Mahalo fellow travelers - Great Kauai vaction

Old Sep 15th, 2007, 04:38 PM
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Mahalo fellow travelers - Great Kauai vaction

Our first trip to Kauai. DH (John) and I had a 6:05 a.m. flight out of Portland, OR - ouch! But, we were prepared and were happy and excited when we got up at 3 a.m. Flew United using frequent flyer miles – and all went smoothly – we landed in Lihue at 11:30. I had reserved a compact rental car with Alamo – when we got to the counter they were out of compact cars but said we could pick out whatever standard size car we wanted. Neither of us cares much about cars – so I picked based on color – a light champagne gold 2006 Malibu.

We decided to immediately head to the north shore where we’d be spending the next seven days. I anticipated running into traffic along the way but we didn’t. I was surprised how quickly we got to Princeville. We were too early to check into our rental so we went to Hanalei Dolphin for lunch. We enjoyed our meals – a great way to start the vacation.

Next . . . on to our home base for the week. I’ll provide some background info here. I struggled for a long time to find the right rental of us. I was looking for a small cottage with authentic Hawaiian charm – and, while John likes that too, he also wanted a water view. I spent a ridiculous amount of time searching and found nothing (in our price range) on the north shore that had both – great aloha feeling and great water view.

We never stay in big resorts or condos - but, when I showed John photos of this place he was sold. Pali Ke Kua #226 – On the Point

http://www.kauaivacationrentals.com/static/70.html

So . . . as we left Hanalei Dolphin I was filled with anticipation wondering what we would find ahead. The kind of slightly nervous excitement you might have before a blind date – possibly some of you can relate. As soon as we started heading down the path to our unit I knew we were going to be very happy. The setting is truly spectacular. The web photos of the interior are very accurate. The setting and views are even better than pictured. What surprised me most is the feeling of privacy. The condo sits out on a point – and once inside you forget that you are part of a complex. You can’t see another PPK condo (except from one window in the bedroom – and even there you would have to stand far forward in the room to see and the other units are in the distance).

Because #226 is a corner unit there are lots of windows (even in both bathrooms) –excellent cross ventilation with great breezes on the bluff. We were never uncomfortably hot (I suspect the loft bedroom would be hot late afternoon but we only used that area to store luggage). The kitchen is fully stocked with quality appliances – nice bathrooms - a comfortable bed, binoculars, beach chairs and other extras. Personally, I’ll never understand wall-to-wall carpeting in the tropics (least of all white) – but it was clean and fit in well with the décor.

I can’t imagine anyone not loving this spot. Perfect for honeymooners – and equally appealing for elderly people or others with limited mobility. Note - there are some steps at the entrance, but once inside I can imagine enjoying a nice vacation just staying put (more or less) – sort of like being on a cruise ship. From the lanai you can watch the resident turtles in the cove below, see Hideaways beach, watch surfers, an occasional passing boat, have birds stopping by to visit – and incredible sunsets. Actually, we had a slightly hard time pulling ourselves away in the mornings for our daily beach outings – and, after several hours of exploring and snorkeling we were always happy to head home to rinse off and enjoy the views.

So . . . John and I spent the first ten minutes in the condo congratulating each other on our great selection. Then we quickly unpacked and headed to Foodland to buy some groceries. We didn’t check prices – we just bought what we needed (which wasn’t much since we planned to enjoy the restaurants). When we checked out they asked if we wanted to sign up for their frequent shopper card (which just involves giving a name, phone# and signature) and we’d save $15 on our first purchase. A good deal.

Then, back to the condo to scope out Hideways beach for future snorkeling. We fell asleep exhausted and happy – listening to the waves crashing below. We had to get up early the next morning for an important appointment . . . to be continued


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Old Sep 16th, 2007, 08:05 AM
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Glad you found a place that you liked - it looks great. Do you think it could comfortably accommodate 4 adults? We are considering taking a vacation with my parents (Mom's 85th birthday). Looking forward to the rest of your trip report.
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Old Sep 16th, 2007, 08:16 AM
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Great start! When are you going back? A bunch of us are planning a GTG in July 2009! Think about it.

I am glad the condo worked out so well. How long a walk was hideaways?
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Old Sep 16th, 2007, 08:45 AM
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More More more!!! I leave for the Big Island and Oahu in 3 days and this teaser has me wishing I had some time in that hell hole that is Kauai!
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Old Sep 16th, 2007, 02:29 PM
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Simbam – I think the condo works for four adults as long as you all get along. The loft would be fine for sleeping but I don’t think you’d want to hang out there much. The loft is fairly large (queen size bed) – but no ceiling fan up there, which is unfortunate. Nice bathroom. Not as private as having a true second bedroom – but probably private enough. I actually thought about the scenario you described – traveling with elderly parents – it would be ideal because you wouldn’t need to feel guilty about leaving them while you enjoyed adventures that they probably wouldn’t be up for. And, there are several good restaurants in Princeviile – within an easy 5 minute drive if your parents were up to going out to eat on their own.

