit.
It was only cold at the volcano site which was at a higher elevation. Otherwise, the temperature was perfect. We did have a lot of rain, but I guess staying in a rain forest that’s to be expected.
Very true. ❤️❤️❤️
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🙏🏼❤️🙏🏼
Yikes! That looks like a great way to get a head or spinal injury.
I love the Big Island best. Were you there for the big eruption?
We were hoping to be there for a big eruption, but there were none this past week. My mailman is from Maui and he suggested we go see the volcano and maybe would see one. The week was perfect and we had wonderful memories with our kids.
Great photos and videos. I would like to see the action those waterfall blokes captured on their video cameras
Happy New Year 🎉
Me too! I was thinking cameras were on their antennas or somewhere! We saw them driving up our road when we left the house a few hours later.
What an exhilarating stunt—heart-pounding and daring! You picked a jaw-dropping spot for your Christmas getaway.
Our son found it. He’s the best at finding amazing vacation homes. I loved every second of being there!
So beautiful, but oh hell no to the daredevil ride!
That’s the only time we saw anyone in Hawaii in “our” backyard. Wow! I’m with you on no thank you.
No, I sure wouldn’t do that! We took a kayaking class one summer and I did not really enjoy it at all. Some unpleasant incidents killed it for me. Rafting in the Grand Canyon was plenty exciting. One of my scariest experiences was driving a very large motorcycle home from work on a very dark, very rainy night. I had to keep my visor open and stand on my pegs most of the way just for some visibility. The first part of the drive was going down a steep, winding hill section. Terrifying!
Wow. The motorcycle ride sounds frightening! Also, I’m impressed you went kayaking in the Grand Canyon. Amazing!
No kayaking the Grand Canyon! We were on 32-foot motor rafts. I am NOT a kayaker at all.
I miss understood. I went kayaking in Alaska and enjoyed it. It was in a perfect still bay, though.
Sea kayaking is okay; I’ve done that a couple times. Whitewater, no way.
I agree 100%.
Fun to watch but, WOW! you wouldn’t get me in that kayak!! I wouldn’t be the guy walking on the falls either. I will admire them from a safe distance. 🙂
It was an exciting moment to see them in our backyard! The guy walked back and forth on the edge of the falls while the kayak went over the falls in a practice run.
Not something you see every day. LOL!
It added to our excitement of staying next to a waterfall!
I am sure!
I’ve looked on line at videos and people have been kayaking down Rainbow Falls for years. It’s made the local Hawaii news.
Brave people!
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Eddie Spaghetti! How fun to make an interesting friend while traveling.
Funny, I never think about it being cold in Hawaii!
Um, those guys are crazy, and I bet their mothers never sleep. INSANE! Also, you can’t do anything now without filming yourself, can you?
Eddie is a very sweet person who is going through chemo in his 80s. It was a delight to meet him.
I think the cold was due to altitude in the Volcano National Park. I was dressed in shorts, flip flops and had a windbreaker that was not rain proof!
I wonder if they film themselves doing stunts and where I could watch it?
They were both wearing Cameras. Their poor moms! 😳😳
No kidding!
Wow! That’s incredible! And it looked like the guy jumped with a stick in his hand? I wonder why. Absolutely crazy. So glad you captured the whole thing! Hugs, C
I’m thinking it was a go pro on the end of the stick? There was one on the back of the kayak, too.