How to Afford Healthy Food on a Budget


Sometimes it seems like the only way to be able to afford healthy, organic food is to be rolling in the dough. But it's not. Sure, it would make it easier, but there are ways to afford feeding your family healthy food on a budget. I am going to share 4 of my most used tips on saving money on my food bill while buying nutritious food at the same time.

Buy in Season
Organic or Non-GMO food is expensive. There is no getting around that. But there are many ways to make it less expensive. The biggest way is to buy food when it is in season. I would suggest this even if it wasn't less expensive because food in season tastes better and is more nutritious than out of season food that has been sitting preserved in a warehouse for months or is being shipped halfway around the world.

I'm sure you know what I mean when I say that a fresh tomato bought in the summer has a completely different and richer flavor than one bought in the winter. Those ones are almost flavorless. Food that need to be preserved and sold at later times, either to keep markets stable or to always have available need to be picked earlier so they won't go bad. Food picked at the peek of ripeness have all the goodness of flavor and nutrients that are missing in out of season food.

Use Everything You Buy
Did you know that a recent study by the Natural Resources Defense Council found that Americans throw away almost $165 BILLION worth of food every year? That translates to about $2,200 for the average family of four. I don't know about you but that is a lot of money I'd rather spend on something else. There are so many ways to use everything you buy. Let's take mushrooms for example. When I use mushrooms in a recipe I will always either use the stems in what I am making or save them to mince up and put in our scrambled eggs for breakfast or in a meat dish the next day.

Fresh herbs are a big money waster. Usually you have to buy an already over-priced package of herbs for one recipe that won't even need the full amount. So you are left wondering what to do with the rest. Fresh herbs freeze wonderfully. I wrote an how-to post here with 3 different ways to do it.  Cilantro is an herb that we seem to use a lot in our house. Maybe because we are out west and enjoy a lot of Mexican food. There is a popular fresh-mex restaurant chain near us that makes the best Tomatillo Ranch Dressing. Ever. We like to make a homemade one from a copycat recipe that calls for 1/2 bunch of cilantro. But whenever I make the ranch, usually I am making their Cilantro Rice too. It calls for 1/2 a bunch of cilantro as well. So what do I do? I cut off the stems and use those to flavor the ranch. Since it all gets ground up you won't even notice, then I can use the pretty leaves in the rice. And, did you know that the most flavorful part of cilantro is the stems? Score. Plus I'll have some extra to use as garnish and the rest to throw in our eggs the next day. Sensing a pattern? I will usually use the little pieces of left-over, cut-up veggies in either our eggs or on a salad the next day. When I am spending money on organic food, I want to make sure none of it is being wasted.

Learn to Like Leftovers 
Ok, so I didn't know there were actually people out there who won't eat left-overs. ??? 

Apparently it's true. I don't understand it. I love leftovers. First, most things taste better when they have been left to sit and marinate over night. Second, it gives the cook (me) more time to do something else instead of preparing a meal every night. It is especially nice to have something already made when you know you are going to have a busy day/night and it's just one less thing to think about. Lastly, this is where you save a lot of money buy not throwing dollars down the sink. I just hate thinking about splurging on something only for it to be thrown in the trash. If you don't have enough for another full meal, keep reading below.

One last thought on this topic. I know that eating the same soup for lunch and dinner days on end is not fun. And food should be enjoyable I think. So if you always make enough for an army but your family doesn't make a dent in the amount you made, keep some to eat for a day or two, then portion out and freeze the rest for another time. (Most of the time they won't even realize it's leftovers that way.

Repurpose Your Leftovers
My husband always teases me because I save even the smallest amount of things. But I know it is worth it.  Especially because I have 2 small babies right now and they don't eat big portions. It's so nice to just take a little something that is already made, and that I know is good for them out of the fridge without having to make something special just for them to have a snack. Saves me a lot of time. Which I need with babies 15 months apart.

