Well, we aren’t sure that we could have had a better way to end the trip than day ten. With a 7:00 am appointment, we rolled out of bed early and took the Mustang 15 miles West to the Maui Ocean Center. From there, we would board the Four Winds II catamaran en route to a nature preserve on an island off Molokini.
For those of you who don’t know, Molokini has a crescent shaped island that is strictly protected as a nature and marine wildlife preserve. Located between Maui and Kaho’olawe, this partially submerged volcanic crater is inhabited by rich coral beds that make it a top snorkel and scuba destination for amateurs and pros alike.
Without scuba certification, Blyth and I were given the option to upgrade our package to “Snuba”. Snuba provides the benefits of scuba diving without the difficulty of carrying your own tank…or needing any certification for that matter. We opted for that package as we checked in…and settled on a seat in the rear of the boat.
Before we knew it, we were off. The captain (and owner of the boat) was actually hilarious. From Chicago, it was hard enough to get over his ridiculously stereotypical accent over the PA…but his commentary was both insightful and hilarious at the same time. Over the course of the trip, he pointed out Oprah’s new house, rare species of birds overhead, history of the various beaches we passed, and local legends all while poking fun at passengers in between.
As we neared Molokini, we were served a light breakfast and briefed on how to Snuba. The view from the ship was already breathtaking enough as the island came into view…how could it get any better than this?
As we anchored, we were outfitted in wet suits, given masks and flippers, and equipped with weight belts and oxygen lines. Our guide prepared a raft for our oxygen tank and hooked each of us to our tank/raft as we were sent into the ocean.
We would finally make our way toward the wall of the crater and slowly descend into the water. Once we got used to the important stuff (you know, like breathing)… the scenery was absolutely gorgeous. The reef was painted with all varieties of color with countless nooks and crannies for the fish to dart in and out of. Curious tropical fish would follow us the whole dive and even swim up to us face-to-face. During the dive, we would spot numerous species of tropical fish, an eel, and a pacific octopus (definitely the highlight of the dive).
An hour and a half later, we would take off and head back toward the dock. We were served kalua pork sandwiches that rival any of the BBQ we’ve had in Hawaii…they were simply delicious. 25 minutes from the dock, we would take a short detour through what our captain called “turtle universe”. As we drifted for 5 minutes, we spotted at least 4 sea turtles before continuing on to dock. This excursion flew by, but was certainly memorable.
Returning to our room, we would rest for an hour or two before heading down to the pool for a little sun. We didn’t have much time to spend here as we had 5:45 dinner reservations…so we quickly headed to the room to get ready.
As we thought about our trip, there was one thing that we hadn’t done that almost every visitor to Hawaii has to do once. A luau! We headed over to the Old Lahaina Luau…one of the most famous (and longest running) luaus on Maui. We weren’t really sure what to expect (or how hokey it would be) but it was actually really cool.
As we arrived, we were given the standard issue fresh leis and led to our table. We aren’t really sure how she pulled it off, but Blyth actually had us sitting in the front row, first table. We would walk around and watch some of the traditional crafts, take our picture by the sunset, and grab some beverages before heading over to the buffet.
The food was traditional…but pretty exceptional. Blyth was a little more light on her plate, but Billy gave almost everything a try. We aren’t really sure what all Billy had… But we know he at least tried pacific octopus, raw ahi salad, fresh pineapple, fried rice, stir fry veggies, BBQ chicken, steak, kalua pork (cooked underground), grilled ono, poi, purple sweet potatoes, and two different desserts.
After stuffing our faces, the show began. With a perfect mix of Hawaiian Legend, history, and traditional dance..this production was simply amazing. It literally took us three dances to realize that the instrumentation was live as well. If you ever come to Maui and want to do the cheesy luau thing, you’ll disappointed by Old Lahaina Luau…if you want a great dinner show, though…we highly recommend it.
