Hanalei is Hell - iamq on the north shore of Kaua'i and a quickie with MelissaHI and friends in Honolulu.
 

Actually, I feel like I'm in Hell right now. Returning from Hawaii is brutal. I hate it. To help ease re-entry I have been working on posting the photographs from the trip. Here they are:
http://new.photos.yahoo.com/bquarre/...60762405145849

We spent 11 nights in Hanalei and then had a quick night in Honolulu.

We flew Hawaiian Airlines from the mainland for the first time, and I must say it was a very pleasant experience. It was nice to be flying in a plane with constant reminders of where we were headed. Okay airline food...free of charge, however they do charge for headphones and rent these video DVD player things. We'll fly them again when not using United points.

Our connecting flights to and from Honolulu and Kaua'i were on go! airlines. They fly small jets that hold 48 or 50 people. It was fine for the 20 minute flight. They depart from the commuter terminal which is a bit further out than the regular interisland terminal. It was only a minor inconvenience and worth the savings over what I would have had to pay on Aloha or Hawaiian.

We rented a car from Budget. I booked through Costco based on some information I read about here and got a good price on a metallic gold (ack!) small Chevrolet which badly needed a tune-up. We normally rent a convertible, but we didn't miss it like we thought we would. I attempted to rent a Mini Cooper convertible for our one day on Oahu, but it was $150 a day. No thanks.

This was our second time renting a place in Hanalei and my first experience renting through vrbo.com. We rented a place called Devaki's Hanalei Vacation Rental. Devaki is a local yoga instructor/massage therapist/ realtor who rents out the first floor of her home as a vacation rental.It was comfortable and clean. Her place is on a flag lot on the corner of of Aku Road and Weke Road. The location is perfect. It is literally a one minute walk across the street to the Hanalei Beach Pavillion and a few minutes walk down Aku to town. It is a large (900 sq. ft.) studio that has a very open and airy feel to it. One side was a wall of windows that partially looked out at the green and lush pali (mountains) of the north shore compltete with waterfalls and swirling cloud formations. It was a great thing to see first thing in the morning when we woke up. There is a large, well equipped kitchen and a nice, large bathroom were pluses. Ceiling fans and decent flow through ventilation made sleeping in the warm evenings without a/c bearable. The one thing missing that would have made it perfect was a lanai. There was a small porch with a lounge chair, but we never used it as it too small for two people to hang out on. Having a decent sized outdoor space with some sort of outlook is IMHO nearly essential. We reserved it last year and were charged $900 a week. I think it is $1050 a week now. We thought the price was very fair. I got a nice e-mail from Devaki today thanking us for staying and offering us a 10% discount the next time we come visit.

More tomorrow...

thanks for the post! I'm looking forward to the rest of your report.

iamq - i must warn you that blonde girl at the Honolulu GTG in the red shirt with the lei is one wild and crazy girl!

nanabee,

Hahaha.

You should have warned me before the GTG!

Aren't you related somehow?

yes, she is my sister!
looks like you guys had a great time.

Great photos - you are wetting my appetite -- we leave in about 3 weeks. Looking forward to the rest of your report! Carol

Hi iamq,

Great photos. I will be in Hanalei in 34 days! Actually on your recommendation we decided on the north shore of Kauai - can't wait! We are also spending some time on Oahu beforehand and like you I have been toying with the idea of getting a Mini Cooper convertible for a few days - but I think I'm going to have to pass because the cost, plus all the insurances are too much. Anyway, looking forward to the rest of your report!

Quickie? Moi?? nanabee. the rumours are true! blondes do have more fun. but is she really a virgin?? (she told us the story of her middle name.)

Bill, you left in time! we don't just have a hurricane coming...there was an earthquake this evening, too!

Wonderful report, Bill. I am looking forward to the next installment.

We stayed at the Princeville Hotel and were tickled by the library--glad to see you made better use of it than we did!

Miserable trip so far, eh? Look forward to reading more! Thanks for the pics--you all look so happy and tan. :-)

There is beautiful, and then there's Hawaii. Thanks for the photos and report. We're heading to Kauai in March for two weeks. Can't wait!

Hurry please and tell us more! Going to look at your photos now. Glad you are home, friend.((r))

I looked...breathtaking, as usual. sigh....Thanks

Great Pics Bill.

I didn't hear you say thank you for us smoothing out the sand under OUR tree at tunnels for you.

BTW.....did ya see Charo there? She was at her house the week we were there.

