Trip Report - I finally understand the "Hawaii centric" nature of this board. Oahu, the Big Island and saving the best for last, KAUAI
Jul 25th, 2005, 01:55 PM
#22
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Good Lord there is more to come including the North Shore (though not enough time spent there) but me floors need cleaning.
Arrived back to guests visiting from both Scotland and California thus I hit the ground running staging barbecues and outings and between the resettling and dealing with post-vacation blues it has been hard to keep up with this. There are however, 4 more fun-filled days (and evenings) left to report on.
Off to see the sis and niece from Mill Valley--back later to finish up!
Arrived back to guests visiting from both Scotland and California thus I hit the ground running staging barbecues and outings and between the resettling and dealing with post-vacation blues it has been hard to keep up with this. There are however, 4 more fun-filled days (and evenings) left to report on.
Off to see the sis and niece from Mill Valley--back later to finish up!
Jul 25th, 2005, 01:58 PM
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Yikes Bill, we must have been posting at the same time. I will be back a bit later to finish up. But once I finish the report, it will really feel like it's over...Take me with you! I'll carry the bags, pick up the rental car, bring you mai tais on the beach...
Jul 25th, 2005, 07:46 PM
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Oy vey! With all of the eating I did during the 2 weeks it is amazing I can fit anywhere. Don't you be starting with me ICEEU2. I will do anything to go back.
OK where did I leave off... Ah yes, I was just about to be in pain from the Nuololo hike hmmmhmm.
July 15th
In an effort to stave off the real pain from the Nuololo Hike, I agreed to hike the first coupla miles of the Kalalau Trail. It had been agreed earlier (after my DDs breakdown, that the children would never have to hike again--can't vouch for our friends, but as I stated earlier, I am NEVER hiking with my daughter again) the only hikers would be those that volunteered.
The snorkelers stayed at Kee'e Beach and the 3 hikers forged on. Great but dirty hike--and I mean red dirt! Snorkelers had a great time. Left Kee'e and had a bizarre lunch at Zelos (to put it nicely, I believe they were understaffed, but the waiter had to have been very HIGH--and I have done extensive research on this). The food was ok, 5 of us got the mahi mahi sandwich which was just ok, but the drink delivery (1 every couple of minutes with reminders along the way, was just plain stupid) nonethess, we shopped a bit and then separated (IT WAS TIME) and my family went to Anini Beach while the others went to Lydgate. Apparently snorkeling at both locations was great! I can only vouch for the view and the sand which were both outstanding.
Dinner at Keokis again. Jacob was not as good as Allison but we did ask for those muffins again and my were they tasty.
Bill, I am sorry, I am soooo tired and sadly I seriously doubt I can either complete this TR nor can I fit in a carry-on piece of luggage--despite the hours I have logged at the gym. Have a great time, I remember earlier this year when I posted questions, you were always very quick to respond with helpful advice. If I remember correctly you are staying at Poipu Kai--enjoy a puka dog and when you get back we can compare notes.
I shall finish this "epic" tale tomorrow while Bill is jetting westward. Aloha
OK where did I leave off... Ah yes, I was just about to be in pain from the Nuololo hike hmmmhmm.
July 15th
In an effort to stave off the real pain from the Nuololo Hike, I agreed to hike the first coupla miles of the Kalalau Trail. It had been agreed earlier (after my DDs breakdown, that the children would never have to hike again--can't vouch for our friends, but as I stated earlier, I am NEVER hiking with my daughter again) the only hikers would be those that volunteered.
The snorkelers stayed at Kee'e Beach and the 3 hikers forged on. Great but dirty hike--and I mean red dirt! Snorkelers had a great time. Left Kee'e and had a bizarre lunch at Zelos (to put it nicely, I believe they were understaffed, but the waiter had to have been very HIGH--and I have done extensive research on this). The food was ok, 5 of us got the mahi mahi sandwich which was just ok, but the drink delivery (1 every couple of minutes with reminders along the way, was just plain stupid) nonethess, we shopped a bit and then separated (IT WAS TIME) and my family went to Anini Beach while the others went to Lydgate. Apparently snorkeling at both locations was great! I can only vouch for the view and the sand which were both outstanding.
