Life of Larisa or LOL

  When given the choice between water and land, I will always choose land.  I am more confident on solid ground---crawling, hiking, walking, even biking. Even though I do know how to swim, and I live on an island in the middle of the Pacific, I rarely choose to participate in water activities.  Maybe it's having to wear a bathing suit.  The water exception?  When water is used as a conduit to get to a hike.   If you have been watching ALL of Netflix like we have during the pandemic, you may be familiar with a cute new movie called "Finding Ohana".  Hawai'i stories aren't usually mainstream, so it was nice to have something to watch that would be familiar to us.  I bring this movie up only because there is a scene in which the grandfather and granddaughter take a boat ride (in a fast, luxurious, motorized boat) to Mokoli'i (otherwise known as Chinaman's Hat) which is where my fifth "new" adventure took place this past weekend.  And before...

Years ago, 14 to be exact, we lived in Lacey, Washington.  We had a one bedroom apartment near the local hospital that was also five minutes away from a portion of the Chehalis Western Trail.  As a married couple we lived in Washington state for three years.  And for the entirety of that three years, this paved biking/walking path was literally at our feet.  And for the entirety of those same three years, we did not utilize the trail.  That's correct.  We did not hike a trail that was literally in our backyard. Terrible!  I'm making up for my lack of hiking in my twenties with an overzealous overabundance of hiking here on O'ahu in my forties. On our Christmas Vacation in Washington, of course I remembered that the Chehalis Western Trail was around, so I made it a point while on our recent visit to hit the trail with the family.  We put on our gloves, hats, jackets, and boots and started on our way at the Fir Tree Road entrance (o...

It has been quite some time since I have experienced cold weather.  Actual cold weather, not chilly Mililani nights that call for long PJ pants and a blanket thrown over you when you are watching Netflix.  Our family recently returned from a two week vacation to actual cold weather--- quadruple layer, snow boot, see your breath in the air, frost bite is possible weather.  We just got back from a two week Washington state adventure.  Our time in the Pacific Northwest was spent reconnecting with old friends, visiting some extended family, drinking copious amounts of coffee and chai tea, playing tourist, and you guessed it---hiking a few small family friendly trails. Our first hiking adventure on our travels was to Tumwater Falls.  Locals may know it as the scenic park you can see from the Falls Terrace Restaurant or the cool waterfall next to the old Miller (and before that the Olympia Brewing Company) Brewery.  The hiking, or rather strolling p...