Hawaii

Here we were, stranded on a deserted beach. The only way out of here was to hike twelve miles to the nearest road, kayak six miles over ten-foot swells, or wait for the Coast Guard to pick you up. But yet I was more relaxed than I had ever been before. Boy Scout Troop 212 from Northglenn, Colorado had decided to change up our normal "summer" camp.

We began our nine-day journey taking off from Denver International Airport, where we had a layover in San Francisco, before we finally touched down at Lihue Airport. Our first night was spent at Haena Beach, where we slept only fifty-feet from the water. Our first day in the Hawaiian Islands we spent hiking up to the nearby waterfalls along the Kalalau Trail. This trail is known for its twelve-mile hike in, twelve-mile hike out, and is probably the most amazing hike in America. Unfortunately, we were only allowed to go four miles in without a permit, but we had better plans anyway.

And, we're off! The sand scratched against our kayaks as we pushed off into the Pacific Ocean at five in the morning. We had just begun a fourteen-mile adventure. This adventure was split into two days, where we spent the first day kayaking eight miles to our campsite, Milolii. Throughout the day almost everyone capsized at least once. It felt as if we were being hit by ten-foot swells. After kayaking more than six hours, I couldn't feel my arms and I thought they were going to fall off. We had finally reached Milollii. You wouldn't believe it, but we spent the rest of the day sleeping. As night rolled around we gathered wood and built a campfire on the beach before getting ready for round two the next day. In that moment, I had never been more relaxed.

They next day we were back at it — this time, with sore and tired arms. Today was a little shorter though, with only six miles. We reached Polihale Beach in no time. This famous beach is known for its seven miles of white sand.

The next part of our adventure was spent in Kokee State Park, or known as the second wettest spot on Earth. It is so green and beautiful at the top of the mountain, you forget that the beach is only a ten minute drive away! Below the mountain is the Waimea Canyon, where we were supposed to hike down eight vertical miles. In the middle of the hike, we were caught in a flash flood, forcing us to make the hike short.

There's nothing like treating yourself after being drenched in a canyon. You haven't had shave ice until you've had JoJo's Shave Ice. This is a necessity when traveling to Kauai!

Before we left the island of Kauai, we decided to attend one of the most traditional Hawaiian dinners, a luau. We had the opportunity to attend a luau that provided us with a pig roast and a show! That was probably the best we ate all week.

The next day we set off on a small island hopper to the island of Oahu. We were only in Oahu for one night but experienced the best of the island in that short amount of time. We immediately went right to our hotel, the USS Missouri. That's right, we stayed on the USS Missouri where the surrender treaty was signed that ended World War II. We spent the night in the quarters, where we then participated in the world largest maritime exercise in history. While we were onboard the USS Missouri, the Rim of the Pacific Exercise was being executed.

After we departed our hotel for the night, we climbed up Diamond Head mountain. It's not a long or hard hike, but the view from the top is amazing! After an exhausting and amazing week, we were off to the airport, counting down the days until we return.