Hawaii - Last Days

Okay, I must start by saying this is a bit of a "cheat" post because I've been stuck in places without an Internet connection for the past couple of days. Nonetheless, I wanted to give you the last tidbits of our trip should you still be with me in this editorial adventure. I will keep the days brief, as they are mostly consumed with singular activities at this point and our various airport woes. Enjoy!

Sunday, December 28, 2008
We started the morning by setting sail in the Pacific Ocean for a 5-hour (not 3-hour) tour along the Na Pali Coast with Kauai Sea Tours. The trip consisted of sailing and snorkeling. The snorkeling activity was greatly limited due to the heavy rains that Kauai experienced the week before we came - over 20 inches in a matter of a few days. However, we did get to see several gorgeous views of the Na Pali Coast though and enjoyed our time on the boat.

We were lucky enough to see several whales too, as Hawaii is along the migratory and birthing path for the Humpback whales of the Pacific Ocean. I have included a couple of pictures here so you can see what we saw.



The rest of the day was spent relaxing - for me anyway. Chad did a bit of additional snorkeling at Anini Beach and then we had dinner and games at home. I spent time packing the bags to prepare for our paradise departure.

Monday, December 29, 2008
Chad went with his mom, dad and sister over to Anini Beach to watch the sunrise. (I, however, enjoyed sleeping in for one more day.) Here is a picture of what they saw.


Later in the day we all went back to Anini Beach for more snorkeling. (Originally this was known as Wanini Beach, but the "W" fell off the sign at some point in time, the locals weren't swift about getting it put back up, and tourists started calling it Anini Beach. The name has since stuck.) We were very lucky to see quite a bit of coral, fish and sea turtles. I am including a picture here to give you an idea of what we saw. (Chad got to touch the turtles!)


After snorkeling we headed back to the condo for a quick lunch and departure for the airport. All went as planned until we got to our flight in Oahu headed for Phoenix and our plane had a mechanical failure that no one in Hawaii seemed able to remedy. So, the pilot made what I believe to be an excellent call (particularly since we'd be traveling 2,000+ miles over the ocean with a broken plane), and canceled the flight. At least US Air was kind enough to put us up in a beach side hotel (Marriott @ Waikiki Beach) and pay for our trips to and from the hotel, as well as meals. And yes, I do realize that being stranded on the beach (in Hawaii) with a free hotel stay isn't really all that horrible.

Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Today we did some major sleeping to catch up on our escapades from the night before that had us up until nearly 5 a.m. After that we headed out to the beach to take in Waikiki and all it had to offer. This area is very commercial and very EXPENSIVE. There are more high-end shopping stores here than I could list and we learned that the tourism machine basically caters to all the Japanese tourists that get designer products here in the U.S. cheaper than they would at home. We saw many things, but I will include only a couple shots here. One is of this beautiful Banyan tree that is located in the courtyard of the Moana Surfrider - a luxurious hotel that dates back to 1901 and has all the splendor of some of the finest hotels I've run across.

The second and third photos are of a Waikiki sunset and seems fitting to wrap up this chapter of our travels. Happy New Year to all! We are finally on the way home!

Hawaii - Saturday, December 27, 2008

We started off today at a leisurely pace and made our first stop at the Kauai Hindu Monastery which is situated on a 458-acre sanctuary including a theological seminary, publishing center, the Iraivan Siva temple, and serves a general destination for Hindus who come on pilgrimage from around the world. It was our first visit to a Hindu monastery and we had to learn a few rituals in order to respect the grounds properly and pay tribute to the peace and tranquility of the area. I have included a couple of photos from the grounds of this amazing retreat.




Our next activity was a helicopter tour of the island. There are several companies that provide these tours, but we opted to go with Air Kauai because they were highly recommended in several travel books and on several Web sites. There user ratings were also quite high. I would recommend this activity for anyone coming to the island for the first time. It would be most beneficial to do the tour near the beginning of your trip. It provides an excellent orientation to the island, its regions and various key landmarks. Of course, we took hundreds of pictures, but since I cannot put all those here, I am including only a few - including one that shows you the rainbow we flew through.






After the helicopter ride, we met the rest of the family out at Poipu Beach for some snorkeling and surfing. No photos of that though since we were all in and out of the water and expensive cameras and salt water don't play nice together. My last post will be up tomorrow! Aloha friends!

