I also forgot to add that we went to Bubba's Burgers in Kapaa on Day 8. Don't know how I left that out. I thought it was pretty good, but my husband LOVED it, especially the "rude" atmosphere(signs stating they don't like tourist).

I'm really curious about your exact vrbo rental cottage! It just so makes/breaks the vacation. Care to share?? Thanks.

wings11 - http://www.vrbo.com/173304

We LOVED it and are staying a second time there in a few weeks.
WARNING: It is in the Jungle, so there will be bugs, and LOTS of mosquitoes. The Hosts offer some natural bug spray, but it did NOT work, so this time we are getting some DEET.

That is the only downside of staying there. That and being 10 minutes from the nearest beach. But that didn't matter to us.

Makes me homesick for Kauai - my 2nd home!

Read your entire, beautiful trip report.
Thank you so much for sharing.

-Paul

How anyone can make a trip report to this #ellhole of an island sound good is beyond me!

Nice to know you didn't find it too dark at night or that there are bugs there.

BTW...I hope you went to Puka Dog and not Puke Dog in Poipu.

....oh...and

great report. i love kauai as much as you and your husband's right..it never gets easier to leave...and i've probably been 10 times.
have a wonderful trip and please post report when you get back. love reading about other's trips as i plan my next one
aloha

LOL Puke Dog - I blame auto-correct!

Yes, it's a crappy island with lots of bugs, don't go there(less crowded for me)

Thanks for reading and Aloha!

Only a couple more weeks and we'll be back!!!

Thanks for the very enjoyable trip report. Have a good second trip.

Ahh, this brought back a lot of great memories. I was just as enchanted, still am. Thanks!

Nice report with good details.

We will be going back to Kauai again in June after an 11-year hiatus! (We always planned to return, but instead visited the other islands and a few European destinations first -- never thought it would take over a decade to get back to the Garden Island.) Anyway, I'm scouring the boards again for any info about what has changed since 2001; deciding what to do again and what to see that we missed. This report is a good start.

"My son was a different person at 18 months than he is now at 2."

Well, my youngest son was three when we went to Kauai and now it will be so cool to see it again through his 14-year-old eyes. He is a totally different person, for sure. I wonder what he'll remember?

Great report with much good info. Kauai is high on our list of things to do.