Craig and Jeane Visit Kauai 2010, a Trip Report
Oct 25th, 2010, 11:19 AM
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Craig and Jeane Visit Kauai 2010, a Trip Report
Jeane and I are a couple in our mid-50’s from Connecticut. We have traveled extensively over the years. You can check out where we have been by clicking on my name and bringing up my profile. With a big October anniversary to celebrate, we decided to return to Hawaii where we spent our honeymoon 20 years ago. We chose the island of Kauai because we visited Oahu, Maui and the Big Island on our first trip. We could only allow ourselves 6 nights (5 full days) “on the ground” this time in contrast to the 2 weeks we had on our honeymoon. What follows is my rather detailed report on how we got to Kauai and how we spent our 5 days on the island.
First off, let me thank those on this forum (and my friends on the Asia Board that posted here) for their helpful advice as I was laying out our itinerary. We managed to pack in quite a bit in our brief time on Kauai because of your suggestions.
GETTING THERE AND BACK
While we considered United and Continental flights, we found that our best deal was with Alaska Airlines. On the Air Travel board, I found out about a deal where we could get a free companion ticket by applying for an Alaska Airlines Visa card. I did this and purchased 2 first class tickets for the price of 2 economy tickets. We could fly from either Newark or Boston so I chose Newark.
Since our flight departed at 7:35 am, we decided to head to the airport the night before. This wound up being a great deal - we stayed at the Newark Airport Wyndham Garden Hotel for $142.50, including taxes and parking for 9 days. This recently refurbished hotel was spotlessly clean and extremely quiet - I found it on Tripadvisor. The airport-hotel shuttle runs regularly (every 20-30 minutes) and for our departure, the driver took us directly to our terminal, about a 5 minute ride.
Alaska flies directly from Newark to Seattle and then from Seattle to Lihue, Kauai. Each flight is about 6 hours with a 6 hour layover in between. We spent the Seattle layover in the comfortable Alaska Airlines executive lounge (“The Board Room”). With free Wi-Fi, free booze and an assortment of snacks and soups, the time went fairly quickly. Alaska Airlines uses 737’s on these routes which provide seating for 16 up front in standard domestic first class seats. Breakfast was served on the first flight and dinner on the second. Free drinks were available throughout both flights. DigEplayers with preloaded movies, TV shows, music and games were provided to first class passengers free-of-charge. The flight attendants were helpful and friendly.
On the return, our flight from Lihue departed at 8:05 am and arrived in Seattle at 4:39 pm, requiring an overnight stay until our 9 am departure to Newark. Our airport hotel was the Hampton Inn. I called for the airport-hotel shuttle on my cell phone and it arrived at the terminal in 5 minutes to pick us up. We had dinner at Dave’s Diner, about 1/2 mile from the hotel - the shuttle took us there as well. The diner was a sort of funky upscale place offering an assortment of sandwiches and heavier entrees, along with a selection of beers and wines by the glass. We enjoyed the experience - it was quite reasonable, too. The Hampton was okay - the bathroom was tiny but functional, sound insulation from the airport was not great and the fan for the HVAC system switched on and off all night long (it could not be set to run continuously). For the return to the airport we had to wait about 20 minutes for the shuttle to arrive due to very slow early morning traffic. We arrived in Newark at 5:28 pm. For the return we had to take the AirTrain from our terminal to the pick-up point for the airport-hotel shuttle before taking the shuttle to the Wyndham Garden Hotel to get our car. We returned to Connecticut that evening.
KAUAI COAST RESORT
The full name is actually “The Kauai Coast Resort at the Beach Boy” - I’m not sure why but that’s what it is. Anyway, it is actually a time-share condo complex that rents to non-owners. It is perfectly situated on the east coast in Kapa’a, halfway between the sights to the north and the sights to the south and west. We had the “Go Green” rate of $209.60 night, including tax. “Go Green” means that housekeeping doesn’t make your bed, vacuum the floor or wipe the counter tops. They did however replace bath and beach towels, empty the trash and replace the sundries every day. The only downsides to our experience were that our king bed mattress was rather soft and our shower was kind of dated. Other than those minor details, this was the perfect place for us - double sinks in the bathroom, washer and dryer, fully equipped kitchen that allowed us to have a healthy breakfast every morning, plenty of storage space for our stuff, flat-screen TV’s in the bedroom and living areas and a view of the ocean from the full length deck. Sundries like Kona coffee filter packs, dish washing detergent, laundry detergent, soap, shampoo and beach towels were provided so we really didn’t have to purchase anything except some food items. The hotel staff left messages on the voice-mail system on three consecutive mornings to try to arrange a time-share pitch. We were never around when they wanted to do it so we didn't bother to return their calls. We were on the 3rd floor so there was no noise from overhead. There is no elevator here but the steps are easy to navigate, even with luggage.
http://www.shellhospitality.com/hotels/kauai_coast_resort/index.html?$ctxid=_1287919979956
There is a restaurant, Hukilau Lanai within the complex where we had dinner twice - more about that later. There is also a shopping mall, Coconut Marketplace on the grounds with a convenient general store and several boutiques. There are 3 major supermarkets nearby - we stopped at the closest one, Foodland for milk, wine and OJ. You can get the store discount if you provide a phone number to the cashier (there is no need to apply for a discount card).
RENTAL CAR
We rented a Ford Mustang convertible from Dollar at the weekly rate of $443, including taxes. The car had low mileage, functioned well and was easy to pick up and return.
DAY ONE: WAIMEA CANYON
We had intended to get up before sunrise and get going but we didn’t sleep at all on the plane. So we set out at about 9 am, driving all the way to the Pu’u o Kila Lookout at the end of the main canyon road. It took us about 3 hours to get there from our hotel. We were never alone on the roads in Kauai but traffic generally moved along. Our plan was to go out from Waimea and return through Kekaha and stop at all of the lookouts as we worked our way back. The plan worked well and the views of both the canyon and the Na Pali Coast were spectacular.
