Gosh it has been awhile!
Ethan and Grandpa had a great trip to Santa Barbara. Highlights included some hikes, the Zoo, and the Botanical Gardens. I forgot to get some photos from my dad, so I don't have any to share, but it sure sounded like they had a great time!
The following two weeks we had a family summer vacation. I have always wanted to go to French Polynesia, but the airfare has been prohibitive. However, about a year ago a discount airline, called French Bee started a San Francisco to Papeete route. And, with competition comes better fares! So, we were able to travel there reasonably!
Now, even though the flight prices are down, most of the resorts are still quite expensive--so we opted to mostly stay in air bnb rental properties. It worked out quite nicely as it gave us extra space and a kitchen for meals.
As it turns out, French Polynesia is not as far as you may think. It is an 8 hour direct flight from San Francisco--and in the same time zone as Hawaii. But wow, it had a much different feel than Hawaii. It is much more local and less touristy. The locals are super friendly. And they speak French, and eat delicious French food--almost all of the food in the grocery store was imported from France! And, surprisingly, the grocery store prices were comparable to those in San Francisco.
We started the trip on the Island of Moorea. This island is composed on absolutely stunning mountains and valleys, surrounded by a crystal clear sea. We loved our rental house there, which was perched on a hillside with an amazing view. There were a lot of things to do in Moorea--and we didn't have time to do them all, so I guess we will have to go back 😉
Our first day, we arrived off a red eye flight, so we hung out at the beach, and did some grocery shopping. Not a bad beach, huh?!?!
After a good night's rest, the next morning we took a hike in the jungle--we saw some beautiful plants. The kids didn't make it up quite to the viewpoint we aimed for, but Jason did.
In the afternoon, we went on a whale tour. This was probably the coolest thing we did on the trip. August and September are Humpback whale season in French Polynesia, and a marine biologist (and former UC Berkley grad) leads tours each day to see the whales. We headed out in a boat beyond the reef. At first it seemed like we might not see anything, but just as we were about to turn around, a mother and baby whale were spotted. The boat approached them slowly--and then we got to get out and snorkel near them! This is legal in French Polynesia. We probably were within 30 feet of the whales. The mom was just floating there--probably sleeping, the biologist said, and the calf was swimming around her. Absolutely amazing. The kids did not get in, since it was open ocean, but they also had a nice view from the surface.
Our second day, we took a lagoon tour. Unfortunately, it was pouring in the morning, but we had already paid for the tour. The rain did not last too long, and we did get to snorkel and see sting rays and black-tipped reef sharks.
We stopped for lunch on a "Motu"-a small island outside of the main island. By then the weather had turned and it was gorgeous. During the lunch we learned how to husk and crack a coconut, and make poission cru--a raw fish dish made with coconut milk. Though I obviously won't be eating any of that, Jason loved it!
They also made the kids hats out of palm leaves:
Our last day in Moorea, we headed to the Lagoonarium. This place was like an open water aquarium. It had several acres of snorkeling and a "fish feeding" session twice a day. The fish feeding sessions were like being in the tank at the Shedd Aquarium--tons of fish, reef sharks, and sting rays. The water was absolutely beautiful (though the plastic cover I had to put on my phone dosen't do it any justice!)
We loved Moorea!
I will save the remainder of our trip for a subsequent post, as this is already getting too long!!