After the show, we walked about a mile South to Lahaina Town. We had heard live music coming from Moose McGillycuddy’s the night before, so we decided to pop in and unwind. The band was pretty good there too. With all original songs, their sound definitely had a heavy island influence (almost like 311…minus the white boy rap). After a few songs, we decided to head in early for bed. After all, we would have a full day of travel in the morning.
Overall, our trip to Hawaii has been incredible. Yes, we are extremely sad to leave…but we are looking forward to heading home and seeing what married life in the real world has to bring. For those of you who have followed our honeymoon, it has been fun…and we are so glad you could join us on this ride. We will continue to post on this blog…so check back in on us if you want. As they say on the island… Mahalo…and Aloha!
Our traditional table at ground level…
The view over our right shoulder wasn’t bad either…
Day 9 was definitely filled with magic and adventure…literally. With his swimmers ear getting worse, Billy would join Blyth for breakfast at Swan Court again…but in a near deaf silence. This was both annoying and comical for Billy as he couldn’t hear anything that the wait staff was saying, and relied on Blyth communicating on his behalf. We are really getting the hang of this marriage thing, aren’t we? 
After breakfast, we headed to the local medical clinic where they were able to flush his ears to full recovery (all within 20 minutes). As we exited the clinic, we realized that it was attached to the Whalers Village outdoor mall…so we figured we would take some time to explore. After swinging through a few shops, we spotted a Whalers Museum in the mall.
At an admission price of $3, how could we resist? This small museum featured facts and relics of the whaling industry that made Lahaina the original capital of Hawaii. It not only provided interesting takeaways on the whaling industry as a whole, but on the animals themselves. Needless to say, we’re both glad that the US is no longer whaling.
After the short trek through the tiny museum, we decided to grab some lunch at Maui Brewing Company. The local microbrew of the island, MBC offers several different beers to satisfy the most complex palate (with some island flavors thrown in for good measure). We were there for lunch, however, and let us tell you…the Kalua Pork Nachos did not disappoint.
After killing time at MBC, we headed back to the room to get ready for the evening. First on deck, was a reservation for two at Warren and Annabelle’s Magic Nightclub. This show was an absolute blast. We really don’t want to give too much away in case any of you are heading to Maui, but let’s just sum it up: Blyth solved Annabelle’s riddle to get us out of a trap room and into a parlor…a ghost played piano songs by request for the guests…we ate delicious pupus…we were asked to volunteer and upgraded to front row…Billy was made the butt of all the jokes (everyone knows him as Gomer now)…Blyth burned a $100 bill…Blyth changed time in the palm of her hand…a hat on Billy’s head produced a bowling ball…and Billy’s wedding ring was fused together with two other participants’ rings. Simply put, this was one of the most comical shows we’ve ever seen…and his tricks literally kept us up all night. It was simply mind blowing. If you are ever on Maui, you are doing yourself a disservice by not going to this show.
After the exhilaration of participating in a magic show, we headed over to Cheeseburger In Paradise to unwind. I know what your thinking…why would you go to a Jimmy Buffet chain in Maui? Well this location isn’t actually associated with the musician at all. Located directly on the water, this restaurant has been serving burgers several years before the musician got into the restaurant business…and the food was actually pretty good! Even better than the food was the live music that we enjoyed until we were ready to head back to our hotel. Finally back in bed, we were sad and anxious to see what our last full day in Hawaii had to bring…
Billy with a Sperm Whale skeleton (and finally hearing again)…
Blyth entering check-in at Warren and Annabelle’s…
Day 8 was a little more of an adventurous day, but relaxing all the same. We are a little rugged at this point…Blyth woke up with a 2nd degree sunburn from the other day, and Billy woke up with a pretty bad case of swimmer’s ear, but we decided to push through the rest of the day. After all, you only have one honeymoon!
We kicked off with breakfast at Swan Court before heading over to the Lahaina Mall. We would return to Safeway to gather supplies, followed by a little window shopping and a quick run through Starbucks. Returning to our resort, we quickly packed our cooler and beach bag to head off for the day.