We had wanted to do a hike down into the canyon but there was not enough time, given that we slept in. I also needed to allow enough time for Jeane to shop on the way back. The shopping was moderately productive. We stopped in Hannapepe where Jeane picked up a colorful necklace. The town has seen better days, we were too early for the “sunshine” market and it seems the galleries are only really active on Friday nights - it was a nice break anyway. From there we continued about 6 miles east to the Hawaiian Trading Post at Lawai. This is kind of a one-stop shopping place for all things Hawaiian. Jeane checked out their beautiful Nihau shell necklaces but the colors weren’t right for her. I picked up a Hawaiian shirt - they had an excellent selection. My Rotary club is doing a tropical-themed food and wine tasting next February and it will be perfect for that. Next we stopped at the huge Kauai Nursery and Landscaping place outside of Lihue - Jeane wanted to check out the orchids since she grows them at home. Unfortunately, the selection wasn’t that great. In Lihue, we stoped at Walmart for Kona coffee and macadamia nuts for my assistants at the office.
We were back at the hotel for a cocktail and an early dinner at Hukilau Lanai to sample their tasting menu, available between 5 and 6 pm. The food was fantastic as was our server - you can view the menu here (it doesn’t change much):
http://www.hukilaukauai.com/menu-tasting.php
This restaurant has a wonderful atmosphere, especially after dark when they light up all the tiki torches in front of the pool. We sat outside on the lanai - much preferred to the indoor seating.
Jeane decided to check out the Coconut Marketplace and I headed back to the room. We both turned in fairly early.
MORE TO COME
First off, let me thank those on this forum (and my friends on the Asia Board that posted here) for their helpful advice as I was laying out our itinerary. We managed to pack in quite a bit in our brief time on Kauai because of your suggestions.
GETTING THERE AND BACK
While we considered United and Continental flights, we found that our best deal was with Alaska Airlines. On the Air Travel board, I found out about a deal where we could get a free companion ticket by applying for an Alaska Airlines Visa card. I did this and purchased 2 first class tickets for the price of 2 economy tickets. We could fly from either Newark or Boston so I chose Newark.
Since our flight departed at 7:35 am, we decided to head to the airport the night before. This wound up being a great deal - we stayed at the Newark Airport Wyndham Garden Hotel for $142.50, including taxes and parking for 9 days. This recently refurbished hotel was spotlessly clean and extremely quiet - I found it on Tripadvisor. The airport-hotel shuttle runs regularly (every 20-30 minutes) and for our departure, the driver took us directly to our terminal, about a 5 minute ride.
Alaska flies directly from Newark to Seattle and then from Seattle to Lihue, Kauai. Each flight is about 6 hours with a 6 hour layover in between. We spent the Seattle layover in the comfortable Alaska Airlines executive lounge (“The Board Room”). With free Wi-Fi, free booze and an assortment of snacks and soups, the time went fairly quickly. Alaska Airlines uses 737’s on these routes which provide seating for 16 up front in standard domestic first class seats. Breakfast was served on the first flight and dinner on the second. Free drinks were available throughout both flights. DigEplayers with preloaded movies, TV shows, music and games were provided to first class passengers free-of-charge. The flight attendants were helpful and friendly.
On the return, our flight from Lihue departed at 8:05 am and arrived in Seattle at 4:39 pm, requiring an overnight stay until our 9 am departure to Newark. Our airport hotel was the Hampton Inn. I called for the airport-hotel shuttle on my cell phone and it arrived at the terminal in 5 minutes to pick us up. We had dinner at Dave’s Diner, about 1/2 mile from the hotel - the shuttle took us there as well. The diner was a sort of funky upscale place offering an assortment of sandwiches and heavier entrees, along with a selection of beers and wines by the glass. We enjoyed the experience - it was quite reasonable, too. The Hampton was okay - the bathroom was tiny but functional, sound insulation from the airport was not great and the fan for the HVAC system switched on and off all night long (it could not be set to run continuously). For the return to the airport we had to wait about 20 minutes for the shuttle to arrive due to very slow early morning traffic. We arrived in Newark at 5:28 pm. For the return we had to take the AirTrain from our terminal to the pick-up point for the airport-hotel shuttle before taking the shuttle to the Wyndham Garden Hotel to get our car. We returned to Connecticut that evening.
KAUAI COAST RESORT
The full name is actually “The Kauai Coast Resort at the Beach Boy” - I’m not sure why but that’s what it is. Anyway, it is actually a time-share condo complex that rents to non-owners. It is perfectly situated on the east coast in Kapa’a, halfway between the sights to the north and the sights to the south and west. We had the “Go Green” rate of $209.60 night, including tax. “Go Green” means that housekeeping doesn’t make your bed, vacuum the floor or wipe the counter tops. They did however replace bath and beach towels, empty the trash and replace the sundries every day. The only downsides to our experience were that our king bed mattress was rather soft and our shower was kind of dated. Other than those minor details, this was the perfect place for us - double sinks in the bathroom, washer and dryer, fully equipped kitchen that allowed us to have a healthy breakfast every morning, plenty of storage space for our stuff, flat-screen TV’s in the bedroom and living areas and a view of the ocean from the full length deck. Sundries like Kona coffee filter packs, dish washing detergent, laundry detergent, soap, shampoo and beach towels were provided so we really didn’t have to purchase anything except some food items. The hotel staff left messages on the voice-mail system on three consecutive mornings to try to arrange a time-share pitch. We were never around when they wanted to do it so we didn't bother to return their calls. We were on the 3rd floor so there was no noise from overhead. There is no elevator here but the steps are easy to navigate, even with luggage.
http://www.shellhospitality.com/hotels/kauai_coast_resort/index.html?$ctxid=_1287919979956
There is a restaurant, Hukilau Lanai within the complex where we had dinner twice - more about that later. There is also a shopping mall, Coconut Marketplace on the grounds with a convenient general store and several boutiques. There are 3 major supermarkets nearby - we stopped at the closest one, Foodland for milk, wine and OJ. You can get the store discount if you provide a phone number to the cashier (there is no need to apply for a discount card).