Ahh – I hope my son takes us to Kauai when we’re 85! Good for you.
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Old Sep 16th, 2007, 02:34 PM
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Hi Bill – your Kauai recommendations were very helpful - mahalo. The private PKK path to Hideaways is two or three buildings over from where we stayed (very short walk). The path is mainly paved but steep – not a big deal for reasonably fit people. I plan to write about our snorkeling experiences in some detail – stay tuned.

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Old Sep 16th, 2007, 04:46 PM
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cm318, what a great start...can't wait to hear more! I love that your "blind date" turned out to be so perfect!

Do you have photos for us to see?

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Old Sep 17th, 2007, 04:54 AM
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Great start to your TR and I look forward to reading the rest, especially the snorkeling bits!
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Old Sep 17th, 2007, 10:18 AM
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Confession time. DH has always been D but not exactly been H in the legal sense of the word. I couldn’t write a true trip report without telling you one of our most special activities.

John and I have lived together for six years and often referred to one another as husband and wife - since boyfriend/girlfriend sound silly at 50+. While the legal aspect of our commitment was never that important – as we’ve gotten older things like healthcare, pension plans and taxes have become more of an issue. We planned to get married at some point but never got around to it. For some reason one night about 10 days before we left for Kauai I was playing around on the internet and googled – getting married in Kauai. I was surprised how easily it all fell together. When I found out they issued marriage licenses at the hair salon in Hanalei (how unconventional and funny is that) – we decided getting married in Hawaii was for us.

So . . . on the first day of our vacation we had an early morning appointment at the local hair salon.

I won’t go into much detail now – other than to say it was all fun and easy. Here is a step-by-step guide for anyone who might want to get married on the north shore.

• Download marriage license application.
http://www.hawaii.gov/health/vital-r...age/index.html
Read directions carefully – complete the form but don’t sign

• Call Dana Santos at Sheer Elegance Salon 808-826-7742 and make an appointment to get your license – bring $65 cash and ID

• Call Linda Pasadava at A Vow Exchange 808-828-0336 – I know there are other people that perform weddings in Kauai but she is who we used and she was perfectly nice. She performs and coordinates weddings of all sizes and is happy to handle no frills affairs too. Her minimum charge is $395 which in our case was rather steep since it took less than an hour of her time – but we figured it was about the same cost as a helicopter tour – more meaningful to us – and safer

Next – beaches and snorkeling


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Old Sep 17th, 2007, 11:31 AM
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hey congratulations!!!

yeah, it's easy. we got our marriage license from the liquor store in kapaa
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Old Sep 17th, 2007, 12:00 PM
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The first time we went to the Pono Market there was a couple getting their marriage license. It was very cute. Everyone in the store gave them a round of applause.
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Old Sep 17th, 2007, 01:20 PM
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Aww, that's a great story!
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Old Sep 17th, 2007, 01:57 PM
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cm318 Congratulations on your marriage!! I cannot wait to hear the rest of your trip report!
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Old Sep 17th, 2007, 03:54 PM
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lol, cm, when I read that you had a very important meeting the next morning I figured it was a timeshare presentation!!!!!!!!!!!

Yeeehaw...best wishes!!
 
Old Sep 17th, 2007, 04:26 PM
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Just a fabulous trip report/love story!!! Mahalo to you for sharing.....now on with it! LOL!
 
Old Sep 17th, 2007, 07:37 PM
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Snorkeling

Queen Emma’s Bath – As we headed out the door at 7:45 a.m. it was raining gently. We were not deterred -- and were happy to find that we were the first car in the parking lot. The trail was wet and slightly challenging in spots – we were glad we were wearing tevas. As we were walking it stopped raining and we enjoyed a beautiful rainbow.

The one thing about arriving someplace first is wondering if you’ve found the right spot. We were pretty certain we had so we dropped our bag – but we continued walking to see if there was something more promising ahead (Queen’s Bath is indeed a small pool). Once we satisfied ourselves that we had found the right spot – we returned - put on our masks and snorkels and jumped in. The visibility was amazing and much to our surprise there were many colorful fish (small in size but plentiful). We were entertained just floating around for nearly 45 minutes. Just as we were getting ready to get out another couple showed up (around 9:15). Immediately after that two other people arrived. On the trail on the way back to our car we passed a family carrying inflatable rafts and other pool toys – YIKES! We thoroughly enjoyed having Queen’s Bath all to ourselves. Sharing it with two or three other people would be OK – but any more than that would be uncomfortable (IMO). I’d recommend QB – don’t expect great snorkeling but the uniqueness of the place makes it special – just arrive early.

note: ocean conditions in Hawaii can change on a dime. We met an adventurous young couple our last day in Kauai and they were at QB two days after we were. They said big waves were crashing over the rocks and it was too dangerous to go in – there were lots of people standing around but no one in the water. So, we were lucky at Queen's Bath - but that wasn't the case everywhere.