At the advice of our Lahaina Pizza Company waitress, we decided to head to Po’olenalena Beach. With the top down on the Mustang, we enjoyed over an hour of gorgeous shoreline road along the way. After traveling from West Maui to the other side of the island, we finally found the road to the beach (somewhere near Walea).
As we wound through residential roads, we finally found a collection of cars near two undeveloped lots. Per Hawaiian law, a land owner can own the property along the shoreline, but cannot own the sand on the beach. Well, it appears the small trail between the lots was the loophole that the locals have been taking advantage of.
We grabbed our stuff out of the car and made the small trek through the woods to the shore. On first impression, this beach was truly a gem. The sand was the softest we’ve seen on either island, and there was little-to-no lava rock or coral to cut our feet on. Overall, the surf was calm and only rough for brief periods of time (it seemed to only pick up when we were trying to get in, of course). This beach must be largely unknown as there was only a handful of boogey boarders around…and we’d have the beach completely to ourselves whenever the waves were favorable for their ride.
We’d hang out at the beach for a few more hours before making the hour long drive back to West Maui. On the way back, we’d make a few short stops for snacks and swimmer’s ear medicine before unwinding in our room for a couple hours.
For dinner, we decided to head over to Old Lahaina Town and return to Kimo’s. After all, our last receipt had a coupon good for one Hula Pie with two entrees (how can we turn that down!?). We would sit at the bar through sunset as we waited for our table…and the view was absolutely breathtaking. As people posed for pictures against the sunset, we were fortunate enough to meet a mother and daughter willing to take some pictures for us.
When our buzzer finally went off, we headed upstairs to a dockside table for two. As we were seated, we watched the last bit of the sun hide behind the Pacific waters from our candlelit table. Overall, the food and service were phenomenal as well. Billy had the seafood chowder with his Orange Zest and Macademia Nut Crusted Ono and rice. Blyth would have the Caesar salad with a Lobster Stuffed Mahi Mahi and rice. All of the food was to die for.
…then came the famous Hula Pie. A creation of Kimo’s dating back 35 years, this pie is now served up at many of the island’s restaurants…and now we know why. First of all, a single slice is as big as your head. Once you get past the intimidation factor, this thing packs a favorable punch featuring many island flavors. Starting with a crushed Oreo crust, the basis of this pie is largely macadamia nut flavored ice cream. To cut that flavor, they mix in ground coconut before topping it with chocolate frosting, macadamia nuts, hot fudge, and whipped cream. We both dug into the single slice, but could not even finish 2/3 of it. It was simply one of the best deserts we’ve had.
After dinner, we would head to Moose McGillycuddy’s to unwind and watch the locals make a fool of themselves on the dance floor. Although the playlist featured the most amazing song choices, the crowd got a little too rowdy for us. We decided to head back to our hotel for the evening. If Day 9, is anywhere close to Day 8, it’s going to be a blast. Now if only we can get rid of these sunburns and swimmer’s ear…
The view from our spot on Po’olenalena Beach…
Getting situated at our table at Kimo’s…
Kimo’s…
Blyth getting ready to attack the Hula Pie…
Well it didn’t take long for us to spot a sea turtle in Maui…it didn’t take us long to get sunburned either. On day seven, we decided to do something we haven’t really done yet on this trip…spend an entire day at the beach.
After another amazing breakfast buffet at Swan Court, we decided to gather our things, pack a cooler, and take a walk on the beach. As we left our resort grounds, we found a patch of grass on the shoreline in between the Hyatt and the neighboring resort. The view was phenomenal, the water was calm, and it was very quiet.
After dousing ourselves in SPF 55, we laid down and relaxed until the sun forced us into the Pacific. As soon as we got in, Blyth spotted a large shadowy figure coming right for us. As it raised its head we knew exactly what it was. A huge sea turtle was passing down the coastline no more than 15 feet from us. This was no ordinary sea turtle that you see at the aquarium, either… It’s shell alone was somewhere between 3 1/2 – 4 feet long. This thing was huge! Billy tried to grab his camera quickly to get a picture, but a passing (and well lubricated) tourist decided to swim after it…ultimately chasing it away. No wonder these guys are endangered!