This also translates to old family members too. Say you splurged and got a grass-fed roast or some pastured chicken. Most likely you aren't going to have enough for another full meal of that so why not shred it up and use it in burritos with some sauted onions and peppers to bulk it up? Or cut up some bigger chunks for soup. Or stick it on a salad. Or sandwich. The options are endless. One of my kid's favorite 'meals' is a clean out the fridge night where they can eat anything they want out of the fridge that is already made.

I have a lot to say on this subject but the post was getting long. For more ideas how to afford to eat healthy food on a budget, check out Part 2 and Part 3. It will deal more with actually how to buy organic food for less.

Leave a comment below if you would like to see any specific recipes that I mentioned above or if you have any tricks you use to make your food budget stretch.
Budget, Food, Frugal Tips,
Share:

How to Teach Gardening Skills to Your Kids

  • Enjoying the last of our garden carrots
  • Oh, the family garden.
  • Or what was supposed to be the family garden, that everyone was supposed to help out with. But somehow turned into a solo project for you.
  • So how do you dig yourself out of this project?
  • Here are a few tips to re-engage your kids or begin teaching your children how to garden. And love it.

  • Focus on Fast Growing Plants

  • Your children probably don't have enought patience to wait the whole growing season to reap the rewards of say, a big pumpkin. They will need a little instant gratification. Or as instant as it gets when it comes to gardening.
  • It doesn't matter what it is you plant at first. Your children will just be thrilled to see the first leaves and stems sprout from the seeds they planted.
  • Lettuce grows very fast and continues to grow until it gets too hot. Other fast growing plants are: spinach, radishes and zuchini.

  • Plant Things They Like

  • Once your children have seen the fruits or their labor begin, they will work hard to be able to sample them. Grow food that your family likes. Great ideas are sugar peas, strawberries, tomatoes and carrots.
  • Gardening is so much more fun when the results are tasty.

  • Give Children Ownership of a Specific Area

  • You can instill a sense of pride in your children if they have ownership of a certain area. It is also easier for them to keep up on the maintenance of the garden if they know exactly what they need to do.

  • Give Your Children Their Own Tools

  • One of the things that seemed to make the biggest difference in my children's attitude and willingness to work in the garden is when they had their own tools. I bought them garden gloves, a trowel shovel and a weeding tool. The first pair of gloves I bought were just cheap cloth ones I found at the grocery store. They weren't great, they slipped a lot and were hard to maneuver around tiny weeds so I would recommend something like these that have microfoam on the outside. Not only do they grip much better, they also keep out water which the cloth ones did not. Leather ones would also be really durable and water resistant too. Both of these options are only a dollar or two more than the cheaply made ones I first got but will last and work so much better.

  • Work Along Side Your Kids

  • Work is always more enjoyable if you are doing it with someone else. Children will be more willing to work if they have the company of their parents and siblings.
  • This is also a great time to have meaningful conversations with your children. Kids will talk more about things that are bothering them when they have something else to focus on.

  • Keep it fun and non-stressful

  • Don't get too ambitious. Start small. Everyone will get burned out and resist gardening if the area is too overwhelming. You can always add more space the next year if you find that your family handled this year well.
*This article originally appeared on https://familyshare.com/258/how-to-teach-gardening-skills-to-your-kids 
Family, Garden Tips, Gardening,
Share:

How to Plan a Garden

  • There is nothing better than eating fresh, flavorful food grown from your own garden. When you take a bite of your first summer-sweet strawberry grown in your own backyard, you'll know exactly what I mean. This is what strawberries are supposed to taste like. Their flavorful, juicy bursts of goodness will bring a smile to your face. Grocery store produce that's been stored in a cooler for months, with its bland taste and waxy exterior, just doesn't compare to what you can grow at home.
  • Unfortunately, many of us have absolutely no idea how to go about planting a garden. As many would-be gardeners have discovered, it takes more than just a bit of dirt and some water to grow award winning produce. Here are a few tips to help get your garden blooming in no time.