Hawaii - Friday, December 26, 2008

Today was a day full of more visual stimulation. We started the day by visiting the Fern Grotto, a lava rock grotto covered with tropical ferns accessible via a trip down up the Wailua River, the only navigable river in Hawaii. I have included a photo here for you.


After our trip to the Grotto, we headed over to a local (or should I say THE ONLY) camera shop to try and snag a special lens for Chad's camera, but sadly they were out. We moved onward toward the beach, but not before trying to find a local (almost underground) cookie establishment known as PoPo's Cookies. We just so happened to catch the owner in her store and grabbed several bags of chocolate chip, chocolate chip coconut and butter dream (shortbread with mac. nut). From there we made our way to Wailua Beach and then on to Anini Beach. I have included a couple of photos here for you.



After the beaches, we headed back to our condo for a little R&R before we prepared for our luau in the evening. We decided to go with Smith's Luau because it included a variety of food, entertainment and garden tours. The experience is too detailed and (overly photographed) to capture here, but I can tell you this was a blast. I know it sounds over-the-top touristy, but this one event was really worth it. It was the exact thing my little "mainlander" brain thought the Hawaiians sat around on their beachside huts doing each night all wrapped up in a few hours. I have included just a few photos - one from the Fruit Forest and the others from the visual show. Enjoy! Aloha. (Yes, we realize we have to come home to snow and ice sooner or later, but we are trying to forget that right now.)

Hawaii - Thursday, December 25, 2008

Merry Christmas everyone! I have to tell you in this blog because it is so NOT Christmas in Hawaii. There are just a smattering of lights and decorations. That doesn't stop us though. Because we thought that many businesses would be closed, we headed outside for a day of natural sightseeing in Waimea Canyon. Waimea Canyon is the Grand Canyon of the Pacific. We were also very lucky to see about eight different rainbows today in various beautiful settings. I included just a couple of shots here so you would have an idea.



Next we took off to the Russian Fort Elizabeth due to its black beach (a rarity here in Kauai). While the beach was black, there wasn't much else to see or do so we took off after about 30 minutes. We drove onward to see Spouting Horn. This natural wonder occurs as water rushes under a lava shelf and bursts through a small opening at the surface. This particular blowhole is different from others found throughout the state as another hole nearby only blows air, making a loud groaning sound - hence the "horn".

Probably the best part of the day was the evening when Robert (Chad's brother) finally made it to Hawaii - just a few days late. Hats off to Robert here!

Hawaii - Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Aloha and Happy Christmas Eve! We continue to explore the island today and try to make the most of the glorious weather and atmosphere. We started off our day with a trip to Opaekaa Falls in the Coconut Coast near the Sleeping Giant mountain range and the Wailua River. I included a photo here for your viewing pleasure.

After we visited these falls, we went to see our second waterfall - Wailua Falls. This one came with the added bonus of a rainbow for our viewing delight!

Not that it is in anyway crucial to your understanding of the island, we did make a brief stop at Costco to pick up these yummy (authentic) sweet Hawaiian bread rolls for dinner on Christmas. (Chad said that you all should know about these rolls if you came to visit - so there - I've officially added it to the travel log.)

We hit the Kilohana Plantation Estate and dined at Gaylord's Restaurant for lunch. Because it is so warm in Hawaii, much of the dining and entertainment is entirely open air - including Gaylord's. We enjoyed lunch on the outdoor patio and fended away the roosters while enjoying their resident cats try and make friends at the dinner tables. We were also fortunate enough to catch one hen (of the traditional (non-random ever-present Rooster stock) variety) with five new little chicks in tow making their way across the grounds.

After lunch we were off to visit the Tree Tunnel - a series of Eucalyptus trees that have created a splendid natural tunnel along Hwy 520. (Although, let it be known that we think there is a better tree tunnel on the North Shore closer to Princeville.) I have included a picture of the original tree tunnel here for your reference.


Next we were off to Old Kaola Town for a brief tour, some shaved ice (a local favorite) and a bit of shopping. We decided to pick up a bottle of wine at a local market and head toward the beach. Thanks to the folks at Tomkats who assisted with the wine opener - even on Christmas Eve! I wanted to show you this photo of the surfing Santa b/c this pretty much epitomizes the vibe of Christmas Hawaii style.

