2024 - The Road We've Traveled

Channel Islands National Park

July 22, 2024/1 Comment/in California, Channel Islands, Hiking, National Parks, Water /by Caroline

Channel Islands has been on my list for a while. We had a trip planned a couple years ago over fall break, but a crazy storm rolled in and basically cancelled our trip. Channel Islands is definitely one of my favorite national parks. It’s an hourish away from LA and feels otherworldly. The boat ride over was incredible, the islands are gorgeous, the views are epic, the baby foxes are the cutest thing in the world, and the company that joined us was the cherry on the top.

Santa Cruz Island, Channel Islands National Park

Channel Islands National Park consists of five islands off the coast of Ventura, California. There are no roads/cars on the island and only a few buildings. Mostly structures from when the land was privately owned prior to becoming a national park. It’s a rustic experience which is so fun and harder and harder to come by these days. To get to the islands, you have to take a ferry. We booked an early morning ferry and spent the night in Ventura so we could be at the dock bright and early.

The ferry ride over started our adventure as we saw lots of wildlife. Dolphins swimming with the ferry was definitely a highlight!

Dolphins swimming with the ferry on the way to Santa Cruz Island

At one point our captain spotted a bunch of birds sitting on the water and circling around. He said that usually means there is a lot of plankton or something in the water which leads to a lot of wildlife. He was right! We saw so many dolphins, a whale, and tons of birds. We stayed there for a while just watching and it was incredible! The ride over was beautiful and added to the excitement of what we were about to see.

We visited Santa Cruz Island and you can camp or take a day trip. Those camping are the last to exit the ferry as we had to unload our gear. We made a line across the boat/dock and passed every item down one by one. It was an interesting endeavor as not everyone in the line understood we were all in this until all the gear was off the boat. Not just your bag.

Once everything was unloaded, we met with a ranger for a mandatory meeting where she shared tips and warned us about the incredibly cute little island foxes and how much of a nuisance they can be. She played a game and asked a few questions. I knew the answer to one of her questions and won myself a Junior Ranger badge which I proudly wore for the entire weekend! It’s the closest I will ever be to a Ranger so I’ll take it. Ranger Karen was the absolute best! She was so cheerful every time we saw her. I mean, I probably would be too if lived on Santa Cruz Island.

Of course, as soon as we finished our ranger talk it started raining. We quickly put on our rain gear, covered our stuff as best as we could, and made the short walk to the campground. The sites are .5 – 1 mile from the dock, so not too far. You have to be able to carry all your stuff but the walk is easy/flat and you can load your stuff into a wagon. We mostly brought a wagon so we could bring a cooler. (Island Packers has specific rules around what you can bring to the island, so be sure to check those out before packing.)

Scorpion Canyon Campground on Santa Cruz Island

Fortunately it didn’t rain for long and we were able to set up camp and start exploring. We visited May 2023 and everything was green.

The views are epic once on top of the island. I could not believe LA was just across the channel. We could see it in the distance and it looked so green and hilly.

Eventually we made our way back to camp and then decided to head to the beach for happy hour. Is there anything better than sitting on the beach with friends in a beautiful place listening to the waves?

Heads up, there is tar in the water from the channel so be careful where you sit. Apparently tar seeps from the ocean floor off the California coast. We didn’t realize that and ended up with tar on our clothes. At some point after happy hour we ate dinner but I’m not sure if it was before or after we headed up a hill to catch the sunset. EPIC. We finished the night with games around the table. Days like this are what my dreams are made of.

We unfortunately only made camping reservations for one night, so Day 2 started by packing up camp. I would highly recommend two nights on the island. One just wasn’t enough. We booked a sea kayaking excursion in the morning, so once camp was packed we headed over to the beach. We listened to the safety talk, put on our wet suits, grabbed kayaks, and headed out for some fun!

Sea kayaking at Channel Islands National Park

The water was absolutely gorgeous and was a deep, clear shade of blue. There were gorgeous kelp strands everywhere and it was stunning.

