Hawaiian Vacation

Dave and I had the wonderful opportunity to go to Hawaii with my family the beginning of this summer. We had a blast and recommend that everyone visit Maui someday; it is fantastic! Thanks mom and dad for letting Dave and I tag along!

The first day we decided to wake up at about 3 am to go to the top of a volcano to watch the sunrise. That might seem really early, but there is a four hour time difference between Utah and Hawaii; it felt like 7 am to us.

The sunrise was beautiful! It was quite the experience. It was also very freezing because we were standing on top of a high volcano. I never thought I could be so cold in Hawaii!

After the sunrise we had a big day planned; we decided to drive the road to Hana. The road to Hana is a very famous Highway that is as beautiful as it is dangerous. The road was very narrow and curvy. There was even a time when we had to honk the horn before we went around a corner because if we didn’t we could have a collision with any oncoming traffic.

This journey was started with very apprehensive feelings. The Taylor family struggles with curvy roads and car sickness. Bryant was the first to get sick. Below is a picture of us showing him our sympathies.

We decided to brave the highway as there were very cool sites to see along the way. We began our journey the opposite way most people went. My mom read that one side of the Hana Hwy isn’t as twisty so we thought this would be best for our weak stomachs.

After miles of narrow unpaved road while traveling 15 mph we doubted our decision to go this way. We now understood why most people didn’t go this way. It was miserable! I think we all secretly wanted to be out of our huge fifteen passenger van.

Our first destination was the Seven Sacred Pools. We read in our Maui Revealed book that it was a must see. We hiked about a mile to get there and we couldn’t believe what we saw! The water levels were so low that the seven sacred pools were more like the seven sacred puddles. We were all so hot that all we wanted to do was jump in a refreshing pool. The water smelled so bad that we didn’t think it would be the wisest decision to jump in the pools.

Our spirits weren’t broken yet, our next stop was going to be the amazing Hamoa beach known for great body surfing! We all piled in the van and started once again on the bumpy highway. After driving for about 15 minutes we ran into the most horrific, unimaginable thing we have ever seen…


All we could do was laugh to keep ourselves from crying. It was very ironic that we chose the worst way to get to Hana and then we ran into a road closed sign. I said a quick prayer that we wouldn’t have to go back through the unpaved road.

My mom saw a man walking down the hill so she decided to ask if we could pass. After telling him that we would all go ballistic if we couldn’t pass he told her that he would go ask the workers if it would be okay if we passed through the construction. While he was gone I experienced the longest 5 minutes of my life! When he came back he said that we could pass if we could go unnoticed. My mom was so happy she offered him some of the candy we had in the car. I think he thought we were crazy, but I bet he has never drove to Hana in a 15 passenger van with sick people.

Finally after our terrible morning we made it to Hamoa beach; it was like heaven on earth! We had such a good time body surfing in the refreshing water that we didn’t want to get back in the van.

We drove for one more hour and we finally reached Hana only to find expensive food and cheap souvenirs. I don’t know if Hana was quite the destination we were all hoping for. We survived the rest of the Hana Highway and kissed the condo floor when we walked in. Thank you Hamoa beach for making our long day not seem as horrible!

I believe we all became closer after cheating death on the bumpy narrow Road to Hana. I think we all thanked Heavenly Father for paved roads in our prayers that night.

The rest of our time in Hawaii was quite enjoyable. We traveled to many different beaches and saw many cool sites. Some of the other highlights include a zipline adventure, exploring many beaches, seeing sea turtles while snorkeling, snorkeling at the molekini reef, and watching the sunset while enjoying dinner from Hawaiian Mixed Plate Restaurant. It was a fabulous trip; one that we will never forget!

Alison (my sister) was so scared to go on the last zipline; it is the fastest zipline in the US.

Kamole 3 Beach (Below)

Big Beach or Broke Neck Beach (Below)

On our way to Molekini Reef

I guess I don't really know how to smile under water. This is our under water prom pose.

Hawaiian Mixed Plate Restaurant. Beautiful Sunset!