RENTAL CAR
We rented a Ford Mustang convertible from Dollar at the weekly rate of $443, including taxes. The car had low mileage, functioned well and was easy to pick up and return.
DAY ONE: WAIMEA CANYON
We had intended to get up before sunrise and get going but we didn’t sleep at all on the plane. So we set out at about 9 am, driving all the way to the Pu’u o Kila Lookout at the end of the main canyon road. It took us about 3 hours to get there from our hotel. We were never alone on the roads in Kauai but traffic generally moved along. Our plan was to go out from Waimea and return through Kekaha and stop at all of the lookouts as we worked our way back. The plan worked well and the views of both the canyon and the Na Pali Coast were spectacular.
We had wanted to do a hike down into the canyon but there was not enough time, given that we slept in. I also needed to allow enough time for Jeane to shop on the way back. The shopping was moderately productive. We stopped in Hannapepe where Jeane picked up a colorful necklace. The town has seen better days, we were too early for the “sunshine” market and it seems the galleries are only really active on Friday nights - it was a nice break anyway. From there we continued about 6 miles east to the Hawaiian Trading Post at Lawai. This is kind of a one-stop shopping place for all things Hawaiian. Jeane checked out their beautiful Nihau shell necklaces but the colors weren’t right for her. I picked up a Hawaiian shirt - they had an excellent selection. My Rotary club is doing a tropical-themed food and wine tasting next February and it will be perfect for that. Next we stopped at the huge Kauai Nursery and Landscaping place outside of Lihue - Jeane wanted to check out the orchids since she grows them at home. Unfortunately, the selection wasn’t that great. In Lihue, we stoped at Walmart for Kona coffee and macadamia nuts for my assistants at the office.
We were back at the hotel for a cocktail and an early dinner at Hukilau Lanai to sample their tasting menu, available between 5 and 6 pm. The food was fantastic as was our server - you can view the menu here (it doesn’t change much):
http://www.hukilaukauai.com/menu-tasting.php
This restaurant has a wonderful atmosphere, especially after dark when they light up all the tiki torches in front of the pool. We sat outside on the lanai - much preferred to the indoor seating.
Jeane decided to check out the Coconut Marketplace and I headed back to the room. We both turned in fairly early.
MORE TO COME
Oct 25th, 2010, 12:19 PM
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Great start Craig! I told you it was an older hotel. We used to stay there with our children over twenty years ago. I had forgotten about the Hukilau Lanai. Eating in those old restaurants at night really does exude the Hawaiian atmosphere and with good entertainment can really be nice. Happy it worked out for you.
So Jeane found the Niihau Shell necklaces,lol. They are Linda's favorites too but oh so expensive! You are lucky she didn't find the right color. You know after meeting her in Boston I am convinced she and Linda are twin personalities,lol.
Can't wait for more and to see the pictures!
Aloha!
So Jeane found the Niihau Shell necklaces,lol. They are Linda's favorites too but oh so expensive! You are lucky she didn't find the right color. You know after meeting her in Boston I am convinced she and Linda are twin personalities,lol.
Can't wait for more and to see the pictures!
Aloha!
Oct 25th, 2010, 01:22 PM
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Day Two: Na Aina Kai Botanical Gardens and a Helicopter Tour Cut Short
The not-for-profit Na Aina Kai Botanical Gardens are (is?) relatively new to Kauai - they have only been open to the public for about 10 years and are only accessible via guided tour. There are a number of tours available and we opted for the 9 am “stroll and ride” tour, which is a 3-hour tour, half on foot (through the Formal Gardens) and half on board one of their motorized carriages (through the Wild Forest Gardens). The gardens are located on the north shore near Kilauea, about a 1/2 hour from Kapa’a. We arrived in time for check-in at 8:45.
We had a wonderful guide and a fabulous tour of these amazing gardens. While the price of the tour was steep - $40 per person, it was worth every penny. There are actually 13 different gardens situated among 240 acres of forest and farmland. Interspersed amongst the gardens are over 90 beautiful bronze sculptures. The views of the ocean and beaches from the gardens are amazing. Jeane particularly enjoyed the photographic opportunities presented by many of the unique species of plants on display here. I will post some of these on our photo website shortly. Our tour actually lasted about 3-1/2 hours as we had an enthusiastic group of 8 and our guide was anxious that we get our money’s worth. This is a must-do for anyone that enjoys public gardens:
http://www.naainakai.org/
Check-in time for our helicopter tour was 2:30 pm so we headed down to Lihue. We arrived in Lihue a bit early so we stopped at Two Frogs Hugging, a furniture store that Jeane had seen on the main road the previous day. It was a big place with a lot of neat stuff but soon it was time to head over to Jack Harter Helicopters.
We chose Jack Harter because they have 4-passenger doors-off helicopters, which are better for photography. As we were checking in, we were informed that the only thing we could bring with us was a camera and a light jacket - we had to empty our pockets, lock our valuables in our car and leave the keys at the office. They didn’t want to take any chances on us losing something during our ride. By 3:15 we were checked-in, briefed, shuttled to the airport and strapped into our seats in our helicopter, ready to go. Jeane sat up front on the right and I sat in the rear on the left. The pilot sits up front on the left and there was another passenger, a woman between them. Her husband sat in back to my right. Each of us had a set of headphones so that we could all speak to one another and so the pilot could narrate our trip. We took off and headed across the southern part of the island. We had barely gotten going, about 10-15 minutes when the pilot announced that we had to return to the airport. A warning light had come on and he didn’t want to take any chances. After a moment or two, it dawned on us all that we wouldn’t be flying any more that day and would have to reschedule. What a disappointment.
Fortunately, I had built some flexibility into our planning, knowing that these things do happen. Our entire afternoon was pretty much shot, however. We rescheduled for the same time, 2 days later. Jeane wanted to do a little more looking around at Two Frogs Hugging so we returned there and then continued back to Kapa’a for a cocktail. Along the way I listened to the Yankees-Rangers playoff game on the radio - the 6 hour time difference made it easy to catch the “night” game in the afternoon. We decided to try a Mexican place for dinner that night which received really good reviews on Tripadvisor - Verde Restaurant. I was kind of surprised that it was a very small storefront take-out operation. However, the food was awesome and the margaritas were great. I had the fish tacos with rice and beans and Jeane had the pork tacos:
http://www.verdehawaii.com/
Back to the condo to relax and reflect on the day.