  • Decide what kind of foods you like

  • The idea of planting foods that grow easily is tempting. But if you don't like what you plant, then you won't eat it. Ask your family what kinds of fruit and vegetables they like, and plan from there. Also, check if those plants will grow in your area. A great resource is the USDA's plant hardiness zone map.

  • Find a good location for your garden

  • Once you know what kind of plants you can grow, you will need to find a place to establish your garden. Make sure that it gets plenty of sun and adequate water.

  • Prepare your garden's soil

  • Your plants will have their best chance of being successful if they are planted in rich soil. There are many ways to amend your soil. Compost, fertilizer, and potting soil amendments are just a few of your options. Find the option that works best for the produce that you are planting. Various websites, such as this one, offer suggestions to help you get started.

  • Follow Instructions for Planting Times and Depths

  • All plants have different planting and growing seasons as well as specific depths that the seeds need to be planted. Make sure you follow the directions on the package.

  • Start Small

  • If this is your first garden, don't over do it by planting every type of vegetable known to man. Choose a few you like and start there. You don't want to overwhelm yourself with too much to manage the first year. Make it enjoyable. If you want to expand the next year, that would be the time to do it. 

  • Consider Fruit Trees

  • One last tip is to consider planting a fruit tree or two. Trees are a great option because they only need to be planted once, but they continue to produce fruit year after year with minimal maintenance.
  • Gardening can be an entertaining hobby that pays for the time you spend by providing you with cheap, high quality produce. If you're willing to make the commitment and do your research, then you too can enjoy the bounty of a homemade harvest from you very own backyard!
Comment below and tell me what you are planning to grow this year!





*This post first appeared on familyshare.com 
https://familyshare.com/325/how-to-start-a-gardening-project
Gardening
Share:

How to Plant Garlic

I am really excited to share this post today. It's all about how to grow garlic at home.

Growing your own garlic is so easy! Anyone can do it. Seriously.

Have you ever had some store-bought garlic so long that it started to sprout? Perfect, you're halfway there. If you just stick that clove in the ground and it will grow into a head of garlic next summer.

Now is the perfect time for planting bulbs; flowers or garlic. Anytime after the weather turns cooler in the Fall is a great time to plant. You just need make sure you plant before the ground freezes. Luckily, with how weird the weather has been this winter our growing/planting season has been extended.

Charlotte and I spent a wonderful morning in the garden and it was so fun having her help me with the planting. Though of course she just wanted to dig them all out afterwards.




Directions:
All you need is a head of garlic from the store. Just the regular kind you buy to cook with.

Break apart the head of garlic to get the individual cloves. One clove will grow into an entire head of garlic next year. One of my friends brought me home some popular garlic from a recent trip to California. I'm really excited to plant it. It's been so hard not to use it all because it is so delicious, I hope it grows well here. Fingers crossed.

You only want to plant the biggest ones because they will yield the biggest crop next year. Just save the small ones to use in the kitchen.

Go out to your garden and turn the earth under. Basically just loosen up the dirt and add in any compost you might want to.

Once your dirt is turned over, dig holes 6 inches apart all the way around and about 3-4 inches deep. If you don't have raised garden beds you might want to think about leaving space for a walkway depending on how many cloves you plant.

I use a stick like this to dig. I feel a little like a cave woman digging in the dirt with a stick but hey, it works. And Charlotte loves it too.


Next stick your garlic clove in the ground with the point sticking up. You will want the top of the garlic about 2 inches from the top of the dirt once you fill it in. And, doesn't everyone garden while juggling a baby? Charlotte is learning young.

 
Cover and repeat for all remaining cloves.  I like to dig one hole at a time because my dirt is really loose and falls back into the holes easily making it harder to go back and stick the cloves in. But you could dig all your holes first, then stick in all the garlic cloves, then cover all at once.

You're done.

See what did I tell you? Easy! And you'll love cooking with your homegrown garlic next year.