Tunnels (Makua Beach) – What can I say that hasn’t already been said. A truly beautiful beach. We also got there early to secure a parking spot (no sleeping late on this vacation). We enjoyed the morning there but the visibility was poor (and the current was strong) so the snorkeling did not live up to its potential.

The ocean was warm. I’m a wimp when it comes to water temperature - it was the first time in years I’ve been in the ocean without wearing neoprene. I did wear a dive skin just because I’ve gotten use to having my body covered in the water – somehow it makes me feel safe.

Ke’e Beach (Ha’ena State Park) – Our favorite beach. This is where we had our best snorkeling experiences. We were able to gently make it over the reef (as gently as humanly possible – just skimming our bellies in a few spots) and enjoyed swimming with the turtles on the other side. A trip highlight was dropping over the reef and immediately seeing three turtles – one quite large. We stayed close to the outer reef. Heading back to shore we enjoyed seeing colorful wrasses, triggerfish and unicorn fish (among others). We felt very comfortable at Kees.

Snorkeling Part 2 to follow
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Old Sep 18th, 2007, 08:18 AM
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Congratulations cm318!! Great trip report - keep it coming. There should be a law against bringing pool toys to QueensBath.
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Old Sep 18th, 2007, 12:30 PM
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My first post. Getting married in Hawaii got my attention. My partner and I don't want a big deal wedding and were considering Las Vegas but Hawaii seems much better. Will you be writing about the actual wedding? Was it also in the hair salon? Any info would be appreciated -- we may actually do this. Thank you.
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Old Sep 18th, 2007, 02:17 PM
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sonora, it's fairly simple but i wouldn't wait till you get here and pick up the yellow pages. but then again, i've seen that too.

btw, most major hotels have hair salons

sounds fun. best of luck to you and your partner...
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Old Sep 18th, 2007, 04:33 PM
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Snorkeling Part 2

As I mentioned – for us Kee’s was the best. Possibly we were being ultra conservative. We never ventured far from shore – I was always aware of our location – and kept checking the current. With all that has been written about potentially dangerous conditions – and warning signs posted everywhere – we were cautious. While snorkeling on isolated beaches may sound romantic – I believe there is some safety in numbers so we didn’t swim where there weren’t other people. I am an experienced scuba diver and normally feel very relaxed and confident in the water – but the waters around Kauai had me very tentative. I didn’t feel that way on the BI three years ago. But, I believe in following my instincts – so we were very careful. I think September can be a transition month – with an occasional preview of winter conditions. It wasn’t bad – but certainly not like the Caribbean.

While planning this trip I imagined snorkeling at Hideaways often (since it is easily accessed from Pali Ke Kua – no driving required) – and we walked down there twice with the intentions of snorkeling – but both times decided the surf was too rough. Interesting that we never saw anyone snorkeling there during our week (and we could see the beach from our lanai) – so possibly we weren’t the only people that thought the conditions were too rough. (don’t let our experience discourage you from trying Hideaways – I know it is a favorite spot for many).

We snorkeled at Sealodge beach one day – it was ok – we saw an eel there (classic eel - head sticking out of a hole, mouth opening and closing) and small schools of needlefish. And, one day we drove to the south shore with the intentions of eating at Roys – but instead we found ourselves snorkeling at Lawai beach which was also ok (large parrotfish there as well as butterflyfish, tangs, etc.) but then it got crowded with a large tour group and other people doing snuba. And, yes – we got to see all of the construction on the south coast – not pretty.

Prior to leaving for Kauai I considered making reservations for a catamaran snorkeling trip – but wasn’t sure which day we would want to go – or if we’d want to do it at all. John is not a fan of being bounced around on boats. Then, our first morning at Kees we saw several boats pass by. Each stopped briefly in front of the beach – and all of them had people packed in like sardines. John almost got sick just watching the boats bobbing up and down. He thanked me for not committing to a boat trip. Actually, after seeing all of the people crowded in - I don’t think I would have enjoyed it much either.

BTW – I heard that Na Pali Catamaran was fully booked until early Oct. (three weeks out) – so if you have your heart set on a boat trip – book early.

Next – food . . . wonderful food . . .
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