MORE TO COME TOMORROW.
The not-for-profit Na Aina Kai Botanical Gardens are (is?) relatively new to Kauai - they have only been open to the public for about 10 years and are only accessible via guided tour. There are a number of tours available and we opted for the 9 am “stroll and ride” tour, which is a 3-hour tour, half on foot (through the Formal Gardens) and half on board one of their motorized carriages (through the Wild Forest Gardens). The gardens are located on the north shore near Kilauea, about a 1/2 hour from Kapa’a. We arrived in time for check-in at 8:45.
We had a wonderful guide and a fabulous tour of these amazing gardens. While the price of the tour was steep - $40 per person, it was worth every penny. There are actually 13 different gardens situated among 240 acres of forest and farmland. Interspersed amongst the gardens are over 90 beautiful bronze sculptures. The views of the ocean and beaches from the gardens are amazing. Jeane particularly enjoyed the photographic opportunities presented by many of the unique species of plants on display here. I will post some of these on our photo website shortly. Our tour actually lasted about 3-1/2 hours as we had an enthusiastic group of 8 and our guide was anxious that we get our money’s worth. This is a must-do for anyone that enjoys public gardens:
http://www.naainakai.org/
Check-in time for our helicopter tour was 2:30 pm so we headed down to Lihue. We arrived in Lihue a bit early so we stopped at Two Frogs Hugging, a furniture store that Jeane had seen on the main road the previous day. It was a big place with a lot of neat stuff but soon it was time to head over to Jack Harter Helicopters.
We chose Jack Harter because they have 4-passenger doors-off helicopters, which are better for photography. As we were checking in, we were informed that the only thing we could bring with us was a camera and a light jacket - we had to empty our pockets, lock our valuables in our car and leave the keys at the office. They didn’t want to take any chances on us losing something during our ride. By 3:15 we were checked-in, briefed, shuttled to the airport and strapped into our seats in our helicopter, ready to go. Jeane sat up front on the right and I sat in the rear on the left. The pilot sits up front on the left and there was another passenger, a woman between them. Her husband sat in back to my right. Each of us had a set of headphones so that we could all speak to one another and so the pilot could narrate our trip. We took off and headed across the southern part of the island. We had barely gotten going, about 10-15 minutes when the pilot announced that we had to return to the airport. A warning light had come on and he didn’t want to take any chances. After a moment or two, it dawned on us all that we wouldn’t be flying any more that day and would have to reschedule. What a disappointment.
Fortunately, I had built some flexibility into our planning, knowing that these things do happen. Our entire afternoon was pretty much shot, however. We rescheduled for the same time, 2 days later. Jeane wanted to do a little more looking around at Two Frogs Hugging so we returned there and then continued back to Kapa’a for a cocktail. Along the way I listened to the Yankees-Rangers playoff game on the radio - the 6 hour time difference made it easy to catch the “night” game in the afternoon. We decided to try a Mexican place for dinner that night which received really good reviews on Tripadvisor - Verde Restaurant. I was kind of surprised that it was a very small storefront take-out operation. However, the food was awesome and the margaritas were great. I had the fish tacos with rice and beans and Jeane had the pork tacos:
http://www.verdehawaii.com/
Back to the condo to relax and reflect on the day.
MORE TO COME TOMORROW.
Oct 26th, 2010, 11:10 AM
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DAY THREE: A SHORT HIKE ON THE KALALAU TRAIL, DRIVING THE NORTH SHORE AND A HORSEBACK RIDE
We set out at 8 am towards the north shore so we could get to the end of the highway at Ke’e Beach and the Kalalau trail-head before the parking lot filled up. I think we took the last available space. For those that aren’t so lucky, there is an overflow lot a short distance up the road. The drive itself was beautiful in contrast with anything we had done previously on the island - narrow winding roads, one-lane bridges and lush vegetation all around. Our plan once we arrived, was to hike the Kalalau trail to the viewpoint where you can see the coast in both directions. We had received some advice before we left that the trail was slippery and that the wet red dirt would permanently stain our hiking boots. We had considered wearing water shoes but decided against it at the last minute because we later heard that the north shore had not been receiving a lot of rain. It was the right decision. The Kalalau trail is rocky and we concluded that hiking boots were a necessity (at least for us old folks). There was a sign at the trail head with the hiking times to the various destinations along the trail - 25 minutes to our lookout point, more time to the beach and the waterfall beyond. It took us about 20 minutes along the steep trail to make it to the lookout point. The views there were terrific but it was quite windy - I think the locals call it "Windy Point". It would have been nice to continue down to the beach and the waterfall but that would have killed the better part of the day for us. We had spoken to many that had taken the time to do the longer hike but perhaps they weren’t into shopping, botanical gardens or trying to see the entire island...
We could see people attempting to snorkel off Ke’e beach but the water looked pretty rough. We have snorkeled a lot but have never enjoyed doing it in turbulent waters, so we gave it a pass. Our next stop was Limahuli Gardens, about 5 minutes down the road - it was great that we could do a self-guided tour there. We also got some more exercise walking the gardens' steep paths. The focus of the Gardens is on plants that are native to Hawaii or are culturally significant to Hawaiians - a very interesting place in a beautiful setting.
Continuing on, we stopped at the town of Hanalei. Shave ice is a staple here and we took advantage, stopping for a multicolored icy treat over macadamia nut ice cream. Jeane actually wanted to order a second serving because it was so delicious, but I gave her some of mine which seemed to satisfy her. After-wards, we checked out the stores and dodged a very light rain. The Yankees were playing again so checked the score frequently on my cell - no radio coverage on this end of the island. Further down the road was Princeville - really just a small shopping mall next to the resort there. Jeane really liked the Walking in Paradise store. She found a purse she liked but unfortunately she couldn't purchase the matching hat because it was soiled. As luck would have it, their sister store, the Sandal Tree at the Hyatt in Poipu had one in good condition. We would be traveling to Poipu the next day, so the store clerk called over and put it on hold.
