Our memorable Oregonian adventure

The much awaited trip to Oregon with some of my fondest people went by in a blink of an eye. It has left me with cherished and fond memories that I am so happy to jot down. Our journey to Portland began on road on a weekday evening and it took us about 4 hours to reach our destination. Our airbnb was located at the outskirts of the city closer to the airport. We chit chatted our way along the road trip and reached to our airbnb in no time. I was immensely excited for the next few days that we all were going to spend together.

Our airbnb abode was as cozy and welcoming as I imagined it to be. We had a common living room area with kitchen space where we all enjoyed playing puzzles and spending time with each other. Adjacent to it was the bedrooms for some quiet time as well. Our first evening in Portland, we briefly explored the downtown Portland. We enjoyed our dinner at Deschutes Brewery as it got darker out. The cheese board was the highlight of the dinner and we had quite an adventure getting lost in the streets of Portland looking for our car which we finally were able to find. A part of me wanted to be lost there forever.

We had very exciting plans for the next day.  About 80 miles away from the city, we visited the coastal little town of Cannon Beach. Our drive overlooked beautiful scenery filled with lush greenery and rugged mountains. With as little as 1700 people residing in the charming town, there were restaurants, shops and little inns along the coast. This time we made sure we remembered where we parked and savored our lunch at Pelican Brewery.  Soon after lunch we walked to the Cannon Beach where a huge rock  known as the haystack rock overlooked the beach.

As we walked, we spotted jelly fish washing down all over the coast. I was so thrilled to see them in the ocean for the first time in my life. As we soaked in the view of the beach, the cold water of the pacific ocean made our feet feel very chilly. We found a little log right in the middle of the beach to sit down and spend some time just watching the rock and the ocean. It was a beautiful day , not so clear but yet so lovely.  I just did not want the day to end. But we did want to get to the city before it got dark so we started made our way back. We did spend some time in a skate park and exploring a little trail filled with wild blackberries.

As the days were passing by, I remember trying to be more and more in the present to enjoy every moment of the trip. The next day we explored the Saturday market at Portland and relished the yummy vodoo donuts at downtown Portland. We then drove towards Multinomah falls which was also a very scenic drive by the Columbia river gorge. It was another foggy day with low visibility yet felt amazing.

It was our last night in Portland and it is just so ironic that good time just flies by so fast. I didn’t want our trip to end is all I remember. Our constantly loud laughter in our airbnb are still alive in my heart and I couldn’t have imagined spending better time with my friends who made time for this trip. So grateful for another adventure full of fun and laughter.

Have you recently traveled somewhere with your friends? Please share! I would love to read!

Our impromptu trip to paradise ~ Maui, Hawaii!

Maui is one place that my heart and soul wants to go back to ever since I have returned. It is truly a lush green paradise surrounded by the emerald blue Pacific Ocean from all sides. It took us almost more than 10 hours to get to Maui from Chicago but the travel was well worth it. Right when we were about to land on the island, I could see bright blue waves of the ocean crashing into green coastal areas which was the loveliest sight even before getting to the island. When our plane got bumpy towards the landing, everyone cheered out of excitement and that was the best feeling to experience in a turbulent flight.

We rented a car to explore the island which was the best decision as the island is bigger than we imagined. For the first two days we stayed in Kehie, a town in South Maui. Our resort was right next to the Kamaole beach park and the view of the ocean while driving towards the resort was unbeatable. As soon as we reached it was almost time for the sunset and we took advantage of the great location, walked to the beach to watch the beautiful sunset. As the sun started to set, locals and tourists gathered by the beach. I vividly remember taking my sandals off and dipping my feet into the waves. The water was warm and the air felt just right, in short we had begun our journey in the paradise.

Sunset at Kameola beach

Lifeguard on Duty by the beach

Next morning, we woke up really early at 4 am since it was already 9 am in Chicago. The jet lag actually helped us enjoy the island beginning from sunrise all the way to sunset. We wanted to take it easy the first couple days so we just meandered around the neighborhood enjoying the sunrise and exploring the breakfast options. We then attended a detail one hour session with the concierge at our resort to learn more about the island. We mostly tried to relax, explore and enjoy rather than check things off the list because Maui has so much to offer that it is nearly impossible to see everything in a week.

Since we were staying in the southern part of the island, we drove to the Iao Valley State Park which was only a 30 minute drive from us. After relishing some delicious mouthwatering fresh fish tacos from the local food trucks by Big Beach, we started to drive towards the state park. As we got closer, the road turned into valley with dense rain-forest full of coconut, palm, banana and all kinds of tropical trees on both sides. We also stopped by on the way up to the Iao Valley for homemade banana bread and fresh coconut water.  The sight of the stream flowing along the lush valleys was just lovely. We hiked both down and up to enjoy the best views of it. The Iao needle has a huge historical significance and is also known as the Hawaiian God of the Ocean.

