In 24 hours Alex, Lil and I will board a plane with twelve of my relatives bound for Kona, Hawaii. It's a similar trip to one we took to the Big Island nine years ago with most of the same people, my clever Tayse family. Excitement doesn't begin to describe our feelings about the details of this trip:

1) We're staying in the ~~house~~ mansion where John Wayne was married! 2) We will visit an organic coffee farm and the only tree-to-package chocolate business in the US! 3) Volcanoes! Waterfalls! Mountains! 4) Sea turtles! Manta rays! Tropical birds! Plumeria! 5) Our house is still for sale here - will we come back?!

Just in case you want to follow along (or know exactly how to ignore me), like Hounds in the Kitchen on Facebook, follow @racheltayse on twitter, and follow RachelTayse on Instagram. I have some fun things lined up for the blog in the coming ten days, so return right here too!