Next stop was the lighthouse at Kilauea. While pretty from a distance, it was not so great up close. There was a nice upscale shop with treasures from all over Asia along the road to the lighthouse with many interesting things for sale. We did not make any purchases, however.
Check-in was 3 pm for our 3:30 pm 1-1/2 hour horseback ride at Silver Falls Ranch. We are fairly experienced horseback riders and had communicated our skill level as intermediate (comfortable with trot and canter) when registering on line. I assumed that we would be put with people with an equivalent experience level. We were not, so it turned out to be a very disappointing ride. That being said, Silver Falls Ranch is a first class operation. When I wrote and advised them of our dissatisfaction, they responded with an offer for a full refund, no questions asked - can’t do much better than that.
Our dinner in Kapa’a that night was at the East Side, an excellent restaurant in the old part of town. Jeane had the seared ono and I had the roasted mahi-mahi. Both were excellent. The menu doesn’t change much here but that doesn’t matter if you only go there once. Our server got busy (it was a Saturday night) and we never received a dessert that Jeane ordered. Other than that, it was a great experience augmented by an excellent progressive rock duo that played in the background.
http://www.theeastsidekauai.com/
We were originally going to walk around a bit after dinner but it didn't seem that there was much going on. We headed back to the resort and bed.
MORE TO COME.
We set out at 8 am towards the north shore so we could get to the end of the highway at Ke’e Beach and the Kalalau trail-head before the parking lot filled up. I think we took the last available space. For those that aren’t so lucky, there is an overflow lot a short distance up the road. The drive itself was beautiful in contrast with anything we had done previously on the island - narrow winding roads, one-lane bridges and lush vegetation all around. Our plan once we arrived, was to hike the Kalalau trail to the viewpoint where you can see the coast in both directions. We had received some advice before we left that the trail was slippery and that the wet red dirt would permanently stain our hiking boots. We had considered wearing water shoes but decided against it at the last minute because we later heard that the north shore had not been receiving a lot of rain. It was the right decision. The Kalalau trail is rocky and we concluded that hiking boots were a necessity (at least for us old folks). There was a sign at the trail head with the hiking times to the various destinations along the trail - 25 minutes to our lookout point, more time to the beach and the waterfall beyond. It took us about 20 minutes along the steep trail to make it to the lookout point. The views there were terrific but it was quite windy - I think the locals call it "Windy Point". It would have been nice to continue down to the beach and the waterfall but that would have killed the better part of the day for us. We had spoken to many that had taken the time to do the longer hike but perhaps they weren’t into shopping, botanical gardens or trying to see the entire island...
We could see people attempting to snorkel off Ke’e beach but the water looked pretty rough. We have snorkeled a lot but have never enjoyed doing it in turbulent waters, so we gave it a pass. Our next stop was Limahuli Gardens, about 5 minutes down the road - it was great that we could do a self-guided tour there. We also got some more exercise walking the gardens' steep paths. The focus of the Gardens is on plants that are native to Hawaii or are culturally significant to Hawaiians - a very interesting place in a beautiful setting.
Continuing on, we stopped at the town of Hanalei. Shave ice is a staple here and we took advantage, stopping for a multicolored icy treat over macadamia nut ice cream. Jeane actually wanted to order a second serving because it was so delicious, but I gave her some of mine which seemed to satisfy her. After-wards, we checked out the stores and dodged a very light rain. The Yankees were playing again so checked the score frequently on my cell - no radio coverage on this end of the island. Further down the road was Princeville - really just a small shopping mall next to the resort there. Jeane really liked the Walking in Paradise store. She found a purse she liked but unfortunately she couldn't purchase the matching hat because it was soiled. As luck would have it, their sister store, the Sandal Tree at the Hyatt in Poipu had one in good condition. We would be traveling to Poipu the next day, so the store clerk called over and put it on hold.
Next stop was the lighthouse at Kilauea. While pretty from a distance, it was not so great up close. There was a nice upscale shop with treasures from all over Asia along the road to the lighthouse with many interesting things for sale. We did not make any purchases, however.
Check-in was 3 pm for our 3:30 pm 1-1/2 hour horseback ride at Silver Falls Ranch. We are fairly experienced horseback riders and had communicated our skill level as intermediate (comfortable with trot and canter) when registering on line. I assumed that we would be put with people with an equivalent experience level. We were not, so it turned out to be a very disappointing ride. That being said, Silver Falls Ranch is a first class operation. When I wrote and advised them of our dissatisfaction, they responded with an offer for a full refund, no questions asked - can’t do much better than that.
Our dinner in Kapa’a that night was at the East Side, an excellent restaurant in the old part of town. Jeane had the seared ono and I had the roasted mahi-mahi. Both were excellent. The menu doesn’t change much here but that doesn’t matter if you only go there once. Our server got busy (it was a Saturday night) and we never received a dessert that Jeane ordered. Other than that, it was a great experience augmented by an excellent progressive rock duo that played in the background.
http://www.theeastsidekauai.com/
We were originally going to walk around a bit after dinner but it didn't seem that there was much going on. We headed back to the resort and bed.
MORE TO COME.
Oct 26th, 2010, 01:08 PM
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Great report! looking forward to the "more to come"!!
Glad you enjoyed Hukilau Lanai and the road to Ke'e Beach. It is so gorgeous and lush and "country" isnt it?
Now you'll have to re-rent "Body Heat" to see contemplative Kathleen Turner, in that last scene,filmed near Ke'e/Tunnels.
Love reading all the details, and me being a shopper...mahalo/thanks for the info on your wife's finds.
Great choice to stay in Kapaa. I love staying in that area--it is convenient for both sides of the island.. Kalkahuna, one of the infamous
Fodors Kauai regulars visits every January for yrs, and swears by the area as well.
Say, I didn't realize from the Asia/India Forum that you and Jeanne are from the Nutmeg State! I used to live in Prospect nr Waterbury, about 45 minutes from you.
