A couple of days ago I returned with my friend, cousin, and sister from a wonderful and satisfying trip to Hawaii.
Admittedly, Hawaii was not always on my short list of travel destinations, but my youngest sister moved there a couple of years ago for work. When I found out that Delta was offering a deal I couldn't refuse on flights, I asked my people if they were interested in coming along!
I didn't think I could ever get a lot out of a trip that I felt would be mainly about basking on a beach, but I quickly realized I wasn't giving Hawaii enough credit. It's filled with a beautiful hikes and stunning vistas you cannot come close to touching anywhere else in the country, it's cloaked in a rich and captivating history, and the locals are some of the loveliest, appreciative, and respectful people you can find on this planet.
While I felt a little guilty about my Minnesota friends back home that were getting pounded by record breaking snowfalls in April, I am SO glad that I took the trip. Most of the photos from my trip are on my phone, and I'm having some regrets about that now... but I was worried about bringing my camera on hikes that were not for the faint of heart, and also to the beach where; well... there was lots of sand.
Here are a few highlights from our week.