ChargerGrl, tell us about Hawaii

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
If you were an ocean, I'd learn how to float.

Skippy

"The only things that stand between a person and what they want in life are the will to try it, and the faith to believe it's possible" Rich Devos

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
If you were an ocean, I'd learn how to float.

_____________________________
Feeling Blue and Blech Today

Skippy

"The only things that stand between a person and what they want in life are the will to try it, and the faith to believe it's possible" Rich Devos

whew... what a long tough day at work.  coming home and going thru our Kauai pics really put a smile on my face!

First off, just a quick mention of the resources I used for planning my trip. I'm a total researcher when it comes to our vacations and am always looking for the best travel tips.  Tripadvisor.com is still tops on my list for travel info. The forums there are awesome- there's such a wealth of info, and the folks who post are so nice and helpful!  And we also used The Ultimate Kauai Guidebook: Kauai Revealed (also known as the "blue book")

I mentioned in my first post where we stayed.  WOW- the Princeville was a flashy and plush resort- a bit outta place for Hawaii. it's bit outdated- i can totally see why it's being renovated.

We explored the area around the Princeville after we checked into the resort.  There was a farmer's market (sunshine market) at a parking lot in Kilauea- a nearby town.  We had a blast checking out the local produce: papayas, breadfruit, starfruit, guava.  as well as the flowers.  everything was fresh and lovely and it was so cool to see the locals out and about buying from the farmers.
We stopped into a small grocery store (Kilauea Farmers Market- yep, that's the name) and struck the mother lode- they had an EXCELLENT selection of wines that were very reasonably priced.  If you're staying on the north shore, you have to stop there for your wine needs. We picked up a couple of bottles to enjoy at the resort. 
We drove around a bit more, stopping at a couple of beaches and just squishing our toes in the sand. 
Dinner was at Hanalei Gourmet.  We'd heard that you don't go to Kauai for the food.  well, this is true- mostly.  I can understand why people would say this.  we had some nice meals during our trip, just nothing truly spectacular (which you think you should get considering the prices!)  I admit we're foodies, but we appreciate good food regardless of presentation or cost.  Anyway, dinner there was good.  I enjoyed it more than DH- he had the macadamia nut/panko fried chicken and i had the fish tacos.

Here's a view of the Princeville resort from one of the small beaches we stopped at during our first afternoon in town. Looking at the map, i think it was Lumaha'i Beach.

Day two began with an AWESOME breakfast at Kountry Kitchen- thanks for the rec- Amber! Too funny that we ate the same thing as you and Paul.  Miracles, the moco loco there was excellent. This version had Kalua Pork instead of the hamburger patty.  that was a nice twist!

We then drove down to the south side, and checked out Waimea Canyon, Spouting Horn and other sights.  We were so full from breakfast that lunch was a beer from the Waimea Brewing Company at the Waimea Plantation Cottages- a beautiful property that i had to see because a friend had her destination wedding there 4-5 years ago before we met.  she still waxes poetic about it today so i had to check it out.

We made our way to to east side later that day to attend a luau in Wailua.  It was great and I would totally recommend it.  The Smith family has operated it for many years, and you feel like a guest in their home. 

Here's some pics of Waimea Canyon (dubbed the Grand Canyon of the Pacific).  It was truly spectacular!

_____________________________
Feeling Blue and Blech Today

Skippy

"The only things that stand between a person and what they want in life are the will to try it, and the faith to believe it's possible" Rich Devos

OK- time to wrap this up- are you sick of me yet??

We had a blast exploring the local beaches.  As i mentioned before, you usually had to do a bit of trekking to discover the gems!  Tunnels was a great snorkeling spot.  We saw so much marine life!  Oh yeah, it was MUCH better than the snorkeling site that NaPali Cat took us too.  That one was just OK, but I did see a couple of sea turtles!  So back to Tunnels- it had a wide reef and plenty of fish.  Although it was a popular site, it didn't seem crowded.

Another gem was Queen's Bath in Princeville.  You had to follow this funny trail through jungle-like conditions to reach the water's edge.  Queen's bath is actually a swimming pool carved into the lava coast.  It was a bit crowded, but certainly worth the trek- you won't be disappointed!  Here's a pic of a waterfall feeding into another pool on our way back up the trail.

Skippy

"The only things that stand between a person and what they want in life are the will to try it, and the faith to believe it's possible" Rich Devos

And the very last pic...

we got a kick out of the wild chickens & roosters on Kauai. there's all sorts of stories about why there's so many on the island.  who really knows??

****************************
"There is no such thing as fun for the whole family-there are no massage parlors with ice cream and free jewelry" Jerry Seinfeld

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
If you were an ocean, I'd learn how to float.

Skippy

"The only things that stand between a person and what they want in life are the will to try it, and the faith to believe it's possible" Rich Devos