Glad you enjoyed Hukilau Lanai and the road to Ke'e Beach. It is so gorgeous and lush and "country" isnt it?
Now you'll have to re-rent "Body Heat" to see contemplative Kathleen Turner, in that last scene,filmed near Ke'e/Tunnels.
Love reading all the details, and me being a shopper...mahalo/thanks for the info on your wife's finds.
Great choice to stay in Kapaa. I love staying in that area--it is convenient for both sides of the island.. Kalkahuna, one of the infamous
Fodors Kauai regulars visits every January for yrs, and swears by the area as well.Say, I didn't realize from the Asia/India Forum that you and Jeanne are from the Nutmeg State! I used to live in Prospect nr Waterbury, about 45 minutes from you.
Oct 26th, 2010, 01:21 PM
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Cali - glad to know someone is still following along. I will have to re-rent "Body Heat" - didn't realize it was filmed there.
DAY FOUR: WAILUA FALLS, POIPU AND ENVIRONS, AND HELICOPTER TOUR, PART II
We had fallen into a routine of getting going by 8 am and day four was no exception. The first stop was Wailua Falls, a short drive off the highway at Lihue. These are probably the easiest falls to visit on Kauai - drive up and you are there. We took a couple of photos and moved on.
Leaving the main highway and heading towards Poipu, we passed through the “Tunnel of Trees”, 500 eucalyptus trees that were planted on both sides of the road by a cattle rancher about 150 years ago - very impressive. We took the road that bypasses Koloa and intersects Poipu Road, heading east towards the Hyatt. Continuing past the Hyatt, we came to a dusty dirt road which took us onto semi-private land. The road curved inland a bit, then looped back toward the coast. We followed it for several minutes until we could go no further. It is about a 2 mile drive. It seemed longer since we drove very slowly on account of to the condition of the road. Along the way we passed through a gate with a sign warning us that we should by out by 6 PM or we would be locked in and our car towed. We had reached the entrance to Mahaulepu Beach, an idyllic, almost deserted stretch of sand. There was a parking lot near the end but we took our car a little further so we could park at a trail head that would lead us to beautiful sandstone cliffs overlooking the ocean’s pounding surf. Along the way we saw weather-sculpted rock formations, a couple of blow-holes, and the effects of thousands of years of erosion. This is the most pristine accessible area on the south shore of Kauai and was well worth the 1-1/2 hours we spent here hiking and exploring.
After our little hike, we headed to the Grand Hyatt to check it out and visit the boutiques within. This is one of the more beautiful hotel settings we had ever seen and if we had wanted to stay at a huge resort on Kauai, this would have been the one. It was easy to picture what dining at the Tidepools Restaurant would be like in its setting amongst the koi ponds with the tiki torches all lit up at night. That being said, everything about this hotel was stunningly artificial compared to the natural beauty that can be found all over the island - just an observation, not really a criticism. Hyatt actually did a great job here. After touring the grounds, we stopped at the Sandal Tree boutique so that Jeane could purchase her purse. She also picked up a pair of shoes while she was there.
After leaving the Hyatt, we spent time poking around the two big shopping malls - Poipu Shopping Village and Kukuiula Village Shopping Center. Lots of interesting places for Jeane to look around. Afterward, Jeane was having a craving for shave ice. I thought that if it was available anywhere on the south shore, we could find it in the little town of Koloa. Sure enough, there was a place right in the center - I forget the name. We ordered pretty much the same as we had had the previous day - shave ice over macadamia nut ice cream. While it was satisfying, it was not as good as the shave ice we enjoyed in Hanalei.
Back to Jack Harter Helicopters - same routine as before but this time Jeane is seated in the rear on the left and I am in the rear on the right. For anyone reading this that does not know, the all of the helicopter tours run clockwise around the island, so it is better to be on the right. Also, even though we were in an open door helicopter, the seats up front give you a broader view (the entire front of the helicopter is glass). That being said, I had a great tour, got some nice photos and was pretty happy. Jeane was not. Now Jack Harter, like the Silverfalls Ranch is a first-class operation and you will probably think that all I do is beat up on tour providers after I tell you this but there were other issues that I won’t go into because, bottom line - we were refunded half of the fare (which is not cheap at $259pp and I told them I wouldn’t elaborate on our experience). What I will tell you is that you can’t “do” Kauai without doing a helicopter tour and quite honestly, the open-door experience is awesome and the Jack Harter folks are very good at their craft.
So that leads us back to Kapa’a and another fabulous dinner on the Lanai at Hukilau Lanai. We had reservations for 6 pm so we ordered from the main menu - I don’t recall what we ordered but it was all good and cost almost exactly the same ($100 with tip) as with the tasting menu. We returned to our room afterward knowing we would need to get going a little earlier the next day.
DAY FOUR: WAILUA FALLS, POIPU AND ENVIRONS, AND HELICOPTER TOUR, PART II
We had fallen into a routine of getting going by 8 am and day four was no exception. The first stop was Wailua Falls, a short drive off the highway at Lihue. These are probably the easiest falls to visit on Kauai - drive up and you are there. We took a couple of photos and moved on.
Leaving the main highway and heading towards Poipu, we passed through the “Tunnel of Trees”, 500 eucalyptus trees that were planted on both sides of the road by a cattle rancher about 150 years ago - very impressive. We took the road that bypasses Koloa and intersects Poipu Road, heading east towards the Hyatt. Continuing past the Hyatt, we came to a dusty dirt road which took us onto semi-private land. The road curved inland a bit, then looped back toward the coast. We followed it for several minutes until we could go no further. It is about a 2 mile drive. It seemed longer since we drove very slowly on account of to the condition of the road. Along the way we passed through a gate with a sign warning us that we should by out by 6 PM or we would be locked in and our car towed. We had reached the entrance to Mahaulepu Beach, an idyllic, almost deserted stretch of sand. There was a parking lot near the end but we took our car a little further so we could park at a trail head that would lead us to beautiful sandstone cliffs overlooking the ocean’s pounding surf. Along the way we saw weather-sculpted rock formations, a couple of blow-holes, and the effects of thousands of years of erosion. This is the most pristine accessible area on the south shore of Kauai and was well worth the 1-1/2 hours we spent here hiking and exploring.