Kelp forest at Channel Islands National Park

I made a video of our sea kayaking adventure. I need to send a special shout out to my husband. I didn’t realize how much of a crappy kayaking parter I am until I watched the video. I stopped paddling so many times thinking we were drifting in the proper direction. Nope. Turns out The Husband was steering us. Oops. And thank you!

While waiting for the afternoon ferry back to Ventura we explored the visitor center, took another short hike, and just hung out. We walked up to the top of one of the hills close to the dock and took in the ocean views one last time.

We had so much fun on Santa Cruz Island and I’d highly recommend visiting! If you’re not a fan of camping, you can take a day trip. If you’re a camper, spend at least two nights if you can. One night will still be epic though if that’s all you have. We packed a lot of adventure into our roughly 1.5 days on the island. My only complaint is I could have used a nap post kayaking and couldn’t take one because we no longer had a campsite. Campground and ferry reservations fill up fast so make sure to plan ahead so you can make your trip happen. Happy camping!

Epic Hawaii Road Trip Itinerary for National Park Lovers

June 1, 2024/1 Comment/in Haleakala, Hawai'i, Hawai'i Volcanos, Hiking, National Parks /by Caroline

It’s no secret we love the national parks, so our trip to Hawaii centered around visiting the two national parks there – Hawai’i Volcanos and Haleakalā. We were in Hawaii for a week and visited the Big Island and Maui (Haleakalā and Hana). We felt like we had enough time to explore the parks, and saw so many epic sites, but did not have time to explore the entire island. If you love the parks and want an epic weeklong itinerary, feel free to use what we did as a baseline.

We visited Maui in March 2023. Since then, Maui experienced devastating wildfires that destroyed Lahaina. We spent time in Lahaina and it was one of the places on my epic Hawaii itinerary. I’m sharing our time on the island to remember the special time we had and the beauty and history Lahaina holds. I have no doubt Lahaina will return but not sure how long it will take or what the new Lahaina will look like. My deepest condolences to all affected by the fires.

Day 1: Fly into the Kona airport on the Big Island. Rent a car and drive to Hawai’i Volcanos National Park. Spend two nights at the Volcano House in the national park.

Bonus tips: Grab lunch at Kona Brewing, stop at the grocery store to get any food/snacks for the next few days, and then grab a macadamia nut milk latte from Kona Coffee and Tea before hitting the road to Hawai’i Volcanos National Park. It’s a two hour drive so the caffeine boost is helpful after a long day of flying.

Day 2: Spend the day exploring Hawai’i Volcanos National Park. We made dinner reservations at the Volcano House restaurant and it was a fantastic choice after spending the day exploring and hiking.

Suggested activities: Obviously get your picture with the sign because were you even there if you don’t have a sign picture? Stop in the Visitor Center to get your map and learn about the park. Drive Crater Rim Road and stop at the view points to see inside the crater. Grab a picnic lunch, drive Chain of Craters Road, and stop at any or all of the stops. Our favorite stops were the Kīlauea Iki Overlook, Thurston Lava Tube, Pu’u Huluhulu Cinder Cone hike, lunch on a curb near the Kealakomo Overlook starring out into the ocean, and the HöleiSeaArch. We wanted to hike the Kīlauea Iki trail but had heavy rain storms off and on and didn’t want to be hiking in the middle of that.

Day 3: Do any remaining things in HVNP and explore the area outside of the park. Can either spend one more night at the Volcano House or stay in a unique AirBnB for the night.

Some of our favorite stops were Punaluʻu Black Sand Beach, Wailuku River State Park (make sure to stop at both stops – Rainbow Falls and Boiling Pots), and Lava Tree State Monument. We stayed in a treehouse in the rainforest outside of HVNP. It was a fun and unique experience but I have mixed feelings about the specific place we stayed.

Day 4: Book an intra island flight for the afternoon to Maui. Spend the morning exploring a few more places on the way back to the airport.