Dinner at Keokis again. Jacob was not as good as Allison but we did ask for those muffins again and my were they tasty.
Bill, I am sorry, I am soooo tired and sadly I seriously doubt I can either complete this TR nor can I fit in a carry-on piece of luggage--despite the hours I have logged at the gym. Have a great time, I remember earlier this year when I posted questions, you were always very quick to respond with helpful advice. If I remember correctly you are staying at Poipu Kai--enjoy a puka dog and when you get back we can compare notes.
I shall finish this "epic" tale tomorrow while Bill is jetting westward. Aloha
Jul 26th, 2005, 04:18 AM
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We were told Zelos had kitchen problems with little fury creatures. Couldn't even get my wife to go in there for a drink.
Postcards was great -- vegetarian restaurant with the exception of fresh fish dishes -- it was very, very good.
Dolphin was great for lunch!!
Postcards was great -- vegetarian restaurant with the exception of fresh fish dishes -- it was very, very good.
Dolphin was great for lunch!!
Jul 26th, 2005, 07:21 AM
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Wow! 
We had never been to Zelo's until this last trip and really liked it and wondered why we had never stopped there?
eeva and I2,
I think our boy Billy doesn't even know who we are about now. Probably standing in line at SFO as we type.
Kinda like me @ SMF in about 155 mo' days?? :-?
We had never been to Zelo's until this last trip and really liked it and wondered why we had never stopped there?
eeva and I2,
I think our boy Billy doesn't even know who we are about now. Probably standing in line at SFO as we type.
Kinda like me @ SMF in about 155 mo' days?? :-?
Jul 26th, 2005, 05:40 PM
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Thanks for the explainations!
Eeva: I like the Taro chips alot! Went searching for a grocery store that would ship me a case home...no luck, so we striped the shelves and got a box from another store!
Shipped via US postal Service.
It's here! UNLIKE the UPS box we mailed 2 days BEFORE that box! Also, some Menehune candy has made it (we mailed the day we left!).
Belle.
Eeva: I like the Taro chips alot! Went searching for a grocery store that would ship me a case home...no luck, so we striped the shelves and got a box from another store!
Shipped via US postal Service.
It's here! UNLIKE the UPS box we mailed 2 days BEFORE that box! Also, some Menehune candy has made it (we mailed the day we left!).
Belle.
Jul 27th, 2005, 06:12 AM
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OSB,
Yep.
It seems that they are always having a mai tai "Special" everytime we are passing thru the int-island terminal.
For an extra dollar you get an additional shot of rum.
Gets Mrs Kal in the right mood to visit that hell hole of an island, Kauai. O
We heard the extra rum in your system will keep the eagle sized mosquitos away from you.
Yep.
It seems that they are always having a mai tai "Special" everytime we are passing thru the int-island terminal.
For an extra dollar you get an additional shot of rum.
Gets Mrs Kal in the right mood to visit that hell hole of an island, Kauai. O
We heard the extra rum in your system will keep the eagle sized mosquitos away from you.
Jul 29th, 2005, 06:00 AM
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Sorry Ashley, it's been hectic here with guests from California and Scotland.
Also, subconsciously I guess I don't want to finish it because it will officially end the trip.
July 16 Saturday
We spent the morning at the beach and then went to Kipu falls which we learned of in the Blue Bible. The teens had a fantastic time jumping off the 20 foot "cliff" surrounding the pool as well as using the rope swing. Even my husband got into the action there. Not my type of activity but it was almost as much fun being there as a spectator. The place was filled with locals, many of whom apparently knew one another. It is one of my daughters favorite memories from the trip. Lunch consisted of mac nuts, energy bars, fruit, etc.
We went to Keokis for dinner again but this time in the bar/grill area. We wanted something a bit lighter than the full dinner and this fit the bill. Salads were good as was the Thai shrimp stick.