After a spin around Old Koloa Town we headed out toward Poipu Beach and then on to the Beach House Restaurant to watch the sunset. I have included a couple of photos here so you have an idea of our evening. Until tomorrow - Aloha! (Oh, and Merry Christmas too!)

Hawaii - Tuesday, December 23, 2008

We decided to explore the North Shore today. This area of the island is very rustic and at one with nature. It is quite relaxing and enjoyable I must say. We started our day with a guided tour at the Limahuli Garden in Ha'ena. The Limahuli Garden is one of five gardens in the National Tropical Botanical Gardens and served as a village farmland hundreds of years ago - probably one of the earliest Hawaiian settlements. This garden was quite spectacular, as was our guide, Nancy. She was a former employee of the garden and well versed in all it's history and meaning.
We learned the differences between natives, indigenous and endemic species, as well as the meaning of Polynesian Introductions and Modern Introductions. I would highly recommend a visit to this garden if you would like a quick tutorial about the history of this island and its settlers. I have included a few photos here. Including everything we saw would be too much, but these will capture some essence for you. (Did I mention this place is fantastic by the way?)

A guava tree, pre pluck.

A Hala tree, also known as the "tourists pineapple" due to its frequent misrepresentation. (Probably suffers from a bit of an identity crisis now.)
I like to call this one the measles fern, for obvious reasons. It is covered in dotty spores.

A great view from the top of the garden.

After we left the Garden, we ventured over to Ke'e Beach (thank you Jennifer Whitley for this recommendation) for some exploration. Ke'e Beach is one of the northern-most points on the island of Kauai and is part of the Na Pali Coast. We spent a fair amount of time here exploring the wet caves, beachfront and wildlife. A couple of pics are below.



After the beach, we headed over to the Hawaiian Farmers Market of Hanalei in Waipa. We picked up some fresh fruit and enjoyed some native treats - like chocolate covered bananas.

Finally we rounded out our sightseeing with a trip over to the Kilauea Lighthouse.

We wrapped up the day with a quick tour of Princeville hitting the Princeville Hotel (sadly closed for construction) and the Hanalei Bay Resort to consider for future dining or entertainment options. We opted for dinner at home and enjoyed some authentic Hawaiian ice cream - Roselani Tropics. Until tomorrow!

Hawaii - Monday, December 22, 2008

Okay, back to the laptop again for additional posting. We are surrounded by limitless beauty here, as well as lush green mountains and exotic vegetation. Yes, I know, you hate us right now. We are sorry about that, but if you can tolerate reading more feel free.

We are staying at the Pahio Bali Hi Resort in Princeville. Many thanks to Chad's parents' friends that made that option possible. We've explored the area a bit and took a walk today to visit a pool that overlooks the ocean via extensive cliffs. Here are two pictures of resort view.



Kauai is sort of like an extensive beach town, with one special addition - wild roosters that roam freely in all areas of the island. I included a pic here for your viewing pleasure. I'd record their 2 a.m. serenades for you and add them here as well if I could, but you'll just have to trust me about that part.


We also have some beautiful plants just outside our door and I included photos of those as well.





The remainder of our day was spent gearing up for our stay with a visit to the grocery store and a quick stopoff at a small beach. I love the beach. I wish I could walk along the beach everyday, and while we're wishing - I wish you all could be there with me. Aloha!

Hawaii - Sunday, December 21, 2008

Today was very interesting - to say the least. We've just recuperated from our 26-hour flight over to the Islands. We had to adjust our travel plans a bit to the airlines' elimination of several of our original flights. (Which in short means that you travel longer and spend more time in airports to accommodate their shrinking budgets and questionable efficiencies.)

We did spend a fair amount of time in Phoenix yesterday and enjoyed one of our favorite restaurants while we waited. Lo Lo's Chicken and Waffles is something everyone should get to enjoy if they get a chance! It is, in a word, outstanding.

Our flights to Honolulu and Kauai were both delayed quite a bit due to the severe weather back in the "mainland." Chad's brother, Robert, is actually stuck in Seattle still and cannot get out yet due to the unexpected 12" of snow that hit their northern Pacific town and the unfortunate inconvenience of a workers strike that eliminated all of the deicer options for the planes.



Meanwhile, back at our ranch, I was spending time trying to retrieve my lost luggage - which somehow made it to this island on another airline. Off to retrieve that now! More later.