Wandering and Searching Yogi

My Top Five Trips of 2015

12/30/2015

This post is just a look back at my travels during 2015. I chose my top five trips and a few of my personal favorite photos. I do believe that Oahu and Vermont made the list only partially because I have friends there and that tends to make vacations more fun! I will say that Bora Bora / French Polynesia were at the top of my bucket list and I finally made it in February and March 2015.

Lake Garda, Italy

Ko Olina Oahu Hawaii

Curacao

Burlington, Vermont

Bora Bora - French Polynesia

Sorry this is a photo only post. If you've been following along you've probably seen these photos already. Thank you for the visit. Happy new year to all and I hope 2016 is your best year yet!

~Michelle

Posted at 11:22 PM in Architecture, Beaches, Bora Bora, Burlington Vermont, Church Street, Colorful architecture, Curacao, Europe, French Polynesia, Hawaii, Isola del Garda, Italy, Ko Olina, Lake Garda, Luxury travel, Oahu, Photography, Sirmione, Society Islands, South Pacific, Travel, University of Vermont, Vermont, Willemstad | Permalink | Comments (30)

Searching For the Perfect Wave on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii

11/30/2015

The above photo is of myself and my friend Lori of 25 years and the biggest reason I wanted to visit this Hawaiian island. We both definitely have the wind blown look in this photo! She was a wonderful tour guide and I was able to see and learn so much more of the island having a friend who lives there.

While visiting Oahu, Hawaii I stayed in the Ko Olina area at the Marriott Beach Club, but did spend a day exploring the north part of the island which is known for its beaches and great waves for surfing. The north part of the island is a great place to get away from the city and the crowds. I don't know a lot about the northern area of the island, but it's very picturesque so I thought I would share a few photos,

I visited the Aloha Tower on my way back and had dinner at a great place overlooking the water I love staying in Ko Olina but might consider staying on the north side of the island the next time I visit. It reminded me of Kauai which is my personal favorite island in Hawaii and the northern part of Maui.

Below you can see a popular beach called "Eternity Beach" that requires one climb down quite a distance. Unfortunately I wasn't dressed for the walk down. I am tentatively planning a trip back to Oahu in 2016 and want to swim at this beach when I do!

Although there are many beautiful beaches on the northern part of Oahu, the water does get really rough and the tide is very strong so therefore is not recommended in many areas even for the best of swimmers and surfers.

As you can see this area of the island is quite peaceful and definitely away from the busy city area of Honolulu

I didn't see any surfers, hike Diamond Head, or any of the other lovely areas on the Northern part of the island. Those things will go in my bucket list for my next trip!

I visited the Dole Pineapple Plantation which has a great tour of the grounds and the cost is for adults: $8:50 children: (4-12): $6.50 and children under 4 are free. They have a fantastic gift shop and restaurant. I bought all of my souvenirs there. I saw these fantastic su rays as I was leaving the plantation:
Here is a giant pineapple sculpture at the Dole Pineapple Plantation:
This cool sign is in the plantation's garden:

When you travel to the same area do you like to stay in a hotel which is tried and true or do you like to stay somewhere new? If you think I should stay on the northern section of the island, do you have any suggestions?

Thank you very much for visiting I would love to hear any stories you have about your adventures in Hawaii or which islands you have been tempted to visit. Have a great week!

~Michelle

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Posted at 01:02 PM in Beaches, Cloudy Skies, Dole Pineapple Plantation, Eternity Beach, Hawaii, Honolulu, Hotels, Ko Olina, Maui, Northern Oahu, Oahu, Photography, Sunsets, Travel | Permalink | Comments (9)

Paradise Found - in Ko Olina Oahu, Hawaii

11/24/2015

I can't say it any better than Bruno Mars:

"I can't even speak Hawaiian, but if you go there and listen to a Hawaiian song, you get captured because it's so beautiful, like the melody is just gorgeous and you know Bob Marley is on the radio every single day. It's very reggae-influenced down there. Basically, you haven't been to paradise if you haven't been to Hawaii." ~Bruno Mars

Whenever anyone asks me where my favorite places are that I've visited Hawaii is always on the top of the list. When I visited Oahu for the first time I expected to only see a big city, but this island has everything! I stayed in the Ko Olina section which is absolutely fabulous! The rest of the island is just as beautiful with plenty of fun and adventurous things to do!

This was my sixth trip to Hawaii in case you needed any more proof how much I love it! Truth be told I never would have visited Oahu if I didn't have a friend who I've known for almost twenty-five years there. This is my truly awesome and beautiful friend Lori and I:

She made sure I had healthy snacks in my hotel room at the lovely Marriott Ko Olina Beach Club:

There was a lovely lagoon behind the resort. People felt safer swimming in the lagoon in light of the recent shark attacks around Oahu

There were many fun pools and slides around the resort. They were set up to look like a real beach:

The kids were so happy to have a sandy beach to play in right beside the pool:

There was a beautiful koi pond on the property:

The gardens and walkways were gorgeous and so well kept:

I was lucky enough to see this beautiful wedding on the beach right next to the resort:

One day I walked across the street to the golf course and saw a bunch of black swans. They all just walked up to me and sat beside me. I'm guessing they were hoping I had food!

I will write more about my trip to Oahu as I saw many parts of the island besides Ko Olina, but Oahu is definitely a lot more than just a big city! Here is a photo I took from the plane flying in:

Have you ever visited Hawaii?

Thank you so much for visiting. Please leave comments below as I treasure every one of them. I hope you all have a wonderful week!

~Michelle

Posted at 09:13 AM in Gardens, Hawaii, Honolulu, Hotels, Ko Olina, Luxury travel, Mountains, Oahu, Photography, Pixabay, Sunsets, Travel | Permalink | Comments (15)