After laying out at the shore for another 3 hours, we headed back to our pool. We would snack on some wings and fries before dipping in the pool for a good hour. Along our journey through the pool, we would stop at a bar in a cave to watch the basketball game, and continue through the kiddy pool to give the Lava Tube Slide a try. We might argue that this pool is even better than the pool in Kaua’i!
We would stay poolside for another 3 hours before heading up to our room to get ready for dinner. It was at this point that we both realized how sunburnt we were. Although we had avoided a burn throughout our entire stay, we now realize that we didn’t reapply well enough this time.
Reservations were at 8:00 at Longhi’s Restaurant in Lahaina town. We would quickly shower, watch the sunset from our room, and pile into the Mustang for the short drive. Upon arrival at Longhi’s our first impression was that it was as old as any restaurant was on the strip. Not only was the building set in its own nostalgic charm, but locals were saddled up at the bar over dinner and drinks with the owners family behind the bar. This place HAD to be good. Well it was outstanding. After we shared a plate of tomato cheese bread and jalapeño cheese bread, Blyth would enjoy the Shrimp Longhi Plate served over garlic bread. This was a staple of their menu that has been served ever since it was first opened in 1976 (and you could tell!). Billy had the Ahi Torino which was basically fresh Hawaiian tuna breaded with macadamia nuts and pan seared in butter to a medium rare temperature. It was even more amazing than it sounds, trust us!
Full on fresh seafood (and still sore from our sun burns) we decided to waddle down Front Street to kill some time. We would buy each other a few gifts before we would return back toward the car. On the way back, we decided to stop at Scoop’s for ice cream. Blyth would eat the Island Mix, and Billy would have the Vanilla Coconut Caramel Macadamia Nut scoop. Both were outstanding and made us briefly forget about our burns.
We would then stop at a convenience store for some Aloe before returning back to our room for the night. Overall, Maui has definitely given us some much needed relaxation…and we can’t wait to see what Maui has in store for us on Day 8…
Our view from the shoreline. It’s so nice to get away from the riff raff…
Our first full day in Maui was largely spent preparing for the remainder of our stay. To kick things off, we headed down to Swan Court for our usual buffet included in our room package. Although this food is excellent, it’s really hard to top the Illima Terrace in Kaua’i.
After a full breakfast we headed to the hotel laundromat to give our clothes a quick wash for the week. Unfortunately, the washer and dryer took a little longer than originally planned. After nearly an hour and a half of watching our clothes spin (and watching a few crime documentaries in between), we were finally on our way.
We decided to pull the top down on our Mustang and headed over to Lahaina Town. The area was a little busy with cruise ship patrons that had docked in the market…but altogether Lahaina Town never disappoints. We decided to walk the square and do a little window shopping at the local shops. Along the way, Blyth found a beautiful necklace that she really wanted…but we just couldn’t get over the $130 sticker shock. Things can get pretty expensive here after all!
We decided to stop at Kimo’s for a quick refreshment and were seated on their deck overlooking the Pacific. A staple in Lahaina for over 30 years, Kimo’s is a waterside restaurant that offers fantastic waterfront views and claims to have invented the famous Hula Pie. Although we didn’t have room for pie, we certainly enjoyed the ocean breeze and picturesque landscape.
After Kimo’s we headed back toward our car so we could continue with our errands. Along the way. We found a small jewelry stand in an ally that offered the exact necklace Blyth wanted for only $30! Thank goodness we didn’t get over that sticker shock! We grabbed the necklace while it was still reasonably priced and went along our merry way.
We would then go to Safeway for snacks and reinforcements before heading back to our hotel. When we returned, we quickly snacked on our leftover Lahaina Pizza Company pizza and headed to the pool.
