Travel Terri Shadle Travel Terri Shadle

Hawaii, I never knew you

Hawaii was never on the top of my list of places to travel. It seemed so obvious, so safe, so old-school. The “exotic” destination you book a trip to when you didn’t have the guts to travel to a country completely unknown or if you were time traveling to the 1950’s for your honeymoon.

During the pandemic, like the majority of America, we canceled all of our travel plans and our accumulated airline credits collected dust in the back of the closet with my high heels and yoga mat. When my husband suggested we travel to Kaui to use up those airline credits, at the imminent risk of losing them, I said, Sure.*

*Hi––I’m not going to say “No” to Hawaii, but I wasn’t super excited about it either.

This is the part (right when you start to hate me) that I humbly and happily admit to you— I was completely wrong; Get a pie, shove it in my face–– that kind of wrong.

The food, the kindness of the people, the scenery, the beaches: Go. to. Hawaii.

We went to Kaui, home of the “Grand Canyon of the Pacific” and one of the more rural and laid back of the Hawaiian islands. Our agenda was:

  1. Hike.

  2. Photograph.

  3. Swim.

  4. Hike.

Our expectations were surpassed every day by the incredible vistas, diverse landscapes and seascapes and technicolor sunsets.

If I could figure out a way to get there minus four connecting flights and 13+ hours of travel, Kauai would be a yearly pilgrimage. Alas, I will just have to content myself with flipping through my photos and dreaming of our next trip to Kauaii, TBD.

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Travel Terri Shadle Travel Terri Shadle

Adirondacks

For the past four years, I have spent at least a week in the Adirondacks every summer and every time, I fall a little bit more in love with the area; with the mountains, the fragrant aroma of Balsam Pines, the big open skies and the towering clouds.

This year, I was especially looking forward to taking my ADK Solo canoe out for its inaugural paddle on Rainbow Lake. It weighs only 19 pounds which means I can carry it down to the lake myself. I can’t begin to describe the peace and joy that comes from being out on the lake by yourself in the morning. Hearing the fish jump and slap against the water, the call of Loons echoing as I drift over lily pads, through eskers, around islands…. It does the soul good.

You can see below for some photos of my latest trip, enjoy!

If you want to read more about some of my past trips to the Adirondacks, you can check them out here.

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