After our little hike, we headed to the Grand Hyatt to check it out and visit the boutiques within. This is one of the more beautiful hotel settings we had ever seen and if we had wanted to stay at a huge resort on Kauai, this would have been the one. It was easy to picture what dining at the Tidepools Restaurant would be like in its setting amongst the koi ponds with the tiki torches all lit up at night. That being said, everything about this hotel was stunningly artificial compared to the natural beauty that can be found all over the island - just an observation, not really a criticism. Hyatt actually did a great job here. After touring the grounds, we stopped at the Sandal Tree boutique so that Jeane could purchase her purse. She also picked up a pair of shoes while she was there.
After leaving the Hyatt, we spent time poking around the two big shopping malls - Poipu Shopping Village and Kukuiula Village Shopping Center. Lots of interesting places for Jeane to look around. Afterward, Jeane was having a craving for shave ice. I thought that if it was available anywhere on the south shore, we could find it in the little town of Koloa. Sure enough, there was a place right in the center - I forget the name. We ordered pretty much the same as we had had the previous day - shave ice over macadamia nut ice cream. While it was satisfying, it was not as good as the shave ice we enjoyed in Hanalei.
Back to Jack Harter Helicopters - same routine as before but this time Jeane is seated in the rear on the left and I am in the rear on the right. For anyone reading this that does not know, the all of the helicopter tours run clockwise around the island, so it is better to be on the right. Also, even though we were in an open door helicopter, the seats up front give you a broader view (the entire front of the helicopter is glass). That being said, I had a great tour, got some nice photos and was pretty happy. Jeane was not. Now Jack Harter, like the Silverfalls Ranch is a first-class operation and you will probably think that all I do is beat up on tour providers after I tell you this but there were other issues that I won’t go into because, bottom line - we were refunded half of the fare (which is not cheap at $259pp and I told them I wouldn’t elaborate on our experience). What I will tell you is that you can’t “do” Kauai without doing a helicopter tour and quite honestly, the open-door experience is awesome and the Jack Harter folks are very good at their craft.
So that leads us back to Kapa’a and another fabulous dinner on the Lanai at Hukilau Lanai. We had reservations for 6 pm so we ordered from the main menu - I don’t recall what we ordered but it was all good and cost almost exactly the same ($100 with tip) as with the tasting menu. We returned to our room afterward knowing we would need to get going a little earlier the next day.
Oct 26th, 2010, 03:40 PM
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I'm still following along. As many times as I've been to Kauai, I've never done the helicopter, and I have to admit that I still have no desire.
I do think we'll have to return to Mahaulepu Beach.
I do think we'll have to return to Mahaulepu Beach.
Oct 27th, 2010, 09:34 AM
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What do you mean you can't tell us about the chopper rides, geez,lol. Did you get to see the waterfalls, did you get to land at the "Jurassic Falls"(it wasn't named that when I went)? Weren't the views of the Waimea Canyon and over to the Na Pali Coast not just spectacular? I haven't been for almost twenty years now but those are the things that still burn in my memory......
Still here lurking and listening, glad you enjoyed Eastside. I should have warned you about the crowds on Fri & Sat nites.
Ahhh the Hyatt, as you know our home away from home when we are on Kauai, gotta love the manicured Polynesia, I get too much of the real thing at home,lol
Aloha!
Still here lurking and listening, glad you enjoyed Eastside. I should have warned you about the crowds on Fri & Sat nites.
Ahhh the Hyatt, as you know our home away from home when we are on Kauai, gotta love the manicured Polynesia, I get too much of the real thing at home,lol
Aloha!
Oct 27th, 2010, 11:43 AM
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HT - sorry I didn't say more about the chopper ride. The views of Waimea Canyon and the Na Pali coast were absolutely awesome - I guess I just assumed that was a given. It was very cool going into one of the crevices at Na Pali and flying right next to a tall waterfall on the north side of the island. Our tour was not one of those that lands at the falls - I don't think any of the open doors tours do this.
Karen - because a couple of riders in our group had never actually been on a horse, our ride was sloooooow. We stopped way too often so that the guide could help these people - very frustrating for those who know what they are doing. Also, there was no variation in the scenery for almost the entire ride - this was a ranch with lots of eucalyptus trees and other uninteresting bushes, a mountain in the distance and no ocean view.
Karen - because a couple of riders in our group had never actually been on a horse, our ride was sloooooow. We stopped way too often so that the guide could help these people - very frustrating for those who know what they are doing. Also, there was no variation in the scenery for almost the entire ride - this was a ranch with lots of eucalyptus trees and other uninteresting bushes, a mountain in the distance and no ocean view.
Oct 27th, 2010, 11:53 AM
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DAY 5: KAYAKING ON THE WAILUA RIVER AND A BAREFOOT SUNSET CRUISE
Our 7 am kayak rental from Wailua Kayak and Canoe required an earlier start than usual. We had reserved in advance since the supply of kayaks is limited for those that want to go on their own instead of on a tour. If we had gone to it directly, we would have reached the launch point in 5 minutes from the resort. Unfortunately, I thought Wailua Kayak and Canoe’s office on the main highway was the place to report. It wasn't even open so, after asking around we finally found out where we were supposed to go. We checked in at 7:15, provided a credit card for payment, received a short briefing, a map, a dry bag and a cooler and we were on our way.
As we set out in our 2-person kayak, Jeane and I were the only ones on the Wailua River. I was surprised that there was absolutely no development along the river. It was a beautiful morning. We paddled for about an hour (about 2-1/2 miles) until we came to a clearing after a fork in the river, where we beached our kayak. There was supposed to be a trail marker for a trail that would lead us to Uluwehi Falls (aka “Secret” Falls) but somehow we missed it. After searching around a bit, we were able to pick up the trail anyway. It was about a mile hike to the falls. The hike was fairly flat and easily doable in our water shoes. The falls were not at full flow but pretty none-the-less. We had this most pleasant setting to ourselves for about 20 minutes before other independent kayakers showed up, followed by several tour groups. We decided it was time to leave. When we returned to the beach, there were at least a couple dozen kayaks there and more on the way.
