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Yet Another Songdoc Kauai Trip Report

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Yet Another Songdoc Kauai Trip Report

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Old Feb 21st, 2016, 07:18 PM
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Yet Another Songdoc Kauai Trip Report

Cast of Character: just moi -- devastatingly handsome male, late 50s--but not for long!
FYI, I've spent 2 - 3 months a year on Kauai for the past 8 - 10 years

I arrived on Kauai solo for (24) nights after working in FREEZING Saskatchewan, Canada, where it the view from my window was of people ice fishing. DH had to stay behind in Nashville to deal with family issues.

I had never stayed anywhere on the island that did not have a stunning oceanfront setting, such as Sealodge or Orchid Point. But I’ll tell you a secret… we are seriously thinking about a move to Kauai, and we can either afford a nice house or an ocean view—but not both. So I decided to do a test and see if I could be happy with a pleasant view of mountains and a short walk to the ocean. That, and a desire to save some money, led me to book a studio apt. at Hale Moi on the North Shore.

I booked through Ahh Aloha at a rate of $92/night. Their service was impeccable. When there was a problem with the TV cable they had it fixed in minutes. The accommodation was like a spacious hotel room with a mini fridge, microwave, hot plate, toaster, and coffeemaker. It’s not the Four Seasons, but it was nice enough. It took me a while to adjust to preparing food on the bathroom counter and doing dishes in the bathroom sink. It would have been nice to have a separate little kitchen, but this worked—and the price was right.

The views were pretty and I soon learned that I could indeed live without an ocean view. The “Bali Hai” overlook was only a block away and I could walk to the St. Regis beach. Speaking of which … last night I walked to the beach at the St. Regis to stroll along the shore and watch the sunset. Luckily, I brought my camera because it was SPECTACULAR! A couple had just gotten married and there were long, while orchid leis hanging from the trees. Magical!

When I arrived, close friends from Nashville were visiting the island for the first time. So I went to into “tour guide” mode.

Waimea Canyon/Koke’e Park:

We stopped at the coffee plantation for me to get caffeinated and to stock up on my favorite coffees. My friends are exceptionally well traveled, but they were blown away by the views of Waimea Canyon. When we arrived a the Kalalau Lookout it was completely fogged in. We all blew as hard as we could, but alas, the clouds refused to budge. We picnicked on a bench near the lodge then returned to the Kalalau Lookout in the hopes of catching a view. But again…no luck ☹.

The Canyon Trail was bit more slippery than I would have liked, but it was doable—and I loved it, as always. It was about a 90-minute moderate hike. Hot tip: Most people go to the waterfall then retrace their steps. No, no, no!! For me, it’s more work to get to the waterfall than it’s worth. Instead of making the left to the waterfall, I make the right to get to the primo “WOW” views. Just gorgeous!

We decided to give the Kalalau Lookout one more try – and the third time was indeed the charm! No matter how many times I go there that view takes my breath away. For me, it is truly one of the most magnificent, magical spots on earth. It never cleared 100%, but we got the gist of it, and the mist that remained added to the mystical sense.


Hindu Temple/Kuilau Trail:

A Hindu temple is being built using the same methods that would have been used 2,000 years ago. All the stone is hand-hewn and the carvings are being done by master carvers from India. They have been working on it for more than a decade and it is almost finished. A small portion of the spectacular are open to the public from 9am till noon, but the only way to see the new temple is with a guided tour, which is free, but has to booked in advance (which we did).

Unfortunately, access to the temple was not available because there was heavy landscaping equipment nearby. But we enjoyed our guide’s commentary about the monastery, it’s founding guru, and the temple, as well as an introduction to Hinduism—and the grounds and views really are stunning.

We combined our visit to the temple with one of my favorite hikes—the Kuilau Trail (not to be confused with the Kalalau Trail). The trailhead is just before the arboretum. The hike is rated “moderate” and is 2.1 miles – each way. (It does not loop.) Gorgeous views of a verdant, lush valley. We picnicked at the top and loved it.

Dinner was delicious at Kauai Pasta in Kapaa. My pasta (with their house meat sauce—which at first glance looked like “horse meat sauce!”) was perfect and so was the chicken parmesan. The portions were large enough to have half of my meal for dinner the next night.

It’s time to go watch the sunset. So, to be continued …
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Old Feb 22nd, 2016, 03:42 AM
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Keep it up!! We vacation through your TRs.
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Old Feb 22nd, 2016, 11:10 PM
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I was just thinking that I hadn't seen anything from you in such a long time. Good to read of your "doings" again. I wish you luck on your hunt for something to buy. I am not sure I could stay in a studio with no view, studio with a view of ocean perhaps. glad it worked out for you. Please keep us updated. I am so longing to get back there. It has been 2 years and I am getting antsy and need a fix so I love reading your posts.

