2023 was a great year for our family. We made a few trips to the mainland but most of our travel adventures were on the Big Island of Hawaii. Now that we have lived here for two years, it is starting to feel like home.
We are loving the island life!
Here are the highlights of our year-
New York, Washington DC, and Williamsburg, Virginia
In March, we spent spring break on the East Coast checking out New York, Washington DC, and Williamsburg, Virginia.
The weather was miserable and cold for the majority of the trip but there were no crowds so that almost made up for the terrible weather.
We started the trip in New York City. In two days we saw Times Square, Ellis Island, the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building, and the 9/11 Memorial.
From New York City, we took the Amtrak train to Washington DC and it was one of the highlights of our trip. We love train travel and have ridden many trains in Colorado as well as taking the Amtrak from Colorado to California.
In Washington DC we again fit a lot into a few days. We saw Arlington Cemetary, the National Mall, several Smithsonian Museums, and the Spy Museum.
The next stop was Williamsburg, Virginia. It was good that we had more time there because there is so much to see and do in and around Williamsburg. We spent the week exploring Jamestown, Williamsburg, and York River State Park.
Kauai
My parents booked a timeshare for a week in Poipu on the island of Kauai and invited us to join them. We had never been to Kauai in the summer and the weather was absolutely perfect.
If you are planning a trip to Kauai, make sure to read my post- Best Place to Stay on Kauai, Hawaii With Kids
We took a boat tour of the Napali Coast and it was one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen.
We had a great time hiking and exploring the island of Kauai.
Camping In Utah
Every year Chad’s family has a family reunion in the Mountains of Central Utah. This year we were able to join them. We love camping as a family. Although we camp in Hawaii often, we were excited to go camping in the mountains again.
Renting a camper is the way to go. The camper we rented was fully stocked and we just had to bring our food and clothes.
Read – Camping With Kids? Be Sure To Pack These 7 Essentials
MLB Baseball Games in California
Our family loves baseball. In Colorado, we had Colorado Rockies season tickets for many years and went to countless games.
For everything you need to know about seeing the Rockies at Coors Field read- Bringing Kids to a Colorado Rockies Baseball Game at Coors Field
Now that we live in Hawaii, we have to fly thousands of miles to see an MLB game. Fortunately, we found a great deal on flights to Los Angeles in September. We booked a last-minute trip and attended a Dodgers and Angels game.
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
I love Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and go there as often as possible. Every time we have family or friends visiting we’ll recommend going to the National Park and will join them if we can swing it.
We booked a room at the lodge with a view of the crater months in advance when Kilauea wasn’t active. It was a splurge but was worth every penny when the volcano started erupting a few days before we arrived. It was so incredible to be able to have a view of the volcano all night from our room.
Fishing
The learning curve has been tough but Chad is becoming a successful fisherman. We are to the point now where we eat fish several times a week and never have to buy it at the store.
Adopted a Stray Cat
Chad’s fishing hobby ended up attracting a stray cat who decided to adopt us. The cat would show up for scraps when Chad was cutting up fish in the driveway and started hanging out more and more. Now we have a pet cat named Scrappy.
Many Visitors
We have been so lucky to have many visitors over the year. We always love showing our friends and family around this island that we call home.
Growing Food
In Colorado, we lived at an elevation of 9,300 feet and a vegetable garden was completely out of the question. It has been so fun to be able to grow fruit and vegetables here. Like fishing, the learning curve is huge but we are figuring it out.
We have grown avocados, mangos, lemons, limes, lettuce, tomatoes, herbs, broccoli, green beans, coconuts, cauliflower, and bananas.
Exploring The Big Island of Hawaii
We have slowed our travel down since moving to Hawaii, but haven’t slowed down our adventures. After years of exploring the mountains, the ocean is a whole new world for us to explore.