Tips:

  • you may want to put a layer of mulch like leaves over the dirt to help insulate the garlic over the winter.
Gardening, How to Plant Garlic, How to's,
Share:

Frugal vs Cheap

Being frugal doesn’t mean you are a miser afraid of spending any money. Frugal to my mind means that you use your wealth and resources deliberately. Maybe it is just the accountant in me and I can’t get rid of the debit/credit mindset.

When you use an asset it either can be for another asset, an expense or a future liability. I don’t know about you but I want to feel like I am getting value for the money I use,  not feeling like I just flushed it down the toilet.

My husband and I made the decision for me to work at home raising our kids instead of in an office bringing home a paycheck. He works hard to provide for our family and I work just as hard to respect that and use our money in the most prudent way.  That isn’t to say that our purchases are strictly practical, that would suck the fun out of life (and that’s when you turn into a miser).

No, what that means is that I try to use our money as economically as possible. For instance, if I want to take my kids to a museum I will look and see if they have any free days or discounts. Many times they do and it just takes a little looking. So in this instance if I found out they do offer a free day I would wait and go then. I still will be able to do what I want and provide a fun, educational experience for my kids. The same experience they would’ve had if I had paid full price, but instead I would have saved at least $30 which I can now have available for something else. We can still have nice things. We just have to choose which of those we want to set as a priority.

There is a quote by Gandhi I came across recently that I loved:
“There is enough on Earth for everybody's need, but not enough for everybody's greed.”
I feel like that can apply individually to our lives as well. There is enough for your needs. Enough even your wants (greed). But you have to work within your financial constraints.  We might not all be able to take the most lavish and extravagant vacations without a second thought about where the money is coming from but there is probably a way to have meaningful, amazing travel experiences in another way. And this doesn’t just relate to travel. This idea can apply to every other facet of life.

I believe that we can have all the experiences we want in life if we just look for a way to make it happen. When you live providently or frugally, you feel like you have more. Not just for yourself but for others also. When we save in so many little ways it makes it easier to give in big ways. Life is abundant, there are so many opportunities out there and I plan to make the most of them. If this is something you resonate with, then follow along as I share my adventures and my frugal tips that make them possible.  
Budget Tools, Finance, Frugal Living,
Share:

How to string and hang dry jalapeno peppers

How to string and hang dry jalapeno peppers
Are you wondering how to use extra jalapeno peppers or how to make your own crushed red pepper flakes? This summer I grew 6 plants of jalapeno peppers and 6 anaheim peppers so even after making all my salsa, apricot jalapeno jelly and enchilada sauce, I still had about a gazillion peppers I needed to find a way to preserve. You can cut them up and dehydrate your peppers (see my post about dehydrating bell peppers). But I was already using my dehydrator on some eggplants so I decided to do it the old fashioned way.

All you need is a needle and some strong thread. Wash all your peppers first, then after you thread your needle, tie a knot at the bottom of your thread tail which will act as an anchor for the rest of your peppers. Grab your 2nd pepper and poke the needle not through just the stem or it will break when it dries. You need to poke it through the green base just under stem so you have a thick, solid foundation. Now pull the needle and slide the pepper all the way down to the one that you tied around the knot. It works best if you alternate which direction it is facing, left/right, front/back. And follow all the way up the string. You don't want too many. They are heavy at first. I think 20-25 worked great. Once done find a well ventilated area and hang for a few weeks.

After your jalapenos are dried, you can leave them on the string in your kitchen. They really are so pretty. Or you can take them off and put them in a plastic bag still whole. Or what I think is the best is to make your own crushed red pepper flakes out of your dried jalapeno peppers. Normally crushed red pepper flakes have cayenne peppers in them which makes it pretty hot. Using just jalapenos tames it a bit which is nice if your family is like me and can't really appreciate a lot of heat. Homemade crushed red pepper flakes can be used in anything that just needs a little kick

FYI- you can see in the picture I was experimenting by using some green jalapenos that hadn't turned yet. I was trying to see if they would dry more mild if they were green but they all ended up turning red anyway.
dehydrating, Food, Gardening,
Share:

2017 Total Solar Eclipse



I have always tried to nurture a love of science and especially space with my girls. They love to play on NASA Kids Club building rockets and driving the Mars Rover. When I heard that there was to be a total solar eclipse in North America this August, I just knew we needed to go. Luckily, the closest point of totality to us was only 3 1/2-4 hours away. Salt Lake City was going to experience 94 percent but I wanted to experience totality.