Iao Valley State Park

Iao Needle

Lush green Valley

Stream along the valley

Our concierge suggested us to park along Ullu beach in the south and walk around the coastal trail in the town called Wailea. Our drive to the beach was an absolute bliss. I just loved exploring the super easily accessible beachfront trail, which was right next to all the fancy resorts such as Four Seasons, Grand Wailea and Fairmont. The best part about the beaches in Maui is that none of them are owned by the resorts and they all have public access. We did sit down for a bit while soaking in the views and sipping our fresh orange pineapple juice at the Grand Wailea cafe.

Ullu Beach

Coastal trail at Wailea

With in no time it was time to check out and we headed towards the north west part of the island towards Kapalua to check in into The Ritz Carlton which was our abode for the next two nights. We drove along scenic winding road along the coast for about an hour to get there. The Kaanapali beach area was right next to it to so we stopped by real quick to check out the Whalers Village. The most mesmerizing part is the marine life that is thriving right next to the coast. I was amazed to see all kinds of colorful fishes at the Black Rock, Kaanapali beach. Snorkeling at Maui was highlight of my trip. While others enjoyed cliff jumping from the Black rock, I explored the marine life snorkeling all along the rocks to see the fishes and turtles. Another spot I loved for snorkeling was Kapalua bay where I spotted multiple green sea turtles swimming right next to me. The water was crystal clear and it is just incredible that the beaches are flourishing with such rich coral reefs and marine life. I did hurt my feet by stepping into the sharp coral rocks which can possibly cause serious injuries. The fire ceremony next to Sheraton hotel at the Kaanapali beach is an ancient Hawaiian sunset ritual. The Hawaiian music and storyteller accompanied with the torch bearer who lights the torches along his way making his climb to the Black Rock followed by his dive into the water is a memorable experience in Maui.

Green Sea turtle at Kapalua Bay

Snorkeling at the Kapalua beach

Another day full of adventure was our road trip to Hana. 42 miles, 620 curves and 59 bridges through lush green rain-forests leads to the town of Hana. This road trips is all about the rejoice along the journey and not the destination. It takes an entire day to explore this part of the island. The road cuts through tall bamboo forests, spectacular waterfalls, colorful foliage and abundant rain-forests. My favorite spot was the black sand beach at the Waianapanapa State Park. On our way back we stopped at the Hookipa beach in Paia where we spotted about twenty sea turtles that were just basking at the beach.

Waterfall Views

Tropical fruit stands

Views from the Road to Hana

Black Sand Beach, Waiʻanapanapa State Park

After a long day to Hana, we spent our next day exploring Kapalua coastal trail and just relaxed for the rest of the trip. We shopped at downtown Lahania for a bit to collect some souvenirs as our trip was coming to an end.  We savored our lunch at the Burger Shack in Kapalua with lovely beach views. We also enjoyed star gazing at Kapalua where large bright stars twinkled all over the sky since there was no light pollution. I was exhausted and tanned by the end of the trip, but my heart wanted to keep exploring. I have never missed a place so much after my return. Have you ever felt of any destination this way? Please share, I would love to read.

Hookipa Beach

Cliff House

Burger Shack, Ritz Carlton

Turtles at Hookipa Beach

 

Our stay at the Cliff House, Maine!

Fond memories of our stay at the Cliff House resort in Maine brings me to write about our pleasant experience there. Nestled between the Atlantic ocean and the city of Cape Neddick stood the Cliff House Maine in the midst of wild waves and rugged rocks. Encompassed by glass doors and windows on each side, the resort provided significantly beautiful views of the glistening Atlantic ocean. Just the sight of the resort made us fall in love with it and we were all ready to enjoy our stay there.

Pickled Vegetables and Quinoa Bowl at the resort restaurant!

We reached the resort right at lunch time and enjoyed our order of pickled vegetables and quinoa bowl which was filling and delicious at the same time.  The cherry on the top of it was the gorgeous views from the resort restaurant. After our meal, we started to walk on the cliff side exploring the shore side where I picked different kinds of mussel and crab shells to add to my sea treasures. As I walked by the shore making my way through the rugged rocks close to sunset, the level of water was starting to rise with high tides. So it was safer to just get out from the shore and head back towards the resort.

Shore bordering the resort!

Our room was just perfect with a beautiful ocean view. We were amazed to see the phenomenal sunrise early morning next day right from the double glass doors from our balcony. I could clearly hear the waves crashing into the shore. During breakfast I was so so excited to spot some whale humps in the ocean. Also for the first time in my life I experienced swimming in an infinity pool. It really looked like the pool was infinite and merged into the ocean. We also enjoyed the hot tub right next to the pool both during the night and day time gazing at the stars and the infinite stretch of the ocean. I remember trying to be as present in the moment as I could to make the most out of it. Both good and bad moments are momentary and we must capture the best ones while we can.

My star fish and urchin shell shopping!

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After checking out of the hotel, we made our way to the little town of Ogunquit, where I  really enjoyed shopping cute tea cups, sea shells, candies and handmade crafts. I loved the whole experience of it and enjoyed being all touristy. We also stopped by to check out the Nubble light house which was a historical little light house in the end of the city. Overall I loved the experience of being so close to nature at all times and would love to return to New England sometime soon again. What’s your favorite resort experience. Do share. I would love to read.