Another Day in Paradise

I'm going to need a vacation from my vacation!  We have been gone since 9 am.   I rented this little speedster (the car, not the kid) and we headed back up to the North Shore.

He was mad because I wouldn't let him drive! 

Obviously the beach is always on our daily agenda, but I also wanted to go to Waimea Valley to walk through the rainforest and hike up to the waterfall.

Waimea history

So lush and green!  Really reminded me of Texas  :)

Waimea Falls

It wasn't a very long hike or a very big waterfall, but we still had fun.  Jaden was able to swim in the lagoon and attempted to climb up the rocks at the falls.  The most amazing part of the hike, I thought, was the vibrant colors of nature.  I'm no botanist and I don't know the difference between flora and fauna, but these plants and flowers were so beautiful.

My friend, Pamela, would love this flower!  

Once we had our fill of nature, we headed across the street to Waimea Bay.  I told you in a previous post about the North Shore and what the waves are like in the winter.  Waimea Bay is probably one of the most famous spots because of its history.  Because the way the water breaks, Waimea Bay was significant in the development of big wave surfing.  Larger surf at the bay went unridden for years until 1957, when a handful of surfers finally paddled out and rode the giant waves.  For decades, Waimea was the most prestigious big wave surf break in the world.  One of the most famous surf competitions, "Quiksilver Big Wave Invitational in Memory of Eddie Aikau" is held at Waimea Bay.  This event takes place to honor the legendary surfer and the first lifeguard of the North Shore.  Since its inception in 1984, the tournament has only been held seven times, due to the sole condition that the waves be at least 20 feet high.  The most recent tournament was in December 2009, when waves in the bay reached 30 to 50 feet high.   

This is not Jaden, nor is this my picture.  Winter waves at Waimea Bay.

Luckily for us, in the summer time it looks like this.

Jaden spent about four hours jumping off that rock while I floated on my raft in the water.  I'm glad he's so active but I wonder where he gets his fearlessness from.  Certainly not me!  It must be a boy thing.  

Got bored of walking up the regular way?

He told me he did this one with his eyes closed.  Music to a mother's ear.  

We ended our day driving into Haleiwa Town.  We made it to Matsumoto's Shave Ice just before it closed.  Matsumoto's has been in business for over 60 years and is famous for their shave ice.  On a summer day, they serve up to 2,000 people.  The line was probably 25 deep when we got there.  I thought it was good, but I think we'll stick to Waiola Shave Ice instead.  Nonetheless, it was a refreshing treat after a long day! 

Five different people commented on my hat.  Hook 'Em!