Our favorite stops were Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park and Kaloko-Honoköhau National Historical Park. If you didn’t get to see the black sand beach yesterday, stop even for a few minutes on your way to Kona. We flew Southwest inter-island but learned they only fly once a day and the flight is often delayed. I’d suggest flying Hawaiian Airlines for inter-island. Once in Maui we picked up the campervan (highly recommend Campervan Hawaii!), stopped at the store for groceries, and headed up to Hosmer Grove Campground to camp for the evening. Because our flight was delayed we pulled in in the dark and didn’t have time to explore. Sad face.

Day 5: Get up super early to watch the sunrise on Haleakala, explore the top of the crater, drive the Road to Hana, and camp at Kīpahulu Campground.

If you’re not staying at Hosmer Grove, be sure to reserve your sunrise ticket ahead of time. Post sunrise, hop in the van to warm up and drink some more coffee. Once warm go hike/explore the top of the crater. Drive to the Kīpahulu Campground in the afternoon and explore the Road to Hana on your way. Stop at attractions as you have time/interest. Driving in at the end of the day seemed ideal for exploring as a lot of the day traffic was on its way out. We had a chill drive and not many people were at the stops. We loved Kīpahulu Campground! Not only did we listen to the ocean for days, it’s such a beautiful area, and there is so much to do nearby.

Day 6: Hike the Pipiwai Trail in the morning. Drive to Hana in the afternoon and explore the sites you missed on the drive in. In general, have a chill day in one of the most beautiful places.

Day 7: Chose your own adventure day. This is your last day in Maui so find one more place to explore.

Our final destination was Lahaina. We visited in March which is prime whale watching season and scheduled a tour for the afternoon. Unfortunately, a storm rolled in that day and our tour was cancelled. We stayed at the Best Western on Front Street which was a fun vibe until we tried to go to sleep. The location was great and made for a fun last evening. We were able to do some souvenir shopping, eat, people watch, and get ready to head home. Problem with staying on Front Street is the party doesn’t stop just because you have an early morning flight. :/

Day 8: Return the campervan, head to the airport, and fly home. 🙁

We loved this campervan! It allowed us to experience Maui in a way we never could have staying in a hotel. This will forever be one of our favorite road trips. We rented from Campervan Hawaii and had a fantastic experience. The van was clean and had all the extras needed to live in for a few days. They even gave a full five gallon jug of water. 10/10 stars.

If you have questions about our trip, logistics, etc, feel free to leave a comment. Happy planning!

The Road to Hana – Maui, Hawaii

March 16, 2024/0 Comments/in Haleakala, Hawai'i, Hiking /by Caroline

If you’ve been on the Road to Hana you know how epic it is. If you haven’t been on the Road to Hana, you should add it to your bucket list. It legitimately might be one of the most beautiful drives we’ve ever taken. We had some fun and exciting (not) weather on our drive so we got to experience the Road to Hana in a number of situations. Definitely got the heart pounding a little faster at times.

If this is your first time hearing about the Road to Hana, it’s a 59 mile stretch of road in Hawaii on the island of Maui between the towns of Kahului and Hana. The last 35 miles are what people are really referring to when they talk about the Road to Hana. The road takes you though a gorgeous, dense rain forest on the edge of a mountainside. The road is not for the faint of heart. There are 59 one lane bridges and 620 curves in the road. The road is pretty narrow in general and you have to be constantly paying attention.

There is etiquette for driving the Road to Hana. Pay attention for locals and let them pass. Another biggie is at the bridges, traffic is supposed to proceed in order of arriving at the bridge. Sometimes one side would never stop which means the other side can never go. It was really frustrating when this would happen. If we all take turns we’ll all get where we are going.

Aside from the beauty of the drive itself, there are stops all along the road which is probably a large reason as to why there is such a draw to this road. Waterfalls, different colored sand beaches, epic vistas, arboretums, food and beverage stops. It’s truly an epic adventure. There are a million websites telling you where all the stops are and which are the best and must do. Honestly, it got a little overwhelming trying to make sure we saw it all. We’ve become pretty adaptable when we travel and have learned to have a list of things we want to see but then figure it out as we go based on how we feel in the moment. That worked well for us on the Road to Hana.

