Magic Helicopter Ride

Daddy and Mommy took a break from parental duties to check out Kauai from the air.

Not that there was much to see.

Just about a thousand waterfalls.

Including the one, reportedly, from Jurassic Park.

And the astounding Olokele Valley.

And the even grander Waimea Canyon....

...which looked a lot like the Land of the Lost.

Only sharper.

Not to mention the mesmerizing beauty of the wild Na Pali Coast.

All in all, we don't think the boys missed much. But maybe they can come along next time.

Kauai Roundup (Part 1)

Inspired by our trip to Hawaii, Leo decided to work on his own mobility.... scooting, commando crawling....

... and a few aerial maneuvers.

Watching Daddy and Miles enjoy some tasty Hawaiian BBQ...

... Leo was determined not to be left out.

The two brothers were color-coordinated for the jungle.

Meanwhile, Daddy and Mommy were off in search of an idyllic spot on the North Shore.

Apparently, they found it.

Known to locals as the "Queen's Bath", this saltwater swimming hole was hard to beat.

You just had to watch out for the occasional bit of surf.

Then it was off to the waterfall for a fresh-water shower.

And finally, a night on the town to celebrate Mommy and Bama's joint birthday.

Awwwww.......

The North Shore

Once we got our bearings straight around our home turf in Kapa'a, we set out to explore the lush North Shore of Kauai.

Our journey would take us to Hanalei, home (at least homophonetically) of Puff the Magic Dragon. Accordingly, we dedicated our visit to the late Mary Travers of Peter, Paul and Mary, who had just ceased her fearless roar two days previously.

The perfect little Wai'oli Hui'ia Church beckoned...

... but we were determined to go to the very end of the road, where Ke'e Beach offered a chance to cool off.

Miles tested out the snorkel gear before he let his parents go in.


Then it was off to the races.

Mommy explored some exotic swimming opportunities of her own.

We enjoyed a tasty lunch at the Dolphin Restaurant along the Hanalei River.

Fortunately, there was no dolphin on the actual menu, but Miles found plenty to like in the chowder.

Leo was a happy camper as well.

To top it all off, we paid a visit to "Shave Ice Paradise" for dessert.

For the unitiated, "shave ice" consists of hand-carved ice shards soaked in tropical flavorings and served on a bed of ice cream (preferably macadamia nut). If this seems a bit like a sno-cone or a slurpee, remember that Chateaubriand and a hamburger would sound pretty similar to a space alien.

But, contrary to some speculation, we are not space aliens. We appreciate the superior qualities of shave ice.

The Pool Report

If there was any question about how we would spend the bulk of our vacation, it was settled when the boys made their first visit to the pool.

Enclosed in his floatie, Leo found the pool a comfortable place to hang out, but for Miles it became a passion rivaled only by the DVD player.

In particular, Miles found his vacation vocation in the water slide.

He would literally never tire of racing up the steps and rocketing down to the pool below.

There's only one problem: Miles can't swim, and at the moment he shows no interest in learning how.

And as for life jackets, you can try to put one on him, but you'd better bring an exorcist.

So the supervising parent always needs to be with Miles at the top of the slide, to make sure he gets on the right one and doesn't wander off somewhere else.

The supervising parent must also be at the bottom of the slide to catch Miles as he plunges into the pool. In short, two places at once. No wonder Miles thinks it's a lot of fun!

But after 10-12 trips down the slide, Miles can sometimes be persuaded to visit the toddler pool to reapportion the sand. Tired parents may recline briefly, but must keep eyes open!

Dawn of the Drowsy

The weary travelers were ready for a nice, long sleep. The adult ones, that is. The boys, however, were ready to rock and roll at 4 a.m.


So we made virtuous lemonade out of lemony necessity, and stumbled down to the beach to admire the sunrise.

Miles investigated the telltale crab mounds in the sand....

... while Daddy and Leo planted themselves in a lively lava tidepool.

Leo regarded the ocean skeptically.


So far, we had barely gotten our feet wet.

As much as we enjoyed watching this sunrise, we looked forward to missing the next few.

In-Flight Movie

The day of the big family vacation dawned with bleary eyes all around. We had fewer than eight hours of sleep collectively, let alone individually, as Daddy rushed to complete some work projects and the boys practiced their insomnia for the plane ride ahead.

Fortunately, Mommy had all our gear ready to go, so it was just a matter of scattering it on the sidewalk at Sea-Tac and finding an airline employee willing to check us in.

Miles, an experienced traveler, told his brother what to expect.

But there were some surprises in store for our eldest son as well, as Grandma watched him check out his new in-flight toys.

If they failed to distract him for long, another powerful weapon was waiting in the wings: a portable DVD player.

Once Miles was sedated by this miraculous device, Leo and Daddy were free to move about the cabin.

Leo proved to be an excellent traveler on his maiden flight, though somewhat reluctant to sleep.

Miles, by contrast, found a new use for the tray table when his eyelids grew heavy.

All in all, it was a relatively smooth journey for the youngsters and an auspicious start to our vacation.

Next stop: Kauai!