So this weekend we packed up the car and drove to Idaho. Unfortunately, everyone else in the western United States thought the same thing. My husband and I thought about renting a camper but there weren't any available in the western United States. Most of the hotels were booked. I found a 2 star for $750 a night! No thank you.

I knew quite a few people who were going up and camping out in their extended family's backyards and many farmers decided to open up some space for people to set up for the night, but usually with no utilities. That wouldn't work for us since we would have both our babies with us.


 Luckily, I found the Sun Shine Camp on Facebook. A woman decided to turn some of her dad's farm land into a camp ground and they had some vacancies. She had cleared the land and had port a potties dug and it was right in the path of totality. Not only that, but it was in the most idyllic spot.


It was gorgeous! Wide, open views of a property surrounded by the famous Snake River with lots of shade for trees. Fire pits stocked with wood and lots of peace and quiet. Which was amazing given that over 300,000 people traveled to the same area to view the eclipse. That's in addition to the people who already lived here!


The kids had an amazing time. There were horseback rides available.


I even risked an allergic reaction and joined in. The hour or 2 of itching after were totally worth it. Saddest day of my life when I realized I was allergic to horses. But that's a story for another time. 


 The girls got to float in the calmer part of the Snake River that wound through the property. A perfect way to cool off during the heat of the day. Wasn't my dad the sweetest to take them? Totally made their day.


Lots of shade to sit out and relax. Aaralyn brought along a book of course. She's a girl after my own heart.


This was the first time we had gone camping with both babies. Needless to say, we got very little sleep and a VERY early wake up call.

Now it was time to pack up the site and get ready to watch the eclipse over the next few hours.



 Unfortunately, the solar eclipse fell on the first day of school so we had to make it a quick trip back to Utah so the girls wouldn't miss any more days. Otherwise, I would have loved to combine this trip with a few days in Yellowstone.

My husband was hoping to hop in the car right after the eclipse to hopefully get a head start  on the aforementioned 300K other people but while packing the last few things in the car a few minutes before the eclipse he realized our car battery had died!

Luckily this Japanese family near us had a cordless car battery jumper. Have you seen these things? They are awesome. Tiny, and best of all if your car dies with no one around, you can now jump your car yourself. We totally bought one after this trip. What a life saver!

Next thing we knew, Bailey's beads appeared. Which is when all the mountains and valleys are backlit by the sun and it looks like little beads of sunlight shining on the edge of the moon.


Totality was awe inspiring. There really are no words to describe the feeling and visual. It got eerily silent and the temperature dropped at least 20 degrees immediately. It looked like there was a 360 degree sunset. It was beautiful. I am so glad we made the effort to go. I hope it will be something my children remember forever. 

It was so worth the 7 hour trip home. Oh, and there was the cutest old lady standing in the middle of one of the back roads we tried to take out of there. Do you want to know what she was doing? Handing out hundreds of homemade cookies that she had baked and frozen just to hand out to us travelers. She was so excited and said it was the best day of her life. What a selfless act of kindness to show to so many people she had never met in her life and would most likely never see again. I mean just think of the hours and hours of baking. What an example. I want to be like her when I grow up. She definitely made our long, crawling trip back to Utah more bearable.

Did you see the eclipse?
Eclipse, Free Family Activities, Guide to Utah,
Share:

Silver Lake- Best and Easiest Nature Hike for Young Kids


Silver Lake is hands down the most beautiful, easiest nature hike for children. Located in Big Cottonwood Canyon just minutes from Salt Lake City, Silver Lake has it all. The trail starts at the parking lot and has a boardwalk through a marsh that leads into a more wooded area. The change in terrain and landscape is so fun for kids. They can go down to the lake on different viewing platforms to see the ducks or look for fish. And, there always seems to be someone fishing which is really fun to watch.


