Lake Towada is beautiful yet eerie and mystical. We may not be in Scotland, but I was convinced that the Loch Ness Monster was going to come up through this fog at any moment. We visited in August so it was a bit chilly and obviously rainy. Lake Towada is known for its natural exhibition of the four seasons. It would be perfect during autumn / maple season! We would love to check it out again on a sunny day.
Read MoreRice Paddy Art // Inakadate, Japan
Who knew that rice paddy fields could be a piece of art?! This blew our minds. These fields were planted with different kinds of rice to create ginormous elaborate artwork. (You can see a person walking on the road as an example of a scale in the photo block below.) Each year, they have a different design or scene, plant the rice then reap the harvest when it's time. They did Star Wars one year and this year they have two separate Japanese scenes. The field pictured above was inspired by the Japanese folklore, "Momotaro," which means "peach boy." It was so interesting!! We read that the entire village partakes in planting and reaping. It really gives a new meaning to, "It takes a village."
Read MoreKonnichiwa! // Welcome to Japan
We were so excited to take Mia Kai on her first trip to Japan! She loved it and the people there loved her! She made instant friends as soon as we arrived in the airport. We stayed in an apartment rather than a hotel so we learned quite a bit more about Japan than we did last time. For instance, they have an incredibly strict and organized trash system. They are serious about recycling, and we are now an official recycling family because of it. Here's a sample of what our trash schedule looked like...
Read MoreMia Kai in Hawaii // Oahu and Kaua'i
We've decided that Mia Kai has basically waited until we were on Hawaiian soil to hit any of her milestones. She started crawling around ten months while on Kaua'i then took her first steps at 13 months old, once again on Kaua'i. She was nine and ten months old during this trip and I have to say, this is the age I captured some of my favorite photos of this sweet girl. We got her ears pierced, hiked the Wai Koa Loop on Kauai, hung out on Baby Beach in Poipu, walked around the International Market Place on Oahu, and ate our first starfruit!
Read MoreHike the Sleeping Giant // Kauai, Hawaii
I can't believe it took us so long to find this hike! We read about it in the Kaua'i Traveler magazine and immediately planned to venture out to the Sleeping Giant on JD's first day off. It was worth every step. I'm pretty sure this was one of our first big hikes since Mia Kai was born so we started off with the easier trails. JD carried our GoPro Hero5 Black and backpack (which weighed quite a bit more than MK at the time) and I carried Mia Kai in our Ergo. Whew! We were obsessing over the giant canopy of trees we were walking under at the beginning of the hike!
Read MoreThe Rainbow State // Kauai, Hawaii
Oh, the Rainbow State. You hold such a sweet place in our hearts! We spent the month of June exploring our favorite island but we'll just compile everything into one post. This is one of our favorite spots, mainly because it's close to the hotel and it makes for the perfect walk to either Poipu Village or Keoki's Paradise. We've seen tons of giant turtles just surfing the waves and even a couple of whales in this area. It's also the perfect place to spot a rainbow after a quick rain shower.
Read MoreSecluded Beach // Kauai, Hawaii
When the parking lot was full for Secret Beach, we improvised. Our main goal was to find a secluded beach with shade somewhere around that area so that we wouldn't lose much time. I'll be honest. I have no recollection of what this beach was actually called. But I can give you a description of how we got there! We parked at a condo parking lot near the St. Regis in Princeville, walked down a small path to this outlook...
Read MoreKalalau Hike // Kauai, Hawaii
Kauai has some of the best hiking we've ever experienced. JD always researches the coolest hikes and this one was no different. There were zero waterfalls (which is high on the criteria list for a great hike) but the views were amazing and inspiring! And we also love a good tree tunnel. I especially loved the giant ferns uncurling to bask in the sun. Sometimes I wonder if Dr. Seuss hiked through Hawaii for inspiration. Seriously. The fauna here is remarkable.
Read MoreFavorite Baby Travel Essentials // Airplane Edition
As of today, we've flown a total of 20+ times with our baby, which certainly does not qualify us as experts but we wanted to share our experiences with you nonetheless! Each flight has been different, ranging from near perfect to pretty awful. Most of them have been fairly decent though. We first flew with Mia Kai when she was around four months old. The following list of baby travel essentials has helped us to maintain our sanity.
Necessary things such as diapers, wipes, bibs, burp cloths, bottles, baby food, etc. are not mentioned in the list.
Please keep in mind that what works for us may not work for you, and vice versa, so please share your favorite travel essentials and suggestions below in the comment section as well!
Read MoreMia Kai // Six Months Old
Our little one is still very little but she is definitely growing!! She is curious, content and chill. Terrified of beards, sitting up like a pro, almost able to roll from her tummy to her back by herself, and has decided not to take a paci anymore. She's a fickle little one but also very determined. She's either stoic or really giggly... not much in between. Her little personality is definitely coming through. In fact, she seems to be pretty shy, which we never would've expected. She "talks" to her toys until she notices JD or me in the room with her then goes silent. Haha! It's actually super cute. She's loving the Exersaucer now that her feet can touch the bottom but she despises the Johnny Doorway Jumper.
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