Back in November, I wrote a post about all of our Hawaii visitors up until that point. (To read part 1, click here.) As I've mentioned several times before, we had company just about every single month during our year in Hawaii. I'm thankful so many friends and family members took us up on our offer to visit. Our bed and breakfast never had a slow season!
So, picking up where I left off, here is a summary of our guests throughout the second half of our year.
November-December:
My cousin Jeremy came to visit between Thanksgiving and Christmas. He stayed for almost two full weeks, from November 28-December 9, and boy did we pack in a ton of things during his stay! Dan was on Pediatrics that month, so he had the weekends off, and his hours weren't horribly late in the evening, which was really nice. Early into his visit, Jer and I "mapped out" a plan for the week and we stalked Groupon for touristy deals. He may have done more than any Hawaii visitor, and Dan and I also had some "firsts" during his stay, which was fun. Some highlights: lots of hikes (hiking Kuliou'ou Ridge Trail for the first time), finding a native breadfruit and later cooking it, beautiful beach days, seeing Waikiki decorated for Christmas, our first luau (Chief's Luau - we highly recommend), Dan and Jer snorkeled/swam out to Flat Island from Lanikai Beach, spending the day at Pearl Harbor, and enjoying great food (both home and out). In addition, Jer went scuba-diving, surfing, and skydiving! Also notable, during Jer's visit, I got stitches for the first time and passed out/went to the ER the next day because of it...haha I'm so lame. Anyways, we had a very memorable and awesome visit with Jer!
January:
My parents and my sister came to visit right after Christmas. My parents stayed for a week from January 2-9, but my sister was able to stay a few days longer, through the 12th! Originally, my sister was supposed to come with my brother back in August. So when that didn't work out, we knew January (between college semesters) would be the perfect time. Then, of course, my mom didn't want her to fly alone...and my dad happened to take the time off...but I knew they really just wanted to visit again, too! Dan happened to have an elective month during their stay, so he had great hours and was able to spend a lot of time with us. Unfortunately, though, January was in the middle of Hawaii's rainy/winter season, and it literally rained every day my family was here. The sun didn't come out (to stay) until the day my parents left. The upside to rain, though, was seeing lots of rainbows! And we also saw the infamous Ko'olou waterfalls for the first time. [When it rains long/heavy enough, waterfalls form in the divots of the mountain range - it's absolutely incredible!] Some other highlights: an extended Christmas and anniversary celebration with my family, hiking Ka'ena Point and seeing several monk seals, revisiting Chief's Luau, driving around the island on an overcast day (and taking silly pictures), North Shore shrimp and waves, a whale-watching tour, shopping, and many delicious dinners including Nobu. Highlights for Kate's extended stay: more hikes (and seeing lots of whales on the Makapu'u hike), beach days, and sunshine!! We were definitely sad to see them all go - and so was Sydney (that's the worst part of having company).
February:
My cousin Meg and her boyfriend Craig came to visit February 17-24. They were able to take a direct flight from NYC to Honolulu! Dan was working in the ICU for their visit, so his hours were kind of horrendous. However, we made the most of the time we did have with him. Dan had never met Craig, but their love of beer and hockey created an instant bond! Their visit was also during the "rainy" season, but thankfully, we had a good mix of sun and rain, and we didn't let the rain stop us! Some highlights: snorkeling at Hanauma Bay, a beautiful day at Sunset Beach on the North Shore, shrimp, lots of hikes (including a very wet/muddy Maunawili Falls...), and getting to share our exciting news with family, in person...so special. We are so thankful for Meg and Craig's friendship, and we enjoyed their visit so very much.
I think to prevent this from being the never-ending post, I'll continue with the last of our visitors in part 3 next time!
Keep Smiling...