The return to the launch point went quickly even though we had a head wind - perhaps it was because we had to paddle upstream on the way out. The sun was much more intense now and I was glad I had slathered on lots of sunscreen before we left. We encountered several more tours heading upstream as we headed down. We arrived at the launch point at about 11:15 am. Even though we could have kept the kayak for another hour without penalty, we wanted to get back to the resort to do some packing in anticipation of our early departure the next day.
Check-in time at Holo Holo Charters for our sunset cruise was 2 PM. I estimated that Port Allen was about 45 minutes away so we had a couple of hours to pack and get organized. We didn’t want to do a lot of packing after returning from the cruise. While we set out on time, we encountered a detour that was due to a traffic accident about 10 minutes outside of Port Allen. I called Holo Holo on my cell to confirm that they were aware of the accident and that we as well as several others would probably be delayed. Traffic through the back streets moved at a crawl and we finally made it to the Marina at about 2:30 PM, in time for a 2:45 PM sail.
The cruise was a highlight of our trip and a really nice finish on our 5th and last full day on Kauai. The crew served mai-tai’s, beer, wine and soft drinks and managed to keep every one's glasses filled throughout the cruise. There were about 30 friendly people on board - mostly our age, give or take 10 years. It did not feel crowded at all. The buffet dinner was wonderful - lots of vegetarian items and delicious sandwiches. Once we got there, the view of the Na Pali coast (now a familiar sight) was awesome. The grand finale was a gorgeous sunset just before we pulled into port. Although we didn't really know what to expect before going, we we were pleasantly surprised and have absolutely nothing bad to say about this cruise. I would recommend it highly.
The return drive to the resort was quick and uneventful. I gassed up the car one last time just before we arrived. We checked out of the resort the next day at 6 am, which gave us plenty of time to drive to the airport, return the rental car and check in for our 8:05 flight.
Now having been back in Connecticut almost one week, we can look back on what was a great trip. Yes, there were some glitches - there always are and they are usually forgotten quickly. Many might wonder why we would spend all of that time getting to Kauai and back but it really wasn’t that bad, especially when we compare it to what we have gone through on several trips to Asia. Remarkably, neither us had jet-lag when we returned - the overnight in Seattle really helped with that, I think.
Thanks for traveling along with us.
Our 7 am kayak rental from Wailua Kayak and Canoe required an earlier start than usual. We had reserved in advance since the supply of kayaks is limited for those that want to go on their own instead of on a tour. If we had gone to it directly, we would have reached the launch point in 5 minutes from the resort. Unfortunately, I thought Wailua Kayak and Canoe’s office on the main highway was the place to report. It wasn't even open so, after asking around we finally found out where we were supposed to go. We checked in at 7:15, provided a credit card for payment, received a short briefing, a map, a dry bag and a cooler and we were on our way.
As we set out in our 2-person kayak, Jeane and I were the only ones on the Wailua River. I was surprised that there was absolutely no development along the river. It was a beautiful morning. We paddled for about an hour (about 2-1/2 miles) until we came to a clearing after a fork in the river, where we beached our kayak. There was supposed to be a trail marker for a trail that would lead us to Uluwehi Falls (aka “Secret” Falls) but somehow we missed it. After searching around a bit, we were able to pick up the trail anyway. It was about a mile hike to the falls. The hike was fairly flat and easily doable in our water shoes. The falls were not at full flow but pretty none-the-less. We had this most pleasant setting to ourselves for about 20 minutes before other independent kayakers showed up, followed by several tour groups. We decided it was time to leave. When we returned to the beach, there were at least a couple dozen kayaks there and more on the way.
The return to the launch point went quickly even though we had a head wind - perhaps it was because we had to paddle upstream on the way out. The sun was much more intense now and I was glad I had slathered on lots of sunscreen before we left. We encountered several more tours heading upstream as we headed down. We arrived at the launch point at about 11:15 am. Even though we could have kept the kayak for another hour without penalty, we wanted to get back to the resort to do some packing in anticipation of our early departure the next day.
Check-in time at Holo Holo Charters for our sunset cruise was 2 PM. I estimated that Port Allen was about 45 minutes away so we had a couple of hours to pack and get organized. We didn’t want to do a lot of packing after returning from the cruise. While we set out on time, we encountered a detour that was due to a traffic accident about 10 minutes outside of Port Allen. I called Holo Holo on my cell to confirm that they were aware of the accident and that we as well as several others would probably be delayed. Traffic through the back streets moved at a crawl and we finally made it to the Marina at about 2:30 PM, in time for a 2:45 PM sail.
The cruise was a highlight of our trip and a really nice finish on our 5th and last full day on Kauai. The crew served mai-tai’s, beer, wine and soft drinks and managed to keep every one's glasses filled throughout the cruise. There were about 30 friendly people on board - mostly our age, give or take 10 years. It did not feel crowded at all. The buffet dinner was wonderful - lots of vegetarian items and delicious sandwiches. Once we got there, the view of the Na Pali coast (now a familiar sight) was awesome. The grand finale was a gorgeous sunset just before we pulled into port. Although we didn't really know what to expect before going, we we were pleasantly surprised and have absolutely nothing bad to say about this cruise. I would recommend it highly.
The return drive to the resort was quick and uneventful. I gassed up the car one last time just before we arrived. We checked out of the resort the next day at 6 am, which gave us plenty of time to drive to the airport, return the rental car and check in for our 8:05 flight.
Now having been back in Connecticut almost one week, we can look back on what was a great trip. Yes, there were some glitches - there always are and they are usually forgotten quickly. Many might wonder why we would spend all of that time getting to Kauai and back but it really wasn’t that bad, especially when we compare it to what we have gone through on several trips to Asia. Remarkably, neither us had jet-lag when we returned - the overnight in Seattle really helped with that, I think.
Thanks for traveling along with us.