Lodging along the Road to Hana is hard to come by and can be expensive. Just passed the town of Hana is the Kīpahulu District of Haleakala National Park. We were fortunate to grab a campsite at the Kīpahulu campground within Haleakala National Park and it made the perfect home base.

If you’re planning to drive the road, get the smallest car you can get. For real. The lanes are narrow and you are going to be so much more comfortable in a smaller car. Think smaller and harrower. No wide race cars. We saw some people in Chargers which took up the entire lane. We had a Mercedes Metris campervan and it was the max size I’d want to drive. We met a couple at the campground who had rented a Sprinter Van and it was a bit big for the road.

One of our favorite stops was the Keanae Arboretum to see the rainbow eucalyptus trees! Seriously, my favorite trees ever. A close second is any tree wrapped in vines, which are also all over Hawaii. The eucalyptus reminded me of rainbow colored redwoods. I’m not sure if they even come close to redwoods in right but they are tall. Add rainbow bark and you have the coolest tree ever! It’s a free and quick stop. There are lots of other beautiful plants to look at too.

The Pipiwai Trail in Haleakala National Park is a must do. It’s one of my favorite hikes ever. It can be very wet and muddy, at least in March, so please make sure you are wearing appropriate hiking footwear.

We had reservations at Waianapanapa State Park, the black sand beach, but didn’t end up going. I don’t remember why we didn’t go. Oh right, we spent too much time driving sketchy roads the day before and needed a break from driving. We had seen black sand on the Big Island so we had already checked that box. Instead, we had a leisurely day around camp and it was just what we needed. We explored the national park, drove into Hana, and explored the other end of the road.

Koki Beach is a red sand beach. It’s not a good beach for swimming as it has dangerous currents, but it’s beautiful to look at.

Practically every turn in the road has a waterfall. Some you can swim in and some you cannot because they are on private property. The day we left it was storming really bad and the waterfalls all looked like something out of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

Some of our food stops were for coffee, ice cream, shaved ice, and banana bread. Everyone raves about Aunt Sandy’s and it’s legit. Don’t skip the banana bread. The Huli Huli chicken is supposedly legendary but it was closed when we got there. 🙁

There is no cell service on the Road to Hana. We downloaded the Guide Along app ahead of time and highly recommend it. The app is GPS based and narrates the drive. It tells you of upcoming stop ideas, must see places, and the history of the areas you are driving though.

A couple tips. Driving there and back to Hana from anywhere in Maui makes for a long day. If you can, I’d suggest staying someone near Hana so that you can really enjoy yourself. The weather can be unpredictable. It was literally flooding in Haleakala when we left and by the time we got to the start of the Road to Hana, it was sunny with blue skies. Always have your rain gear in Hawaii. Be respectful of private property. The entire area is absolutely gorgeous, and we all want to enjoy it, but people do live in the area and many of the attractions are on private property. Respect signs and do not go in areas you are asked to stay out of.

One final story before I wrap up this adventure. On our final morning at the Hosmer Grove Campground, we woke up to a crazy storm and a flood warning. The weather was only going to get worse as the morning went on, and we had afternoon whale watching reservations in Lahaina, so we decided to book it out of the area as fast as possible on a sketchy road in the middle of a sketchy storm. It felt like we were in the scene of a movie trying to outrun something. Flooded roads, dodging fallen trees, rain pouring. Being that it’s a rain forest, I’m sure it’s normal for that area, but this desert girl was a little freaked out. The Hana road crew was out cleaning up the road in the middle of the storm which made me feel better about our life choices in that moment. When we finally got out of the storm we saw the rainbow above and all was right in the world again.

The Road to Hana is an epic adventure and worth how every many hours of days you have to spend on it.

Archive for year: 2024

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