Blessings
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Old Feb 23rd, 2016, 12:34 AM
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Enjoying your report. Taking notes as we are off to Poipu in April.
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Old Feb 23rd, 2016, 09:11 PM
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OMG, that sunset was spectacular. I walked down to the beach at the St. Regis. Someone had just gotten married there and the trees were strewn with long, white orchid leis. It was gorgeous! I love sitting on that beach any time of day. It’s one of my “magic” places, but with that sunset it was “WOW!”

FYI, I’m going to be brief on this report because I’ll be leaving Kauai tomorrow (sniff, sniff) and my schedule’s about to get CRAZY! I’ll stop one day in Nashville, then continue on to work in Northern Ireland and vacation in Scotland. Then I’ll work three days in Nashville before heading to work in South Korea! I live a charmed life—for a traveloholic. ;-)

Maha’ulepu Trail:

Since Poipu was mentioned … I’ll continue by telling you that my friends were blown away by the Maha’ulepu Trail that starts on Shipwreck Beach, next to the Grand Hyatt. Those cliffs look like sculptures. Well, I guess they are sculpted--by the wind and the waves. The water was an intense blue and the views were absolutely stunning. And seeing an enormous monk seal sunbathing was a nice bonus, as were the whales spouting in the distance.

We stopped in the lobby of the Hyatt for coffee and to visit the macaws. They dance when you sing to them—and I have no shame, so I sang and they danced! Fun was had by all!

Dinner on the way back was awesome at Hamura’s Saimin. I’m addicted to those BBQ chicken sticks and wonton saimin. My friends loved it, too.

Weather:

I arrived Feb. 3rd and the notoriously rainy North Shore had fifteen consecutive bright, sunny, hot days. It actually was hotter at times than I would have liked for hiking. Several days hit 85 degrees, but it was wonderfully cool at night for sleeping. But then…the weather became more typical.

The remaining week-and-a-half had a lot of rain, clouds, and drizzle in between the partly sunny times. FYI, when I checked the weather in "sunny" Poipu, they were having showers, as well. Sometimes, it rained all morning and cleared up in the afternoon. Other times it was the opposite. I never had a day that was 100% rainy, but these mostly were not the kinds of days you’d want for lying on the beach. Still, there was never a day when I couldn’t go for a couple of walks in between showers.

I actually (mostly) enjoyed the cooler weather. After my friends left I had a tremendous amount of work to do and it was nice sitting on the lanai and looking at the mountains while working on the computer.

Hanalei Bay:

For me, Hanalei Bay is perfection. (That’s why I got married there!) I couldn’t count how many times I’ve walked the full length of that beach, and I never stop being in awe of the beauty. There were a few days of high surf that was fantastic for surfers, but treacherous for swimmers. But most days the water was fine for swimming. My friends loved swimming and boogie boarding there. It was a highlight of their trip.

Dinner at Neide’s was wonderful. We all had the Brazilian panceques. The mountain views are so beautiful, and that just made the meal taste even better.

Tahiti Nui:

“The Nui” (which is what the locals call it) was featured in the movie “The Descendants.” I went out to see a friend’s classic blues/rock band, “Bluefinger” play on a Saturday night. It has a fun, inexpensive, friendly, laid-back vibe with a mix of locals and tourists.

I rarely go out at night and I was surprised to find that at 9:30pm on a Saturday night, Hanalei seemed completely closed and deserted.

Waterfalls:

Wailua Falls is my favorite. It’s so mystical when the white cattle egrets are circling. It reminds me of a Japanese painting. I was surprised that my friends preferred Opaeka’a Falls. They’re both beautiful.

to be continued ...
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Old Feb 25th, 2016, 02:20 PM
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Ke’e Beach:

Ke’e is as far north as you can go. It’s the beginning of the Kalalau trail. While I was on the island there was a close call. The stream at Hanakapi’ai Beach overflowed. This is the beach two miles from the beginning of the trail—the place many tourists hike to. Hikers were trapped on the far side of the stream and when they tried to cross, someone was swept out to the ocean. Luckily, this time, there was a rescue—but that is too often not the case. My advice is if you wouldn’t hike a challenging, slippery, treacherous trail (with boulders and tree roots to navigate) at home—then don’t think you can do it on vacation.

But I do recommend going to the first viewpoint (approximately a half-mile) for those who are reasonably fit. Those views of the Napali cliffs are pure magic. But my favorite way to see them (other than by boat, which I’ve done several times, but not this time) is to stroll down Ke’e Beach and then look over your shoulder. I think this was another high point for my visiting friends.

On the way back, dinner came with ocean views at Mediterranean Gourmet. My meal was good, but not amazing. My friends liked their food—and the singer who entertained. For me, it’s a bit pricey, but so are most things in paradise.

Continue …

Other food:

Kountry Kitchen’s breakfasts are crazy-good! I knew from past experience (LOTS of past experience) that their portions are huge. So ordered only ONE banana pancake with macadamia nuts, a fresh fruit bowl, and two eggs. The pancake was so massive I took almost half of it home. The fruit bowl was SO good, but it was big enough for three people. I took most of that home, as well, and left feeling stuffed.