Sunday July 17
We spent the early part of this day shopping. As the trip was winding down, we wanted to bring back some souvenirs and birthday gifts for some folks back home. We first went to Waimea where we picked up a few of those "red dirt" shirts for some crazy people that we know. Then we stopped in Koloa and did some shopping there. We really liked this little town. Had a "plate lunch" there earlier in the week at a little stand adjacent to the market. The name escapes me right now but it was quite tasty and the bill for 7 of us was under $25. We did have to sit in our car and eat it though.
After Waimea and Koloa, we headed up to Kapaa. We had driven through on our way to/from the North Shore and wanted to return. (This is Kal country--correct?) We wandered in and out of shops and had an excellent lunch at the Olympic Cafe. The service was excellent AND the beers were cold. The portions were huge. I liked my fish taco (although I have to say, of all the ones I tried, Dukes was the best) and my daughters chicken caesar wrap was quite tast and honestly enough for 2 people.
We spent the remainder of the afternoon on the beach and then got ready for our 8:45 reservations at the Beach House.
We had decided that we would get there early for our res. and then enjoy the sunset, take photos, and have a drink. We figured we would check in around 8 and hope a table might be ready on the early side. When we checked in at 8 they did not have our name. There had been some discussion between my friend and I as to whether we had settled on Sun. or Mon. and I was SURE it was Sun. Well, you guessed it, I was wrong. The hostesses were nice and said if we wanted to wait, they could probably get us something. Fearing a longer wait, we snagged a table in the lounge and bolstered ourselves with Mai Tais (lemonade for the younger set) and ordered a smoked ahi appetizer that was delicious. Lo and behold a table was ready by 8:30 -- 15 minutes earlier than our reservation and it was a great table located on the end looking out in 2 directions. Dinner was delicious. I cannot as usual remember which fish I ordered but it was fantastic and the service was good as well.
July 18 Monday
This was to be out last full day on Kauai. My daughter was signed up for a surf lesson through Nukumoi Surf Co at POipu Beach. We went to Puka Dogs before her noon lesson. Finally I got the puka dog I had been waiting for and it was delicious. I had the veggie dog with the middle spicy sauce and the papaya (or was it mango?) salsa. Yum. My husband said that if we had tried this place earlier in the week, he would have been back every day for one. They really were very enjoyable. Daughters surf lesson ended up being a private one as no one else signed up for that time. She had a great time and was excellent at getting up and surfing in. She really had trouble on her own, catching the wave once the instructor left. Need to have good upper body strength and better timing. Her instructor was named Sparky and he was great. Got some great pics though.
I think I forgot to mention that nearly every day we were at the beach, a monk seal would show up in the afternoon and take a siesta on the sand. They are the cutest creatures in the world. Some people were knuckleheads trying to get real close and pose but most were respectful. I got some great pics of them too (almost as cute as my daughter).
We spent the remainder of our last day enjoying the beach. We were very pleased with ourselves for choosing the Kiahuna for the groounds were so nice, the proximity to restaurants and the fantastic beach at our doorstep (ok so we had a long walk). I thought the surf was crazy but I am a landlubber and the teens loved the boogie boarding and body surfing. The amount of sand that would come out of their bathing suit at the end of the day was mind boggling though.
Our "last dinner" was at Roy's in the POipu Shopping Center. Once again, the food and service were excellent. I had the ahi appetizer and some Hawaiian fish that I cannot remember the name of. I am sorry I threw out all of the sample menus that we had for the various restaurants. Everyone however was very pleased with their choices and it was a very fun yet somewhat bittersweet evening. After all, we had to leave paradise the following day.
July 19 Tuesday
Our Thrifty rental cars had to be returned by 11:45 although our flight was not until 2:30. This was the only scheduling misstep although not a very big one. It just made us have to linger at the Lihue airport a bit longer than we needed to. We stopped at Starbucks on the way and while walking heard someone call out to our daughter--Sparky the cool surfer dude instructor.
