Aloha! After an exhausting day of travel, we finally arrived in Kaua’i. The airport was beautiful, open air, and provided fantastic views of the Pacific Ocean as we landed. The staff was warm and friendly as they marked us as tourists with beautiful (live) leis.

Our rental car leaves a little to be desired as Billy opted for a Jeep Wrangler that is definitely past it’s prime (and runs a little more like a go-kart). Getting past it’s neon blue color, we think the four wheel drive may actually be useful when we finally start exploring.

On the initial drive, our first impression of Kaua’i is that it is largely rural and unexploited by tourism in the center of the island. Beautiful mountains seem to flank the horizon in all directions that don’t point toward water. The landscape is lush and tropical, and the wildlife is abundant. You might be picturing Jurassic Park, LOST, Tropic Thunder, or 6 Days/7 Nights…and if you are, you are exactly right. All of these productions were filmed here, and it’s absolutely gorgeous.

With advice from an insider, we made a quick stop at Costco to load up on snacks and beverages (things are not cheap here)…and then headed straight to the hotel. Upon arrival at the Grand Hyatt Kaua’i Resort and Spa, we were literally awe-strucken. The resort spans over 51 acres of beach front property and every lobby, restaurant, and hallway offers open air to some degree. Surrounding countless pools and restaurants, we quickly realize we could never leave the resort again…but we have a feeling Billy will convince Blyth to explore a little. Exhausted, we quickly grabbed burgers at the Sunset Terrace, and then crashed for the evening.

Day 1 offered some much needed rehabilitation from traveling. We woke up early and went to the Illima Terrace for breakfast. Included in our hotel package, this buffet is seriously some of the best breakfast we’ve ever had. We then went for a short hike along the shoreline to the top of some lava rocks overlooking the ocean (about 1/2 mile away), and then immediately headed back to the salt water pool at our hotel. We would then spend the entire day at the pool and ocean recovering from travel (with a quick lunch in between).

Exhausted from being lazy in the sun all day, we decided to take a nap before heading to the Beach House Bar and Grill that evening. About 3 miles away from the hotel, the Beach House is a longtime staple of the south shore of Kaua’i. They knew we were honeymooners and offered us a table that was literally on the water. We both enjoyed fresh seafood over the sound of waves for a truly special dinner. When we mean special, we mean literally in every sense. The fresh seafood was the best we’ve ever had…but the service was second to none.

When we returned to the hotel, we immediately crashed, knowing that we had a full day of adventure ahead of us in day 2…

The view from our room…and yes, that is a water slide meant for kids…that we absolutely owned yesterday!