We must say that this pool is every bit as nice as the one in Kaua’i! We grabbed a few chairs overlooking the ocean and vegged for a few hours before heading back to our room to get ready for dinner.
We headed to Japengo again for the Pupu Platter during sunset before climbing back in the car for Lahaina Town. Looking for a quick bite, we headed over to Mai Tai lounge. Located next door to Kimo’s, we had noticed that their menu offered small (reasonably priced) sandwich plates…and neither of us were that hungry to begin with. Well the food was actually pretty fantastic and we had the entire restaurant to ourselves (which was nice for a change). They sat us on the very edge of the deck. We would sit and eat slowly watching the ocean waves crash under us for over an hour.
After dinner, we swung by a few more restaurants to people watch before heading back home. Overall, day 1 ended up being a great start to what we know will be a truly memorable experience here in Maui.
Blyth enjoying the top down in our Mustang…
Billy is enjoying the Mustang too…
The view from the road isn’t shabby either…
The view from Kimo’s amongst all of the cruise ship tourists…
Blyth finally got her necklace…
The view of the ocean from our spot at the pool…
…and Japengo for the Pupu Platter…
They gave Billy a ridiculous chalice at Mai Tai Lounge…
Well how could things get any better than Kaua’i? We aren’t going to say one island is better than the other, but Maui is certainly not disappointing. Each island obviously offers different experiences, but our first impression of Maui is that it provides a little more entertainment and nightlife.
We began our day with our final breakfast at Illima Terrace in Kaua’i. It saddened us to leave so early, but we knew we had a long day of travel ahead of us. After packing our things, returning our rental car, and shuttling to check-in… We finally arrived at our gate at the Lihue airport. Unfortunately, our tiny little plane was on island time and arrived over an hour late.
Finally taking off, the short ride offered fantastic views of Kaua’i, O’ahu, Moloka’i, Lana’i, and Maui. Around 1:00, we landed at the Kahului Airport and quickly grabbed our luggage and went straight to Alamo. Given his choice of vehicles, Billy opted for a more subtle black Mustang convertible…after all, we both had grown tired of our neon blue Jeep.
The road to West Maui was absolutely beautiful. With the road closely hugging cliffs, mountains, and shoreline…it was difficult to keep our eyes on the road (or the car for that matter). With a couple hours to kill, we decided to head to Old Lahaina Town for lunch.
After walking through shops and restaurants for over 1/2 mile…we settled down on the top porch of Cool Cat Cafe. The menu offered burgers and fresh fish sandwiches over a large outdoor patio. With a seat overlooking Front Street, this was a perfect place to unwind and do some serious people watching.
After lunch and some quick errands, we checked in at the Hyatt Regency. On first impression, this hotel was just as luxurious as our hotel in Kaua’i. The lobby offers open air breezes and breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean. Each restaurant offers 360 degrees of tropical landscape with several koi ponds flanking each table (there is even a penguin pond!)
Our initial room, however, left a little to be desired. Even though we had booked an ocean view, they placed us in the back corner staring directly at another hotel tower. Although you could still see the ocean if you looked backward and to the left…we thought we’d give the lobby a call to change rooms…and WOW did that make a difference! They moved us up to a room on the top floor that stares directly into the ocean. Seriously, you can see the sunset from any vantage point in the room. It is simply the most amazing view we have ever seen from a hotel room.
After unwinding for a few hours, we went down to Japengo lounge to watch one of the most spectacular moonrises we have ever seen. We sat at a beachside table there for over an hour before heading back to Old Lahaina Town for a quick bite. Still full on burgers, we shared a small Chicago style deep dish pizza from Lahaina Pizza Company and did a little more people watching on Front Street.
Exhausted from a full day of travel, we went back to the hotel to retire to bed. We haven’t seen much of this island yet…but we are absolutely excited to explore it a little more this week.
