I have read through the Ultimate Kauai Guidebook, and lots of Kauai posts here. My mind is swimming with all the possibilities, so I'm trying to narrow it down.

We will be staying at the Hanalei Bay Resort in August for 9 days. Two adults, two children (10 & 12) and one fairly active senior (70+ MIL). I'm trying to find the right balance of action & relaxation, taking into account the limitations of a tri-generational trip. Here are my questions so far.

1. Helicopter tour - obviously leaning toward Heli-USA, since we're staying on the North Shore, but I can be talked into the drive if the other tours are much, much better (the blue book does not rate HeliUSA very high). Keep in mind, that since we're 5 people, we can't do Inter-Island unless we split into two groups.
2. Horseback Riding - Princeville Ranch. Looking at the 3 hr ride with waterfall hike. However, I have read that the waterfall hike can be strenuous which would be a problem for MIL. Maybe we should consider the 1 1/2 hour bluff ride instead? (She has done guided trail rides in Yosemite and Costa Rica with us before and loved them!)
3. Waimea Canyon - since we will be seeing this from the helicopter, would you recommend taking the drive? If so, are there some not-so-strenous hikes that would be worth our while?
4. Easy hikes - Any other easy to moderate hikes with lots of great scenery?
5. Snorkeling - should we opt for a organized tour or grab some gear and hit the beach on our own? The Napali catamaran trip looks intriguing.
6. Kayaking- the Kalihiwai looks nice and not too tough. Any experience on this river?
7. Botanical gardens-Fern Grotto or the National Tropical Botanical gardens? Worth the drive?

We also plan on some golf, tennis and boogeyboarding/surfing, and general beach/pool bumming around. We've dropped the ATV idea for this trip, and since we did ziplines in Costa Rica (at 1/3 of the price ), we'll skip that too.

Any feedback will be greatly appreciated. I have already gotten terrific restaurant recommendations from the Kauai posters out there. Thanks in advance!

3. Waimea Canyon - since we will be seeing this from the helicopter, would you recommend taking the drive? If so, are there some not-so-strenous hikes that would be worth our while?

Absolutely take the drive also. It's a beautiful drive all the way up and back. As far as hike, I don't know, but you don't even have to hike to see beautiful scenery.

Sounds like you have a pretty full agenda, but believe me, the ATV ride is fun and also scenic.

Thanks iceeu2,

We're going to save the ATV ride for when the kids are over 16 and can drive their own.

Realistically, how long will it take us to drive from the Princeville area to Waimea? How long should we allow for the canyon drive?

Thanks!

Better suggestion:
1: Get off plane
2: Throw away Ultimate Kauai Guidebook
3: Enjoy

How did you find all of those things to do?

Everyone KNOWS....OK....now everybody...............

"........there is nothing do, it's always raining, there are no good restaurants, the are bugs the size of Havana cigars and the chickens will cart off your first born....."

My friend Bill, you really shouldn't wear green...it doesn't become you...
And another thing, it's only 10 more days!!!!!!!!!!!

i2,

Did you mean green like this? amp;

10 days until what?

-Bill

The rainiest spot on earth with NOTHING to do. All those activities are hoaxes as the authors of that trashy book toast each other and laugh at tourists. Throw that book out! If the skies clear up and you manage your way to Waimea Canyon, the wild boars will eat your fairly active senior. And let's not even talk about Leptospirosis (which I got the spelling from that book you just threw out) stay out of the waterfall on your stables trailride...the poor things, carting you around...and the bugs.....oh the bugs......they will take your appetite away, which is a good thing, since there is no food in Kauai...good grief, you're doomed.

BILL! "........there is nothing do, it's always raining, there are no good restaurants, the are bugs the size of Havana cigars and the chickens will cart off your first born....."

You're killing me smalls! You too G'Lou!

Oh no. I have been horribly misinformed. That sounds just awful. Maybe I should reconsider. But wait, if I stay here in L.A., I'll just get shot driving on the freeway.

