Kauai: Day Two. Featuring, The Sleeping Giant.

After going to bed early the night before, we woke up before the sun. We packed our backpacks, loaded up on snacks and water and headed out.

Our first stop, the Sleeping Giant Trail. We were super excited to do this hike. It's one of the reasons we visited Kauai in the first place. It's 4 miles round trip.

We started on our way. The first part of the hike was pretty steep. Lucky for us, the sun hadn't risen yet. So we didn't have to worry about the heat beating down on us.

The trail had trees creating a canopy over us. The side didn't have any railing, so if you decide to hike it, keep that in mind (especially if you have children). The higher we hiked up the mountain, the more beautiful the view got.

We were about halfway to the top when it started raining. It rains a lot in Hawaii, so we were used to it. But the rain made the trail super muddy and slick. But that's one of the fun things about hiking, right?

We finally made it to the top, just as the sun began to rise.

We were a little wet from the rain

 It was absolutely breathtaking to see. When we first made it, the top of the mountain was engulfed by a cloud. So we stood looking over the nearby town, while in a cloud. Pretty neat huh?

There was a bench that we sat on and looked out, just taking it all in.

It was quiet and because it was early, there wasn't really any people.

To date, this is one of my favorite hikes that I've ever done.

As we headed back, more and more people started to show up. So if you want to do this hike, I totally recommend leaving early in the morning before the sun it up. It won't be nearly as hot and there won't be a lot of people hiking with you.

By the time we got back to our car, we were hot and covered in mud. Remember how I mentioned it rained earlier? Well, it's even slicker going down. So be careful. We headed back to take a shower before going about the rest of our day.

Next stop, Kilauea Lighthouse.

It was such a cute little lighthouse! Lucky for us, we were there on a day that they do the tour of the lighthouse and give the history.

The lighthouse has a very interesting past. At least I think it does. In 1927, two Army aviators attempted to make the first flight from the mainland US to Hawaii. The aviators were 20 hours into their flight, they see the light of Kilauea Lighthouse, after overshooting Oahu where they had intended to land. They circled the lighthouse until dawn came. They were then able to make the flight to Oahu.

After serving as a light for both aviation and marine navigation for 63 years, the Kilauea Light was replaced with an automated beacon and boarded up.

Many years after being boarded, the lighthouse was registered as a Historic landmark. They tore the boards down and restored it. You can now take a tour on certain days.

They ask you to remove your shoes before entering the lighthouse.

We had an amazing time exploring Kauai for a couple of days. We can't wait to go back!

What are your favorite things to see and do on Kauai? 

Kauai: Day One

We got up at 3 in the morning to head to the airport. We were the first to get our tickets and go through security. Luckily for us, the flight was a little less than an hour. So we didn't have to worry about trying to get sleep on a day long flight. Plus we got to see the sunrise while on the plane.

You can tell we were a little tired.

After getting our rental car, our first stop once on the island was to get coffee. Of course, right? We stopped at Java Kai in Kapaa.

 Their menu had some very interesting drinks that we have never heard of, which is kinda a big deal considering coffee is our thing. Cody ended up trying a coffee called El Bandito.

It had espresso, vanilla cream, and Mexican Coca-Cola. He loved it! They had other drinks like the Iced Shark Bite (extra shot of espresso, whipped cream, and raspberry). I totally recommend anyone who visits Kauai to make a stop here. You won't regret it.

After charging up on caffeine, we made our way to our first stop: Glass Beach. It's this super cool little beach that's located in an industrial area. You have to take a rough little road to get to it, but it's totally worth it. The beach itself has a lot of sea glass (hence the name).

 The area was beautiful. On both sides of the beach are towering black cliffs that the waves crash into.

At the top of the cliff to the left, there is an old Japanese cemetery. You access it by a small road next to the parking lot for the beach. The view from the cemetery is beautiful.

 If you stop to visit, please be respectful.

We decided to drive to Hanapepe and walk around a little while. We stumbled across a bookstore called Talk Story Bookstore. The outside was painted like shelves of books.

It's the western most bookstore in the United States and they had pretty much any book you can imagine.

Near the bookstore was a swinging bridge. A historic, swinging bridge to be exact.

So of  course we had to walk across.

Next stop, Waimea Canyon.

The view, simply breathtaking. The canyon is filled with so many different colors.

Honestly, pictures don't do it justice. I just stood there, taking it all in.

 The haze that covered the canyon, the layers of red, brown and green, the nice breeze that was blowing through, the waterfalls that flowed across the way.

Sometimes, you just need to stop and enjoy the things that nature has given us.

We ended our night early (around 7:30 to be exact). We fell asleep right away but we were so excited for what the next day would hold!