Lihue went smoothly. We got to check our bags right through to NH which meant we would not have to deal with them at Honolulu. At Honolulu we ate lunch at Stinger Rays. Hmmm...Not the best food of our trip but Iwas unaware that it was a destination for some Fodorites and because I was depressed to be leaving, maybe I judged it too harshly. Flight from HNL to Chicago went relatively smoothly a bit too much turbulance for the first hour or so but it eventually calmed down The 2 movies were pretty funny--"Guess Who" and "Fever Pitch" at least they made the flight go quickly. Unfortunately I am one who cannot sleep on plane so I stayed awake the whole trip. The stopover and change of planes in Chicago wa a killer. It was 5:15 to 7:35 local time and we all felt like @#$%. Got to NH on time and spent the rest of the day in a fog wondering whether it was time to eat or sleep.
Funny, it seems like a blur sometimes. I had some fantastic dinners and yet I cannot remember the dishes that I had. The things that stand out the most from this trip are the very few things that were less than perfect and they were so minor.
I can see another trip to Kauai in the not too distant future. I have always maintained that I would not want to go back to the same place twice when there are so many places that I have never been but I think I can make an exception to this rule for Kauai.
Also, subconsciously I guess I don't want to finish it because it will officially end the trip.
July 16 Saturday
We spent the morning at the beach and then went to Kipu falls which we learned of in the Blue Bible. The teens had a fantastic time jumping off the 20 foot "cliff" surrounding the pool as well as using the rope swing. Even my husband got into the action there. Not my type of activity but it was almost as much fun being there as a spectator. The place was filled with locals, many of whom apparently knew one another. It is one of my daughters favorite memories from the trip. Lunch consisted of mac nuts, energy bars, fruit, etc.
We went to Keokis for dinner again but this time in the bar/grill area. We wanted something a bit lighter than the full dinner and this fit the bill. Salads were good as was the Thai shrimp stick.
Sunday July 17
We spent the early part of this day shopping. As the trip was winding down, we wanted to bring back some souvenirs and birthday gifts for some folks back home. We first went to Waimea where we picked up a few of those "red dirt" shirts for some crazy people that we know. Then we stopped in Koloa and did some shopping there. We really liked this little town. Had a "plate lunch" there earlier in the week at a little stand adjacent to the market. The name escapes me right now but it was quite tasty and the bill for 7 of us was under $25. We did have to sit in our car and eat it though.
After Waimea and Koloa, we headed up to Kapaa. We had driven through on our way to/from the North Shore and wanted to return. (This is Kal country--correct?) We wandered in and out of shops and had an excellent lunch at the Olympic Cafe. The service was excellent AND the beers were cold. The portions were huge. I liked my fish taco (although I have to say, of all the ones I tried, Dukes was the best) and my daughters chicken caesar wrap was quite tast and honestly enough for 2 people.
We spent the remainder of the afternoon on the beach and then got ready for our 8:45 reservations at the Beach House.
We had decided that we would get there early for our res. and then enjoy the sunset, take photos, and have a drink. We figured we would check in around 8 and hope a table might be ready on the early side. When we checked in at 8 they did not have our name. There had been some discussion between my friend and I as to whether we had settled on Sun. or Mon. and I was SURE it was Sun. Well, you guessed it, I was wrong. The hostesses were nice and said if we wanted to wait, they could probably get us something. Fearing a longer wait, we snagged a table in the lounge and bolstered ourselves with Mai Tais (lemonade for the younger set) and ordered a smoked ahi appetizer that was delicious. Lo and behold a table was ready by 8:30 -- 15 minutes earlier than our reservation and it was a great table located on the end looking out in 2 directions. Dinner was delicious. I cannot as usual remember which fish I ordered but it was fantastic and the service was good as well.
July 18 Monday
This was to be out last full day on Kauai. My daughter was signed up for a surf lesson through Nukumoi Surf Co at POipu Beach. We went to Puka Dogs before her noon lesson. Finally I got the puka dog I had been waiting for and it was delicious. I had the veggie dog with the middle spicy sauce and the papaya (or was it mango?) salsa. Yum. My husband said that if we had tried this place earlier in the week, he would have been back every day for one. They really were very enjoyable. Daughters surf lesson ended up being a private one as no one else signed up for that time. She had a great time and was excellent at getting up and surfing in. She really had trouble on her own, catching the wave once the instructor left. Need to have good upper body strength and better timing. Her instructor was named Sparky and he was great. Got some great pics though.