I guess I'll try Branson or Orlando. Are there any trashy blue books about these places?

AuntieM, can you help me? Not that the input from the Kauai Komedian Klub wasn't helpful......

lvk...you are quite the comedian yourself! KKK, I like it!

By all means, keep your Ultimate Kauai guide. The maps and descriptions of places and driving distances are great.

Hopefully AuntieM will see this upon awakening and be able to help you out!

lvk,
Me a member of the "KKK"?

Who'd thunk it? Not bad for a gay, liberal democrat from the San Francisco Bay Area!

Thanks for the laughs.

-Bill

i2,
How many more?

Just remember that if you do go to Kauai, never, never kill a chicken!

But, I think you should go to Branson , but first please dye your hair blue.

Hi lvk,
We enjoyed our tour with Napali Catamaran. The crew was nice, the coast was beautiful, and we were first to the snorkel spot. Right before the boat left Hanalei a rainbow appeared. I got a killer shot of the entire rainbow circling Bali Hai.

We did a kayak tour with Kayak Kauai. I think it was called blue lagoon, not that difficult if you've ever paddled before. I probably wouldn't do this tour again, since the snorkel spot they use is at the Princeville's beach. So there really isn't much need since you can go there for free.

For shore snorkeling I would try Anini. Since you've got little ones with you, this beach will be safe for them.

Auntie's up and vigilant!! 'nuff with the KKK gang!

lvk:
I'll try to give you some local-kine answers to your questions.

Waimea Canyon -- if you've got a day to spare, definitely drive up to the top. Lots of hikes available (from easy stroll, to strenuous). You'll find more info here:
http://www.aloha.net/~inazoo/kokee.htm
Expect the drive from Princeville to the Kokee Museum (non-stop) to take you about 2 hours...but take the whole day, stop along the way, and enjoy yourself!

Horseback riding: Do the shorter tour, so that _all_ of you can enjoy the experience. Princeville Ranch has a great reputation on the island BTW.

Hikes: this island has more than I can list here. Grab one of the many free visitor guides available from the kiosk at baggage claim in Lihu`e when you arrive -- especially "101 Things to Do on Kaua`i" -- for more info.

Snorkeling: since you'll be on the north shore, just grab some gear and head to any beach -- below Princeville Hotel is good, but definitely make time for Makua and Ke`e Beaches.

Paddling: This site gives a very objective description of the various kayaking options:
http://www.aloha.net/~inazoo/kokee.htm

Gardens: Definitely NTBG over Fern Grotto! Limahuli is right here on the north shore, but go _early_ before it gets too hot.

Have a _wonderful_ visit!

Wow, lvk, I'm glad auntiem woke up and the KKK gang went back to bed. What great links she provided.

thanks auntiem for the great tips.

Thanks, AuntieM and Annahead for your real answers . AuntieM those two links (Waimea and paddling) are identical. I'll look up Limahuli too.

Any input on the Helicopter tour?

I really didn't think through the initals (KKK). Yikes!

Wishing you all lots of laughs at your GTG!

I thought Jack Harter for the helicopter tour was absolutely outstanding. I would definitely go with them again. The pilot was well-informed, funny and friendly. The flight was amazing beyond words. The combination of narration, music and silence in my headset was perfectly timed to the incredible sights. At one point, we swooped up over a mountain top as the music swelled in my ears, and the open lush green crater that opened up before us literally took my breath away. I almost cried it was so spectacular. We had a coupon for a free video at the end also which I pop in now and again for a quick trip back.

Since we were in Lihue for the flight, we visited a small museum there and did some souveneir shopping at Hilo Hattie's.

Don't miss Waimea Canyon from the ground-level perspective though. The drive there is nice with lots of great photo opportunities. There was a place not far from there where we stopped and had some really delicious pizza also.Wish I could remember the town but the pizza place ajoined another fancier restaurant and there was a police station across the street. Maybe this rings a bell to someone else more familiar with the area.

Kauai is gorgeous, and I can still smell the Plumeria. Lots of great hiking all over the place. Have fun!