The lake itself is in a little basin surrounded by mountains so the scenery is just breathtaking. Especially in the late spring when all the wild flowers are blooming.


 This trail is our go-to lazy Sunday outing. Quick and not strenuous, which means the adults can enjoy conversation and relax while letting toddlers walk by themselves and the older kids roam ahead with plenty of things to catch their interest...it seems like we see a moose at least half the time we go among other wildlife. Oh and don't forget to catch the visitor's center in the summer. They have a lot of great exhibits for the kids to learn about the environment and even a junior ranger program where they can earn another badge for their collection.


Whenever someone visits Salt Lake and asks for a recommendation for a hike, Silver Lake is the answer.

Happy Trails!
Free Family Activities, Guide to Utah, Life with Kids,
Share:

Travel Guide- Road to Hana



ROAD TO HANA    ________________________________________________________________


Today we're heading to Hana by way of the famous Hana  Highway.

The Hāna Highway is a 68-mile long stretch of highway which connects Kahului with the town of Hāna in east Maui. Although Hāna is only about 52 miles from Kahului, it took us over 4 hours to drive as the highway is very winding and narrow and passes over 59 bridges, 46 of which are only one lane wide.

There are approximately 620 curves along Route 360 from just east of Kahului to Hāna, virtually all of it through lush, tropical rainforest. Many of the concrete and steel bridges date back to 1910 and all but one are still in use.



Jon decided he needed to stop and buy some of that Spam sushi the couple from the Polynesian Cultural Center told us about on our way out of town.


It was suprisingly good. And served warm....


There are places all along the highway to stop and see. Lots of paths to waterfalls or hidden bays. We stopped at one stop and took this trail to go see the sight mentioned in our guide book. I was convinced the plants growing along the side of the trail were sugar cane but after trying like 5 different stalks, I finally had to admit that Jon was right and that I had been eating weeds! He thought I was crazy.


The road is crazy with all the one-laned bridges and sharp turns where you can't even see oncoming traffic.


But it was nothing like the drivers who would come barreling through the yield signs before checking to see if someone was already on the bridge. It didn't seem to worry Jon as much as me though.


Jon loved this road and got quite used to all the craziness after a while


I started getting car sick from all the twists and turns, so Jon switched me so I could drive.


Much better.


You could take all day to stop at every stop and see the sights.


We just chose a few but every single one was so pretty. Maui is definitely more beautiful than Oahu and once you get to the east side it gets truly wild.


We drove through Hana and out again before we even realized we'd made it. We turned around and got some food at a road side stand before heading out past Hana to get to our B&B about 20 min away.


We checked in and then left to go eat our dinner at a cliff we saw earlier, but it was so windy it was blowing the lettuce leaves out of the salad containers. We decided to wait on dinner and just enjoy the view.


It was so fun being on the exposed side of the island. The weather is a lot crazier by the open ocean vs the channels between islands.


We stayed till the sun was almost down then headed back.
Hana, Hana Highway, Hawaii,
Share:

Guide to Hana, Hawaii

Hana Town, Hawaii is as authentic Hawaii as it gets. Although it is only 52 miles away from the Kahului Airport, it will take you about 4 hours to drive the Hana Highway along the coastal rainforest to Hana. Most people opt to stay in Lahaina or Wailea but no trip to Maui is complete without a stop in Hana. This is where you will see 'real Hawaii'. Somehow, Hana has avoided the major developments that have taken place on the other side of the island and is virtually untouched as far as tourism goes with hotels and shopping.

There is so much to see and do. Our days in Hana were my favorite. We had just the right amount of relaxing and playing at the beach with more active adventures.

7 SACRED POOLS   _______________________________________________________________
The first place I was dying to see was the Seven Sacred Pools. The Ohe'o Gulch or Seven Sacred Pools, are about 15 minutes past Hana town. There are actually dozens of pools and waterfalls which flow through the ‘Ohe‘o Gulch into the ocean nearby but these ones are the biggest.

