Moving Down The Chain

Lanai

I have been to Lanai once and Mike has been twice. Our first trip was when Mikea was three months old. We flew by private charter plane to Lanai from Oahu so that Mike could compete in a shoot at the Lanai Pine Sporting Clays during a National Wild Turkey Federation Banquet. The Lanai Pine Sporting Clay facility is top notch.

The island is beautiful and the weather is amazing! We spent the whole time either at the shoot or at the banquet and we stayed on personal property so I don’t have any beach or lodging information for Lanai. It is a quaint island, a kind of step back in time, having no traffic lights.

Molokai

We’ve been to Molokai once. It was during winter time and when we called the surf report to determine where the best diving would be for the day, we discovered better than ideal conditions for taking our boat from Oahu to Molokai to camp! It was truly the best camping trip ever!

Friends met up with us and we headed for Molokai for a weekend of adventure! We did nothing but scuba dive, collect bugs (lobsters), and spear fish! We ate extremely well that weekend! The trip over and back was full of humpback whale and dolphin sightings! The ocean was the calmest we had ever seen it. Truly a trip of a lifetime!

Kahoolawe

We’ve never visited Kahoolawe; however, Mike plans to volunteer soon. I found some very interesting facts at this link.

http://www.hawaiimagazine.com/blogs/hawaii_today/2009/12/18/how_to_visit_Kahoolawe

Maui, The Valley Isle

We've spent a lot of time on Maui. We spent so much time there when I was pregnant with my youngest, we named her after Makena Beach. 

We enjoy staying at the Maui Coast which is right across the street from a very nice beach. The last time we were there, we saw an injured green sea turtle swim up on the beach. Moments later, the lifeguards instructed us to get out of the water because a ten foot tiger shark had been spotted. A few moments later, we saw him swimming back and forth near shore. He wanted the rest of his turtle meal! 

Sugar Beach, not far from Kihei, is another really fun beach for walking, relaxing, and sunning. 

Lahaina is harbor town full of buzzing excitement, activities and history. When on Maui, we make one trip over and enjoy the buzz then head back to Kihei. 

We've gone on two Pacific Whale Foundation Eco Tours to the Molokini Crater and I must say, these guys really know how to show people a great time! A trip with them during whale season almost guarantees humpback whale sightings. They supplied us with juice and muffins for breakfast and then grilled chicken and provided pasta salad for lunch. They took us to snorkel the crater and then pulled anchor and headed to a second snorkel spot. Their Eco tour is a must when on Maui!

One of our favorite trips on Maui is seeing Haleakala at sunrise. It is like standing on the edge between heaven and earth waiting to hear the angels sing! I'm not generally a very emotional person, but the first time I ever saw the sunrise on Haleakala, I teared up. Wear very warm clothes and prepare yourself for a majestic nature show!

We also enjoy the AKL Lavender Farm upcountry Maui. It is a great photo op of beautiful flowers. 

My favorite spa of all time is the Grand Wailea. To say the Grand Wailea is grand is an extreme understatement! 

Niihau, The Forbidden Island

Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good! (Genesis 1:31)

Niihau is at the top of the Hawaiian Island chain and known as The Forbidden Island. I've never been to Niihau so I asked my husband, Mike to help me write this blog post. He is our guest writer for today. 

I have been so blessed to have been invited to go on two eradication hunts on the island of Niihau. I made both trips via Niihau Safaris. You can find them using the link below. 

http://www.niihau.us/safaris.html

I flew from Oahu, where we were living at the time, to Kauai via Hawaiian Airlines and then flew to Niihau via private helicopter. There is no airport so we landed on a sandy spot right next to the beach.

There are no hotels or facilities on the island of Niihau. I slept on an army cot in a concrete block building on the beach, much like a lean-to having only one wall. "Man Facilities"! If it rained, we got wet. If the wind blew, we got sandy. Best trip ever!

Niihau has no running water, paved roads, or electricity, and is privately owned having one village on the whole island. 

When not hunting, I saw monk seals napping on the beach, miles and miles of untouched beaches, and the remains of the Japanese fighter airplane that crashed on Niihau during WWII in 1941. 

The eradication hunt consisted of wild boar and feral sheep. We, the hunters, were followed by people living in the village who were driving old army vehicles. They quartered the boar and sheep, salted the meat to keep from spoiling, and placed the meat in burlap sacks to prevent flies. 

If you are a hunter, this trip is an experience of a lifetime. Niihau is Hawaii at its most pristine and untouched. 

Happy One Year Anniversary Key Tov Blog!

This week we are celebrating Key Tov Blog's first year anniversary. We want to thank you, for your love, prayers and support, which have been absolutely beyond anything we could've imagined! Thank you from the very bottom of our hearts, you are a blessing! We declare Proverbs 11:25 over you in the Name of Jesus!

This Friday, we will be celebrating with an exciting drawing. Please use this link if you would like to participate in our fun give away!

http://keytovblog.blogspot.com/2012/07/mahalo-nui-loa.html

Key Tov Blog is a blog of bible studies from The Big Island of Hawaii.  In celebration, this week we are writing about our amazingly beautiful home state that will provide our experiences of the Hawaiian Islands. We are so grateful to call Hawaii home and in celebration, want to share our home with you! 

Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good! (Genesis 1:31)