I thought that breakfast was amazing, but to be sure, I had to go back and try again. ;-) Yup. It was still great.

To burn up those calories I would have had to swim to Tahiti, but I didn’t have the time. So, instead, I parked at Kealia beach and walked to the end of my favorite walking path, with a stop to walk along beautiful Donkey Beach. That path is always a good place to spot whales spouting in the distance—and it didn’t disappoint.

When I got back to Kealia Beach I went for a heavenly swim. The ocean felt incredible after that long, hot walk and it was calm close (but not too close) to the rocks.

I’ve had several meals at Lotus Thai (in the Princeville Center) that were okay—not “great,” but fine. This time, my meal was lousy. The fresh Kauai shrimp were mushy, and I prefer shrimp that is not looking at me. But I would have made exception if they tasted good.

When I want shrimp I should just go to the Shrimp Station for their awesome coconut shrimp.

My last sunset of this trip was watched from the lookout next to the St. Regis. It was exceptional—even by Kauai standards. I woke the next morning to perfect, cloudless bright blue skies. Luckily, I’d packed the previous night, so I had time for a farewell to Hanalei Bay. I was surprised when I got there to learn that the beach had been closed the previous day due to the high surf. As I walked the length of the beach I could see that it must have been unusually powerful. Entire chunks of the lawn in front of the pavilion lifeguard station had been torn up and were strewn along the beach with its vegetation intact.

But for my farewell walk the ocean was calm and the sky was so clear that the mountains seemed etched into it. It was so hard to say goodbye, but I promised Hanalei Bay that I would be back soon.

House Hunting:

This was a fact-finding mission—and the fact I found is that I can’t afford what I want. On the North Shore, I can either afford a nice house with a view of a neighbor’s house—or I can afford a small, older condo (for example, Ali’i Kai or Sealodge) with a beautiful view—and monthly condo fees that are as high as a mortgage. For me, these are perfect vacation rentals, but they’re not large enough for the two of us to live comfortably and have guests stay with us. I also learned that I’m open to a beautiful mountain view, but I didn’t find that, either.

Unfortunately, I can’t quite spend $200 million, which is what Mark Zuckerberg paid for his acreage near Kilauea. The newspaper reported that he was seen eating at Bubba’s Burgers!

So … I’ll keep looking at real estate listings and trusting that the right home will appear when the time is right.

Now…time to pack for Ireland!
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Old Feb 26th, 2016, 07:56 AM
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so now I know the secret to his Zuckerberg's $$$ eat at Bubbas! Thanks for another report Songdoc. I can picture all of the things you walk about which helps me between trips to Kauai. Not until 2017 for us as we have plans for Africa later this year but my heart is longing for some of those wonderful sunsets and walks on the beach.
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Old Feb 26th, 2016, 11:12 AM
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I love your report. Thanks so much. I agree Hanalei Bay is so stunningly beautiful. It really talks your breath away when you drive down the road and suddenly you see the lush green valley. There is nothing like it.

DH and I are on the Big Island right now. But I was bummed when I found out 'The Eddie' Surfing competition was being held yesterday at Waimea Bay on Oahu's North Shore. It's been a bucket list wish of mine to watch it. Someday. The problem is you never know when it'll be a go.

Enjoy you time in paradise!
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Old Feb 27th, 2016, 10:58 AM
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Thanks so much for the nice comments.

Shar: S. Africa is very high on my list. I'll trade you. ;-)

nanabee: I hope you have a wonderful trip. I'll be on the Big Island -- for the "Kauai" Music Festival -- which will eventually be renamed the Hawaii Songwriters Festival.

Now... I've traded the Garden Isle for the Emerald Isle. It's a very different kind of beauty.
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Old Feb 29th, 2016, 07:29 AM
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Shar, I'm in the same boat...2017. We are going to England this year so I have to skip my precious Kauai this year.

Songdoc, love the report! Your body must be wondering what time it is!
Living on Kauai...wow, I have no other words!
I would have to win the lottery for me to live there! Off to buy a ticket...
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Old Mar 1st, 2016, 11:46 PM
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Shar and louistraveler5: Kauai is waiting for you!

It was so hard to leave. But I'll be working on the Big Island in June, so I console myself knowing I'll squeeze in some Kauai time before or after the music festival.

louistraveler5: Maybe we can split the lottery winnings and both afford a nice little estate near Zuckerberg's ;-).

Luckily, I seem to be less affected by jet lag than most people. It's amazing, but I hit the ground running when we arrived in N. Ireland. It's gorgeous here, but we're hitting some horrid weather: sleet, rain, and a dusting of snow. Luckily, we had two beautiful days when we first arrived and crammed in many of our favorite sites before the weather turned. We're staying in a cottage from the 1600s until we go to Belfast--the "big city" to work--and then Scotland for a holiday.
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