Health In Hawaii

This summer, I took my first official two weeks off from working for BodyRock. VRBO #356284 VRBO #356284 VRBO #356284 VRBO #356284 VRBO #356284 My boyfriend and I both have incredibly busy lives that often force us to travel and live separately for extended periods of time. So we'd been saving and waiting patiently for a time we could really treat ourselves. We finally bit the bullet and booked a two-week vacation in Maui. As he is a diagnosed celiac & I am gluten intolerant, which you can read about here, we needed to book accommodations that had a full kitchen. We wanted something low key, with some beach equipment and close to the beach. After some Googling and back and forth, we decided to book VRBO #45805 (http://www.vrbo.com/45805) and couldn't have been happier! We managed to snag what I can unabashedly describe as the best cottage on Maui. I cannot thank the owner, Jonathan, enough and would recommend his property to ANYONE thinking of staying in Maui. Within 12 hours of contacting him, we were able to move all of our belongings and restart our vacation. We're both avid hikers and were determined to see everything Maui had to throw our way. From the amazing river and forrests of Iao State Park [caption id="attachment_105919" align="alignnone" width="625"] Swimming in the naturally formed pools - kinda chilly[/caption] [caption id="attachment_105917" align="alignnone" width="625"] The park was filled with ginger[/caption] [caption id="attachment_105916" align="alignnone" width="625"] Slippery rocks in the middle of rushing water are the ideal place to balance...[/caption] [caption id="attachment_105924" align="alignnone" width="625"] The never ending process to hike up the river[/caption] To snorkling Molonkini Crater [caption id="attachment_105953" align="alignnone" width="600"] Yes, there were turtles![/caption] To the breathtaking sunrise of Haleakala Crater, it truly was heaven on earth   [caption id="attachment_105923" align="alignnone" width="625"] Clearly my go-to[/caption] [caption id="attachment_105929" align="alignnone" width="625"] At 10,000ft[/caption] [caption id="attachment_105933" align="alignnone" width="615"] When we arrived at 4am[/caption]   Haleakala park is nothing short of magical. After waking up at 2am for the sunrise experience, we knew we weren't done. We drove around to the south side of the park and explored the bamboo forests [caption id="attachment_105937" align="alignnone" width="625"] Over 400ft[/caption]   But even that wasn't enough. There was a hike we'd heard a lot about, the sliding sands trail. It's 12 miles one way, 3,000ft of elevation change and crosses shale, sand, dirt, and even lava. [caption id="attachment_105949" align="alignnone" width="625"] This is ACTUALLY how you Nene - which is the worlds rarest goose. We actually got to have lunch with two![/caption] [caption id="attachment_105946" align="alignnone" width="625"] Photo by Brian Miller[/caption] [caption id="attachment_105947" align="alignnone" width="625"] Photo by Brian Miller[/caption] We knew the hike would be long and difficult, and we also faced the issue of how to get back to our car. Hitch hiking is legal within the park, and apparently common. But we read many reviews saying you could wait hours for a ride because it's such a tourist spot. Up until this point, the longest hike we had completed was 15 miles of the Berg Lake Trail in 6 hours. Our guide book told us the 12 miles would take roughly 10 hours if we were going downhill. But because we're short and stubborn, we pushed through did the 24 mile return in 8 hours. It was tough, blistering hot and exhausting, but one of the most rewarding experiences I've ever had. I didn't step in a gym once while on vacation, or think about what I was eating. I truly tried to take a vacation. But that being said, we hiked over 60 miles in 8 days & circled the entire island. I feel like it's so important to break away from your regular routine with new challenges and milestones. The next vacation you take, stay active! That doesn't mean you can't take a break, but if you're going to experience a different part of the world, why not really experience it??   **This post does not reflect the opinion of BodyRockTv Inc and is an expression of my personal opinions & experiences**