Nothing like starting the day with a trip report from hell and photos to savour!

Carry on carrying on!

Upon arriving on Kauai we made our way to Walmart to stock up on things...then...HAMURA'S! We got six beef and chicken skewers, two orders of fried won-tons, an order of tempura shrimp, two orders of special saimin and a liiikoi pie. We ate the finger foods in the car on our way north and left the saimin and pie for dinner. My salivary glands were in overload mode as we munched and drove, smiling the whole way. We were home!

I love traveling to new places, but there is something wonderful and special about returning to a favorite place and feeling the comforting hug of familiarity. That is how I feel about Kaua'i. We have been to other tropical places on our "go beach" trips, but for me there is nothing like returning to Kaua'i. It is "home".

We arrived on a Tuesday afternoon, so our first stop in Hanalei was the farmer's market to stock up on mangos, papayas, pineapples, apple bananas, limes and flowers. We made it just as the vendors were closing up, so we got some good deals on things and also got the chance to chit-chat with the vendors. That was fun and was a perfect outlet of our now full-blown euphoria about being on island, "We just arrived...blah, blah, blah."

We got to Devaki's, quickly unpacked and in no time were on the beach and then the water "bobbing and schmoozing" in the gentle, undulating swells on Hanalei Bay. Fabulous.

Our daily routine went something like this: Up around 7am, coffee, then I'd go for a walk up and down Weke Road and up and down the beach while Martin would go for his barefoot run along the beach. On my way back home I'd stop by the Village Snack Shop at Ching Young Center for some fresh baked goods, then get a paper. We'd rendesvous back home an hour later or so, get cleaned up, pack a lunch, pack the car and set out for the beach. This simple routine is one of the reasons we love staying in Hanalei so much. Walk here, walk there, get this, get that...easy, simple and relaxing at the same time.

We've been to Kaua'i 4 times and have never felt the urge to do many of the paid excursions that are offered. We might be missing out on something, but that's okay. We prefer to plunk ourselves on the beach, swim, snorkel and snooze. Sound boring to you? Maybe, but these trips are all about relaxing and letting go, not being on some forced march to see and do everything.

We alternated between going to Makua (Tunnels) Beach and Hanalei Bay.

As many of you know Makua Beach is my absolute favorite spot on the island. Martin would go snorkeling while I would walk up and down the beach looking for that perfect shell. Shelling is best around Haena Point heading east. One day I trekked down the beach west all the way to Ke'e. What a great beach walk. The beach is wild, windy and isolated...great for exploring. Makua is the best. I can't for the life of me figure out why Mitzi Gaynor didn't do her shampoo and set here instead of Lumahai. Much prettier and the view of Bali Hai will give you chicken skin.

While Hanalei Bay doesn't have the snorkeling opportunities that Makua does, it does have amazing hard packed sand perfect for walking, calm, clear water perfect for swimming, two miles of mostly uninhabited beach and the most amazing backdrop one could imagine. It doesn't have any shade trees like Makua does, so if that is important, bring an umbrella. One thing Hanalei Bay did have this trip was...baby Hammerhead Sharks swimming in the waters! That's right! One day I was walking along the water's edge and say this rather largish (2 feet long) fish swimming right at the water's edge. I did a few double takes and followed it as it swam down the beach. A shark! It sure looked like a small hammerhead shark to me, but what do I know? Martin saw it and concurred. Oh well... It turns out that two or three of them were spotted swimming in the bay that day. We overheard the lifeguard telling some people not to worry as "the mouths are too small to bite anything of yours". Loved that!

more later...

Nice pictures! Thanks for sharing :)

Hey you just upstaged my whale of a tale with shark encounters!!! Looking forward to the Sharkwater documentary, and more tales from the hellhole.

Easy on the hardsell though. Hanalei is really just so so and strangely over rated....blah, blah, blah!!!

How do you manage to have all this fun in Hell + a quickie?!

LOL....I thought he was bragging when the lifeguard said his was too big for the shark to bite!!!!!!:-D

Is there a reason for the looooooooong pause? You got us all revved up and then slam on the brakes!!

Mahalo <font color="blue">Pila<font color="black"> for the T.R.!
Do you recall what time of day you saw the hammerheads((?)) </font></font>

Still loving the report! Now a quick question - when/where is the farmers market in Hanalei? We are arriving on a Monday afternoon, so if its on a Tuesday that could be perfect timing!

nice report iamq!

I totally agree with how you travel. I do pack in a few hikes over to kokee side. I never go for the amusement ride type excursions. I get my nature fix on hikes away from crowds.