The view of Front Street from Cool Cat Cafe…
The view from our new room…
Our beachside table at Japengo…
…and just like that, our last full day in Kaua’i has passed. Man, did time fly by on this island! After our morning routine at Illima Terrace, we headed North to Kipu Ranch. At the recommendation of some close coworkers, we booked a Rhino ATV tour for two and chose a three hour tour of this private property.
Due to some cancellations, we were able to have a tour guide all to ourselves. Troy showed us several viewpoints on the land that provided backdrop to movies such as Jurassic Park, Tropic Thunder, Six Days/Seven Nights, Hook, and the Descendants. We even stood in the exact spot where Harrison Ford swung on a river vine to his escape plane in Indian Jones! Climbing from sea level to elevations over 900 feet, we saw breathtaking views that most Kaua’ians never get to see…unless they are on the tour, of course.
After a truly exhilarating ride (and some pretty sweet “mud-staches”), we took Troy’s advice and headed to Puka Dogs for lunch. This small Hawaiian restaurant chain offers hotdogs with an island spin. For starters, they take a whole roll and bore the center with a scalding hot toasting iron. After hollowing the center out, they drop a hotdog in with your choice of chili sauce, tropical relish, and mustard. To follow the advice given, we both had polish sausage with hot chili pepper sauce, lillue (Hawaiian) mustard, and pineapple relish. It was absolutely delicious…We will definitely be heading back to the first Puka Dogs we see in Maui.
From lunch, we took a gravel road past our hotel to a private beach that Troy had mentioned (after all, he had so many other good suggestions). What we wish we knew was how long the ride was. After several miles of bumps, we both felt like our Puka Dogs were going to turn into Puke Dogs. When we finally reached the end of the trail, we stumbled out of our neon Jeep, through the woods, and to the shore. The beach was absolutely breathtaking. Without a soul in sight, we decided to sit and take it all in for a few minutes before heading back.
When we returned to the hotel, we decided to relax by the salt water pool for some much needed sun. After about 2 hours, another storm passed through…and we headed back to our balcony for some homemade Pogossas.
Dinner reservations were at Dondero’s for the evening, so we showered up and headed there a little early. Due to the recent storm, we didn’t get the beachside dining we’ve grown accustomed to (we’re so spoiled!)…but the ambiance was romantic all the same. Offering fresh seafood/Italian, Billy enjoyed squid ink pasta with lump lobster tail, and Blyth had a delicious crab risotto. After getting our fill on gourmet Italian, we headed to Stevenson’s Library for a little live music before retiring to bed.
Overall, we have absolutely loved our stay on this island. With a population of only 55,000…the landscape seems undiscovered by commercial tourism. We highly recommend visiting if you are looking to unwind, unplug, and get away from it all. We’re sad that our stay in Kaua’i has already come to an end, but we look forward to what lies ahead in Maui.
Billy’s sweet “mud-stache”…
Finally made it to the private beach…
Pogossas on the balcony…
When life gives you lemons, make lemonade…or in the case of the islands, Passion Fruit, Orange, and Guava make POG…but we digress. Either way, it isn’t difficult to turn a sour day sweet when you’re staying in Kaua’i.
To start the day, Billy wanted to explore the Northern part of the Island and check out Tunnels Beach. His hope was to make a snorkeling reservation, and maybe even see some sea turtles. Unfortunately, we couldn’t outrun the rainy weather of the Northern shore.
Per usual, we started our day with a sunny, tropical breakfast at the Illima Terrace. As we departed the beautiful weather of the Southern shore, we made sure to take the top down on our neon blue Jeep Wrangler to take it all in. About halfway up the coast, however, that beautiful weather turned sour. As the rain began to pour into the car, Billy immediately made a quick stop to put up the top…or so we thought. Neither one of us had operated this type of car before, and the salt water corrosion on the zippers made this a particularly difficult task. After about 10 minutes of wrestling canvas over the car body, we were on our way. When the speed limit climbed to 40, we began noticing that the car began to sound like a wind tunnel. To our surprise the top flew open. Luckily, we both reached up and caught the top at the same time. We were able to pull over again and finally fasten the top for good after another 5 minutes.
