Nate is one of the hardest workers I know. He puts so much energy into his work and I'm very proud of what he has accomplished. As a perk in sales, the best teams are rewarded every year with a fabulous trip. And though it's no consolation for all the hours he puts in or the time he is away in Texas, Kauai will be a welcomed vacation this year for the both of us. We leave on February 14.
We'll be staying at the Grand Hyatt on the South Shore and have signed up for a whale watching and snorkeling activity {we'll be adding kayaking and hiking to the mix, too}. Does anyone have any suggestions of not-to-miss activities, shopping and/or dining? I want to start putting together an unofficial agenda to take advantage.
Things to do before the trip:
1. Go to a tanning salon
2. Get a few new pairs of walking shorts, a dress, and maybe a few tops
3. Find a good pair of sunglasses {no cheapies this time}
4. Research beaches and hikes in surrounding areas
5. Keep working out and eating healthy
11 comments:
We should definitely talk before you go.
~b
total blog stalker here :0) love your blog ... anyhow we have been to kauai a few times and for sure go to poipu beach one day(it does get crowded though) and eat a puka dog at poipu shopping village just down the street (you have to drive to get there from the beach - we usually go right before or after)- they are AMAZING!! seriously. Also we always go listen to one of those hoki (spell?) vacation rental things for 2 hours and then get the free sunset cruise to see the napali coast (its breath taking) totally worth the 2 hour sacrafice and nodding and smiling through the vacation rental thing (plus they usually feed you at those things)
just make sure that you see both sides of the island ... poipu side is really dry and deserty (vegas) and the other side is lush and freaking gorgeous ... its just annoying because there is basically one road all the way around and it doenst go all the way around (napali coast gets in the way)
oh and rent a jeep - its the way to see the island!
sorry that was long - enjoy!
Hi-we live on Oahu and love to visit Kaua'i for the beautiful scenery. I'd recommend seeing Waimea Canyon and hiking on the north shore. If you take the road all the way around to the NW part of the island, there is an amazing hike along the Na Pali Coast. There are some cute shops in Hanalei on the north shore and near the Kilauea Lighthouse. Check out Jo Jo's shave ice which isn't too far from where you are staying. Have a fun trip!
Tonia-
I am jealous and excited for you at the same time!! I have been to Kauai many times growing up!! That was the only Island my parents would ever want to visit. I think it's the quietest island there and so beautiful. You have to go to a luau. The are so much fun! They also have great flea markets there where you can find lots of great stuff for cheap. I hope you have a great trip and lots of fun.
Carrie is right. All those things. Plus, there is Hidden Beach behind one of the large hotels in Princeville, you have to go down some STEEP funny stairs to get to it. You have to go to Queen's Bath. You HAVE to go to Polihale Beach. It's the last one before the Napali Coast stops you. You have to take a TERRIBLE bumpy dirt road to get there. It's worth it. Right near the Kilauea Lighthouse is a wonderful soap making shop. Fabulous handmade soaps.
We had pizza like 3 times on the island. It was so good! There is a pizza shop right near Jo-Jo's Shave Ice too.
Here's the book we used (ours was 7th edition) http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?z=y&EAN=9780971727953&itm=2
It is the BEST book! Tells you where all the beaches are, how to get there, what mile marker. Great guide. Tells you where they will overcharge you, stuff like that.
Oh, one more thing. Kipu Falls. It's very close to where you are staying. I can't remember offhand how to get there (somewhere on Kipu road, I can see it on googlemaps) but it's a pretty waterfall and you can jump off of them with a rope swing. It's pretty private (we only saw a couple people there) It was awesome! If you really were interested, I could ask my sister for directions to it. (She lived there for 6 months)
Sounds like so much fun! When we went to Maui, I bought myself a pair of great sunglasses at a shop on the island. They we so sentimental and brought back memories of Hawaii every time I wore them. I almost cried when they broke. I think I still might have the broken sunglasses somewhere in a keepsake box. My advice is, wait till you get there to buy some things. They'll have more meaning to you when you get home!
I called my sister. She was like, "If you promise I'll get it back, I can loan you the book"
So the directions are easy to find in the book I linked. She said, "you can get the book for like $13 but it's worth $1 million." Anyway, I found it (I think) on google maps, so here are directions from Poipu Beach (I'm assuming you're staying in that area)
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=en&geocode=7166962478735181861,21.946507,-159.421176&time=&date=&ttype=&saddr=Kipu+Rd+%4021.946507,+-159.421176&daddr=Poipu+Beach&mra=pi&mrcr=0&mrsp=0&sz=15&sll=21.946469,-159.420505&sspn=0.01839,0.028024&ie=UTF8&ll=21.920434,-159.424324&spn=0.147148,0.22419&z=12&om=1
I was super scared to do the swing jump, but after a few minutes, I finally did. This makes me want to post those videos on the blog.
Thanks Cara Dee! I will buy this book and get to planning. I think you should post those photos so I know what I'm getting myself into. In my twenties I did a lot of rope swinging and bridge jumping...maybe I should do it now in my 30s so I don't seem old and boring!
yes! we go to Kauai every year, we'll be there March 7th, can't wait! You must go to Hanalei, the cutest town, with great little cafe's, music at night, farmer's market not to be missed, and of course, the beaches. Keyes beach is great for sunning & snorkeling, you can see for miles, it's crazy. Anither not-to-miss is the sno-cone truck parked along the main road, it's heaven.
all the comments are great. the ones that I will echo and encourage are Polihale beach of course because that's where we got married and I think it's the best beach by far. it is down a bumpy crappy road but well worth it. it's on the west side so it has the best sunsets and it's right next to the start of the Napli Coast. we also love love Kipu falls. you can call us while your there if you can't find it or if you want any other insight. there is also a small hike that takes you by where they filmed jurassic park and it goes up by a canal that you can float through or walk around and it meets up at some waterfalls. i'll stop now. you'll have fun no matter what.
Ooooh! Lucky you! We went to Maui in February of 06 and did the whole whale-watching tour.
It. Was. FABULOUS.
I mean...a huge whale coming up out of the water about 10 feet from your boat. Absolutely amazing.
Not to mention driving down the coast, looking out at the water, and seeing a GInormous whale jumping completely out of the water to make a fantastic splash.
Definitely incredible...and we've got great photos of it too! Definitely a perk of going early in the year...whale-watching.
Have fun!
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