Hanalei is such a dream no? I also like waking up grabbing some coffee and taking it slow.

I-) I-) I-) I-)

Sorry!! I can't help it.

LOL Mels!!!! No wonder it was a quickie! hahahahaha!!!

Thanks so much for the nice report, looking forward to the rest.

Melissa that earthquake was on the big island only, right? Should I be nervous about this hurricane. I bought canned supplies but I keep eating them LOL! Not really nervous about this, will just stay away from loover window side of this house.

Jeez Louise you guys! I thought I was good at sexual inuenendo! Can't a guy go to work and get something constructive done without ya'll loosing it? Ack! Did I just say work? School starts on the 23rd this year! Poor me, poor me, poor me!

Donita, it was very funny and I knew you guys would have fun with it. I sort of thought the lifeguard was making an attempt at coming on to me! HA!

JohnD, I saw the non-adult-size- apendage-eating hammerhead around 10am or so. Are they morning folks like me?

Okay...hmmm...where was I before I was so rudely interrupted?

Oh yes...The farmer's markets in Hanalei are held at 2pm on Tuesdays and 9:30am on Saturdays.

We didn't see Charo! That would have been fun. Does she frolic in the water like the rest of us, or did she have some sort of fancy floatation device? There was a large family staying at her place while we were there. Oh Rich? I got real good at giving folks stink eye if they got too close to OUR tree. We only had to share it a few times..and you left a little trash behind...naughty, naughty.

About a week before we left, auntiemaria sent me an e-mail informing me that Hanalei was hosting the Annual State Championship Outrigger Canoe races on August 4th. She said Hanalei was going to be a zoo and she was right! Over 3800 paddlers from clubs all over the state and many thousand more supporters and spectators decseded upon poor little ole Hanalei and took over for the better part of two days. It was an amazing sight. The bay was wall to wall people! The races started at 8am and we were down claiming our spot of beach around 7:30. It was a big party/festival atmosphere and we had a great time. The boats they race are made of koa and are gorgeous! They paddle for half mile, one mile and one and a half mile distances. The boats themselves weigh 400 pounds and then add the rowers and that's a lot kalua pork and huli huli chicken to be rowing around. We sat there all day long and watched the races...and the people...and the rowers. The Kaua'i Police did a great job of keeping things under control, but it took a few days for Hanalei to return to normal.

Another special event that we attended while there was drinks and pupus with auntiemaria and her husband Bob. Maria and Bob live on the north shore and we were lucky enough to GTG with them on our last night! It had been two years since we saw them last and we had a ball catching up and talking trash about kealalani, iceeu2, MelissaHI, and many other lucky fodorites. We met at the Library at the Princeville Hotel at 5:30 and ended up leaving well after the gorgeous sun set. They are trying to getus to come back for a month next time! auntie and Bob are good folks and I look forward to seeing them again soon. The Library is a great spot to watch the sunset. They serve great pupus and sushi too!

more later...

Hey pila,

sharkwater.com

looks like a mighty fine documentary

On with the show! Oh to have a Hanalei Dolphin Fish Store picnic!

...oh and Mels REALLY knows how to do a quickie!

mo latah...

Oh what a fine time with the ever kind, ever wise, ever levelheaded dear dear Bob!


Oooops I meant Auntie!!! No I meant Bob too! (sheepish grin insert here)

What fun and what a smile on Auntie M. Some day!

The only real excursion that we took that took us our of Hanalei (other than the trip to Kapa'a to score some Pono Market chicken) was the drive to Waimea Canyon and Koke'e State Park. I was really looking forward to this as the last time we were there the road up to the Pu'u o Pila Lookout was closed and we didn't walk up there. The road is fixed now so we wanted to visit the lookout and take the Pihea Trail for a couple of miles. We left Hanalei at 8am and got up to the lookout by around 10am and were greeted by clear skies! Yeah! This lookout offers an amazing view of the Kalalau Valley. Unreal. The Pihea Trail leaves from the viewing area and skirts the top edge of the Kalalau Valley, so as we walked we continued to get amazing views of the valley below. At one point we got what appeared to be a full frontal view the the valley unfolding in front of us. Very cool. We continued on the trail to the point where a spur leads to Pihea Peak. We didn't do that as my asthma was kicking up and the clouds had taken over the ridge and you couldn't see a thing anyway. I think the Pihea Trail offers the most bang for your hiking buck. It offers great views and adventure without hiking 10 miles and risking your life. Highly recommended!