I think I forgot to mention that nearly every day we were at the beach, a monk seal would show up in the afternoon and take a siesta on the sand. They are the cutest creatures in the world. Some people were knuckleheads trying to get real close and pose but most were respectful. I got some great pics of them too (almost as cute as my daughter).
We spent the remainder of our last day enjoying the beach. We were very pleased with ourselves for choosing the Kiahuna for the groounds were so nice, the proximity to restaurants and the fantastic beach at our doorstep (ok so we had a long walk). I thought the surf was crazy but I am a landlubber and the teens loved the boogie boarding and body surfing. The amount of sand that would come out of their bathing suit at the end of the day was mind boggling though.
Our "last dinner" was at Roy's in the POipu Shopping Center. Once again, the food and service were excellent. I had the ahi appetizer and some Hawaiian fish that I cannot remember the name of. I am sorry I threw out all of the sample menus that we had for the various restaurants. Everyone however was very pleased with their choices and it was a very fun yet somewhat bittersweet evening. After all, we had to leave paradise the following day.
July 19 Tuesday
Our Thrifty rental cars had to be returned by 11:45 although our flight was not until 2:30. This was the only scheduling misstep although not a very big one. It just made us have to linger at the Lihue airport a bit longer than we needed to. We stopped at Starbucks on the way and while walking heard someone call out to our daughter--Sparky the cool surfer dude instructor.
Lihue went smoothly. We got to check our bags right through to NH which meant we would not have to deal with them at Honolulu. At Honolulu we ate lunch at Stinger Rays. Hmmm...Not the best food of our trip but Iwas unaware that it was a destination for some Fodorites and because I was depressed to be leaving, maybe I judged it too harshly. Flight from HNL to Chicago went relatively smoothly a bit too much turbulance for the first hour or so but it eventually calmed down The 2 movies were pretty funny--"Guess Who" and "Fever Pitch" at least they made the flight go quickly. Unfortunately I am one who cannot sleep on plane so I stayed awake the whole trip. The stopover and change of planes in Chicago wa a killer. It was 5:15 to 7:35 local time and we all felt like @#$%. Got to NH on time and spent the rest of the day in a fog wondering whether it was time to eat or sleep.
Funny, it seems like a blur sometimes. I had some fantastic dinners and yet I cannot remember the dishes that I had. The things that stand out the most from this trip are the very few things that were less than perfect and they were so minor.
I can see another trip to Kauai in the not too distant future. I have always maintained that I would not want to go back to the same place twice when there are so many places that I have never been but I think I can make an exception to this rule for Kauai.
Jul 29th, 2005, 08:39 AM
#39
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Great report Eeva!
We're not going to let you "officially end the trip". We're going to keep asking you questions to keep the trip alive in your mind.
Thanks for the info about Kipu. I didn't notice it in the blue book until I read your post and looked it up. It looks like lots of fun! Where did you park your car? Is it easy to find?
Thanks again! 7 more days!
We're not going to let you "officially end the trip". We're going to keep asking you questions to keep the trip alive in your mind.
Thanks for the info about Kipu. I didn't notice it in the blue book until I read your post and looked it up. It looks like lots of fun! Where did you park your car? Is it easy to find?
Thanks again! 7 more days!
Jul 29th, 2005, 10:53 AM
#40
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Congratulations Eeva, you've graduated Kauai Kindergarten!!!!!!!
Now say after me,
"That wretched godforesaken island...all it does is rain, rain, rain, And the roosters, and golf ball size mosquitos----don't get me started...stupid rainy tourist trap of an island......."
12.5 days and counting!!!
Now say after me,
"That wretched godforesaken island...all it does is rain, rain, rain, And the roosters, and golf ball size mosquitos----don't get me started...stupid rainy tourist trap of an island......."
12.5 days and counting!!!
