HAWAII - at Last!

Hawaii has been on my bucket list for quite a few years now, and this March – my husband and I scratched it off ... because we went!  It was Awesome!!  Fantastic !!!  Trip of a lifetime!!!!

We went site seeing, whale watching, boating, did a cruise, hiked, walked, ATE!, drank, sun bathed, shopped, saw a live volcano from a helicopter, swam, visited a coffee  & a coco plantation, surfed Waikiki beach (just to name a few of our activities)... and while my hubby golfed, I went horseback riding!

The most memorable ride was a 5 hour afternoon ride up into Kalihiwai Ridge in the mountains of Kaua’i (the most northerly of the main Hawaiian Islands), which is also known as the "Garden Island" - and you will see why they call it that in just a bit!

The weather was overcast and cool – about 73° F – perfect for riding – and there were only 3 of us, including the guide. NICE! This ride was not for novices, as the trails were narrow, steep, and there were areas of trotting and cantering.

Meet Mahina – my mount - which means “Moon” in Hawaiian. He is an Arab cross (don’t know what with), about 12 years old and simply a sweetheart. He certainly enjoyed his job, listened extremely well and was very comfortable to ride.  The other 2 horses in the company were another Arab cross and a Quarter horse.

After having a quick demo on “Rusty” – a very old steel drum strung up on what looked like even older rope ... we proceeded to mount up and get used to each other in a grassed round pen.

Then it was up a very steep driveway, through the gate and down a short, quiet street to the road that lead to the forest reserve.

 

 

As we moved along, the dirt road quickly became a lovely path,

and it wasn’t long before we got our first glimpse of Kalihiwai Ridge! Beautiful!!

Myself and Mahina

As we got deeper into the reserve, we got deeper into the forest –

 

And the trail became much steeper ... 

 

... but the views became spectacular!

 

 

We also traveled through a Eucaleptus grove. The bark on these trees continuously peels and the air smeals faintly of Vicks!

 

At about the halfway mark, we took a break – we had been on our horses for roughly 2.5 hours by now and travelled about 5 miles.  (oh to have had my GPS with me!) We grabbed a snack, stretched our legs and just sat and took in the incredible view!

 

And then it was back in the saddle and on the trail again.  There were parts of the trail I would have sworn were part of the Tevis ... sometimes there were steep drop-offs on one side,

 

and sometimes there were steep drop-offs on both sides!!

But all too quickly it seemed, we were on our way back, and the incredible ride was finished.

But the day itself wasn’t quite over ... as I was waiting for my hubby to finish his game of golf and come pick me up, I got to watch the horses being fed –

 

My guide – a wonderful young woman named Kati, was also the ranch hand, and with the help of an aged pony, and wild chickens, got the feed ready for the horses. Yes – these are wild chickens – they are protected by the state, so you are not allowed to kill them, and you see them EVERYWHERE on the island. They also make themselves right at home – even helping themselves to the grain.  They don’t even wait until the horses are finished – they just hop right into the feed tub while they are eating!!

It was the funniest thing! The little pony was the best though ... he had learned to pick up his feed tub in his teeth, shake it to dislodge the chicken - without spilling a drop of grain!

With age - there is wisdom!                                                                    What a great, great day!