We also made a trip to the Kilauea Lighthouse as it is one of my favorite places on Kaua'i. It is a spectacular spot. As part of a fund raising effort to help restore the lighthouse they are selling bricks on which you can have something inscribed and then it gets laid in the ground. There are about 400 of them so far, with another 300 getting put in later this month. I purchased one in honor of some fellow fodorite Kauai haters. Sometime after November, if you look hard enough you will find a brick with a turtle, a nene and the names iceeu2, kealalani and iamq on it. If you look for it and find it, let me know and I 'll send you a package of Kal's rooster jerky.

Speaking of roosters and chickens...we noticed that there aren't as many of the little dickens running around this time. The day after we commented on that there was an article in the Kauai paper saying that the chickens on Kaua'i are dying out in fairly large numbers and no one knows why, but it is suspected that someone may be poisoning them! Save the chickens!

Food next!

or iamq - it may be that the local restaurants like &quot;free range chickens&quot;

Oh, yes, I think Charo does have a fancy flotation device!!!!!

Where did you get the goodies for the beach picnic?

What did you say about us????We had a GTG also.....didn't we 'lani?

I hope this thread doesn't go poof, sistah......you're on a roll today!!

Hey iamq,

Looked at those pictures again. Does anything rival the northshore of Kauai?

Oh those heady days when I told you the Pitons were amazing and Ladera was an undiscovered gem. Ladera was a fantastic memory but since discovered, never calls me to return like the Pali!!! Even my NReading freind agrees - send the tourists to Ladera for an amazing time, and leave paradise to us!!! LOL!!!!

kealalani,
There is NOTHING like it I am afraid. Never seen the Pitons up close and personal, but I've hugged Makana Peak and that is one powerful piece of rock!

Bill, Martin look what I found on Shingon Mission. Its on the national registry of historic places.

Its one of only 7 structures of similar architecture in HI. Check out this one page link.

http://www.nps.gov/history/nr/featur...03/shingon.htm

icee, the two of you have the kiss of death today, so don't muck around on MY thread, ya hear?

Food!

Food is always the most important part of our trips and since Kaua'i is renowned for its lousy eateries, we usually have to lower our high standards. (I can feel the eyebrows raising...I'm only joking...).

One of the great finds on this trip was the Hanalei Snack Shop in the Ching Young Center. It is a little restaurant and bakery that serves breaksfast and lunch. I would pop in for a post morning walk stop there every morning to pick up goodies to have with our fresh pineapple and mango for breakfast. Much to my tastebud's satisfaction they make their own malasadas! They also have delicious cinnamon rolls, fruit pastries, corn bread and the most amazing cheddar cheese bread ever! We used the cheedar cheese bread rolls to make sandwiches with to bring to the beach. By the end of the trip they started to recognize me and chat me up. We also bought one of the coconut cream pies that was very good. A+

I mentioned earlier that we ate at the Canoe Races. The best food we had there was the kalua pork from the Hanalei Canoe Club's booth. Very good! We also got some roasted pork in gravy and huli huli chicken from another booth that was almost as good. We bought some more later and had a picnic at Waikoko Beach. B+

Hamura's was fantastic as usual. A++++

Pono Market was great as usual too. We always get the fried chicken nuggets. This time we got some spicy shrmp sushi that was pretty good. I sure wish these guys would open a shop in Hanalei. A

Olympic Cafe: We had dinner here one night. Service was awful with main courses coming before our shrimp appetizer. I think our server was either blissed out or stoned. She had this &quot;no one's home&quot; look in her eyes. She took our mains back and broght the appetizer and then no more than two minutes later they brought the mains back with no apology or any concession made. We went along to get along and didn't push, but it was disappointing. Martin had an ahi sandwich that he said was okay. I had fish tacos that were actually pretty good. C+

Hanalei Dolphin: Martin had ono and I had fish and chips. Portions were surprisingly small and Martin's fish was bland. For a place that specializes in fish, the food was mediocre. Last time we ate there we the lobster for two and we both wished we had done that again this time. B-

Good thing our food we had at the Hanalei Dolphin fish market was better than what we had in the restaurant. We put together a little picnic dinner that we ate at Waikoko Beach. We ordered one soft shell crab roll, one snow crab roll, one ahi roll, 3/4 lb of poke and a pint of potato salad. The sushi was excellent and the poke was perfect. If you like sushi, this is your place. Not fancy, but fresher than fresh. A

more food later...