The weather continued to worsen as we climbed North, but we remained optimistic as we continued on. After an hour and a half of driving through winding roads, construction, and torrential downpours…we finally arrived at Tunnels. We were about to get out of the car when the rain started again. Was it following us?
We had to make a game time decision and the beach wasn’t an option. We weighed our options and decided to explore even further North. Using our Kaua’i Revealed guide books, we found a quaint restaurant in the valley below. After all…we needed to do something since we travelled so far.
We travelled on through the mountain, over a one lane wooden bridge and over to Hanalei Valley. Finally, we discovered the Hanalei Dolphin Restaurant. This dive restaurant is attached to a fresh seafood market located on the banks of the Hanalei River. We figured the seafood HAS to be good. Well it was actually phenomenal. River views aside, the fish tacos and Marlin Steak sandwich were to die for. Unfortunately the rain followed us there as well.
As we headed back South, the rain let up and the drive was actually beautiful. We managed to stop at the Hanalei Lookout for some pictures and continued through Princeville, Lehue, and Poipu as we returned to the hotel around 1:30.
Upon our return, we learned that a beachside cabana was still available for rent at our resort. We decided to lay down a deposit and veg on the beach for another 4 hours. As we enjoyed fruity drinks and watching several surfers wipe out…this day actually ended up being one of our more relaxing days we’ve had (which was much needed).
To cap the evening, we had 7:30 reservations at Tidepools Restaurant. They sat us at a table over a koi pond as we we dined on some superb Surf and Turf. We watched the ocean sky turn from orange, to purple, to black. Who would have thought Day 3 would have ended like this?
The view from our cabana…
Day 2 started with another phenomenal breakfast at Illima Terrace. We seriously don’t see ourselves getting sick of this place! After finishing off our made-to-order omelets, we headed Northeast for our 9:30 appointment with Jack Harter Helicopter Tours.
With two other couples, we boarded a large 7 seat helicopter for a 90 minute tour spanning the entire island. We started on the south shore and flew right over our resort. Shortly after that we headed West toward some state property on the Island that is otherwise unaccessible. Finally, we made it to the Northwest corner of the island that is largely untouched and physically cannot be accessed unless it is by boat or air. The views were jaw-dropping beautiful. The colors of the vegetation were lush and contrasted the sharp lava cuts through these very steep mountains. Luckily for us a rain had just passed, so there were plenty of waterfalls pouring off the mountain tops into the valley beds. If you want an idea of what we were witnessing, watch the helicopter fly-in in Jurassic Park as it was filmed on the same helicopter route. It’s certainly an experience we’ll never forget…especially since Billy took about 400 pictures with our new camera.
As we were landing, the skies opened up with a surprise downpour. It rained bad enough that the tour scheduled after us was immediately cancelled (thank goodness it didn’t rain during our tour!). We viewed this as a perfect opportunity to run to Costco and another grocery store for reinforcements, and then explore the island by car.
Our first stop was Wailua Falls. The viewing area was a short, windy drive through a very rural part of the island. After dodging several wild roosters, we climbed to the top of the hill and parked off the side of the road. A short stroll later, we were able to take in the breathtaking views of one of the island’s bigger waterfalls.
We then headed North past Princeville and saw some incredible views from the beach-side route. Eventually we stumbled upon a wonderful little restaurant right on the water…at a perfect time for lunch. Scotty’s Beachside BBQ offered southern-style BBQ that could hold its own against the southern states. What was even better than the food was the oceanfront views and open air breeze. We sat, ate, and talked for over an hour just taking it all in.
Finally, we returned to the hotel in time for a quick nap by the pool, and a quick swim before sunset. Exhausted from a more adventurous day two, we decided to head to Stevenson’s Library to unwind and grab a quick bite before bed.
The view from Scotty’s Beachside BBQ. Not too shabby…
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!
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