7 Sacred Pools
We hiked down the Kuloa Point trail which leads down to the ocean with a great view of the pools themselves. We wanted to swim in one of the pools but the weather kicked up and started pounding us with rain so we were worried about flash flooding. I'm not normally one to be paranoid about stuff like that but there were warning signs everywhere and the weather was so unpredictable.



We got soaked. Luckily we had packed the rain cover for our camera. (Thanks Jon)


After hiding out under a tree for the storm to pass we decided to hike back up to the crossing with the Pipiwai trail. This is supposed to be one of the best hikes on Maui and I would have to say it was otherworldly.

Right off the bat we found this crazy looking tree that looks like the Eywa tree from Avatar. The limbs get so heavy that they start to grow supports down to the ground to hold it up!

Jon decided to help.

Pipiwai is 4 miles round trip with a gain in elevation of 650 feet and several great waterfalls along the route.


After hiking past the waterfalls, we came to a bamboo forest.



It was so amazing! You could not see more than a foot to either side the bamboo forest was so thick and reached over 40 feet, blocking out the sky. Just thinking of how much bamboo it would take to do that was overwhelming considering that each branch was about 3 inches in diameter.


It continued raining on us off and on and most of the trail was through mud. One place we came to had this beautiful wooded boardwalk stretching off in the distance. It was so magical especially because when the wind would blow we could hear the bamboo stalks hitting against each other making the coolest sounds.

This was my favorite thing that I saw in all of Hawaii.


We finally made it out of the bamboo forest and started our ascent again. We could see Waimoku Falls in the back, but first we had to cross a stream. I had been so glad I bought waterproof hiking shoes before our trip to Hawaii and had been grateful for them the last few hours as we were hiking through the mud and rain. But now we crossed the river which was higher than my ankles and water got inside my shoes and couldn't dry off.


This picture doesn't do Waimoku Falls justice. The water falls down a 400-foot sheer lava rock wall. It was absolutely incredible.

We had a little snack then headed back to the car. I am so glad we did this hike and didn't get scared off by the weather. It was definitely a must-see.

HAMOA BEACH  _________________________________________________________________

Hamoa Beach is stunning in its beauty. According to National Geographic, Hamoa Beach is one of the top 5 beaches in the world. It is about 1,000 feet long and about 100 feet wide, with lush palm trees and lava cliffs surrounding its crescent-shaped cove. It is so secluded and there were hardly any other people there. It felt like our own private beach.

Hamoa is unprotected by fringing reefs, so big surfs hit the beach unobstructed especially during the winter months so we are lucky we came in November. Jon has been wanting to body surf and with the big wave it was perfect. There was no reef or anything to hit your toes (or your head during a wipe-out). The tide was definitely too strong for me. I felt pretty nervous out there so I came back in and had a great time watching Jon and a couple other surfers out there.


I picked a flower off a tree on our way down the trail to Hamoa. I love all these beautiful tropical flowers. It was so peaceful and romantic sitting out in the sun. I could do that every day during this vacation. It's the perfect beach paradise.


After we decided we'd had enough for the day, dark storm clouds moved in and dumped rain on us for at least 15 min straight. Luckily, we had just finished packing up when it started, so we ran as fast as we could to a pavilion 25 feet away. By the time we got there we were soaked and then the wind really started to howl. It was crazy! I got a video of it and every time I watch it I can't believe how fast the weather changed. I wonder if it is like that in every coastal town?


HONOKALANI BEACH    __________________________________________________________
Honokalani Beach is a black sand beach. It is spectacular! The obsidian sand made from the same black volcanic rock that makes the rugged coastline with the lush green plants against the crystal blue water is breathtaking.



There are a lot of things to do here. You can explore lava tubes, caves, natural stone arches, sea stacks and blowholes.
Hamoa Beach, Hana, Hawaii,
Share:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)