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Anniversary in Kaua'i
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For our second anniversary in February 2002, we spent a week in Kauai, aptly referred to as "The Garden Island" of Hawaii. Its lush plantation is diverse and abundant, its tourists relatively few, and buildings cannot be taller than the tallest coconut palm. Thus, Kauai seems more tranquil and private than Oahu or Maui. We checked travel newsgroups before planning the vacation to learn from more experienced travelers. The Ultimate Kauai Guidebook: Kauai Revealed was also an excellent resource (thx Tiff!).
Image from Graphic
Maps
We did not celebrate our anniversary alone, but invited Manny's parents. Manny and I feel that because we are basically one person, it seems rather lonely to travel without others. A little intro before we begin: Big Manny is our dad, Mona is our mom, Manny is Manny, and I am Amy. Aloha!
Day 1, Arrival Day: We arrived Friday afternoon, checked into our room at the Hanalei Bay Resort in Princeville (north shore), and headed down to the Happy Talk Lounge to enjoy the live entertainment. Then we had a fancy dinner at the Bali Hai restaurant, still enjoying the music. Jazz, Hawaiian, or folk musicians performed nightly at the open-air lounge.
Day 2, Relax Day: After a very early breakfast, we took a short and scenic walk/hike to Hideaways Beach. Then we headed east to the Kilauea Lighthouse and watched the whales. Some people go to Kauai in February just to see them. We drove west to Hanalei to try Tropical Taco (good food, but a little expensive), Bubba's Burgers (just okay), and Paradise Shave Ice (passion fruit...yummy). We then took another hike down to Queen's Bath before heading to dinner.
Day 3, Church/Beach Day: After listening to hymns sung in Hawaiian at church, we headed to the beach. Po'ipu is known as one of America's most beautiful beaches. Unfortunately, it is in the south shore, and the speed limit seldom goes above 35, so it took some time to get there. Big Manny and I were able to snorkel for a while, but I couldn't hold the camera very still. When it began to rain in the later afternoon, we packed up our beach mats (only $1.49 at the local store) and headed back. We took a dip in the jacuzzi before dinner.
Day 4, Packed Day: We left early in the morning to get to the heliport in time for our helicopter ride. The owner, Chuck, was a great pilot and tour guide. We saw the Na Pali Coast, Jurassic Park falls, Waimea Canyon, and entered the crater where the wettest spot on earth is located. After this, we stopped to gaze at Wailua Falls and then had lunch and some chocolate macadamia nut ice cream at the Coconut Marketplace, a hidden shopping gem on the east shore. We took a Wailua River boat ride to Fern Grotto, on which they taught us basic hula dancing. Manny only made it halfway through the lesson. Lastly, we headed to Smith's Tropical Paradise to take a stroll in their garden before the imu ceremony, the raising of the pig for the luau.
Day 5, Hike Day: Mona had never been hiking before (other than our short hikes on Day 2), so she was amazed at herself for making it so far along the Kalaulau Trail. Some parts were pretty tricky and slippery, so at times it became a fun team-building exercise. The views from this coastal trail are unbelievable. Manny and I thought it was the best trail we've ever hiked. Not often do we get to see palm trees in the mountain and a turquoise blue ocean down below us.
Day 6, Garden Day: Due to the evening rain earlier in the week and then the beautiful sunshine, flowers suddenly bloomed and beautiful colors appeared everywhere. It all worked out so well that we could see one of the National Tropical Botanical Gardens on this day. We took the Allerton Garden Tour, which is great for garden-lovers like Big Manny and Mona. They went home with lots of roots, seeds, and ideas. We can't wait to see them grow in their tropical backyard! We had just enough time to head back to play tennis while our parents hung out at the pool.
Day 7, Kayak Day: The last full day we would have in Kauai. We couldn't believe it was all over so soon. The weather seemed just right for our little five-mile tour. We kayaked up the Wailua River toward and past Fern Grotto and then turned around. The most fun Manny and I had were when the large boats made waves and we would bob up and down as a result. Otherwise, the river was pretty calm. Again, we returned to the pool and jacuzzi. We didn't eat out this night, but ate pizza and watched a movie. Lots of family fun!
Day 8, Departure - What a day! I tried to eat everything in the fridge with a little help from Manny, but eventually gave up. The Kauai airport was evacuated just as we were about to board the plane, and then poor Manny was selected twice for the "random" or "arbitrary" security checks (as usual). We were very thankful to be blessed with a safe trip home and for our time with Mom and Dad.
We already have a bit of our itinerary planned for our next visit: Drive to Waimea Canyon, hike to Secret Falls from the kayak, Na Pali boat ride, hang out at Coconut Marketplace again...and we don't even know if we'll ever return! See the enlarged versions of the slideshow photos and many others by clicking on the second link below.
Info: Wizard Publications | Kauai Visitors Bureau
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