It's been quite a while since my last blog post. I've been so busy, working, playing and having fun that I'm quite a few posts behind. This post however, I wanted to write up right away while it was still fresh in my mind.
Last year for my big trip I went to New Jersey in the middle of December to repeatedly dunk myself into muddy water pits in sub freezing temperatures.
World's Toughest Mudder WTM-WTF
This year I went to Kauai.
A few weeks ago at work my captain was talking about the amazing deals he was finding on Alaskan Airlines to Hawaii. I looked it up and sure enough, there were round trip deals non-stop out of Oakland for $315. Looking on PleasantHawaiianHolidays.com we found a trip for $749/person for non-stop airfare, 6 nights/7 days at the Aston Aloha Hotel in Kapa'a and a rental car with a second driver. We booked it the next day and in a week found ourselves on our way to Kauai.
I've been to Oahu twice, Maui once and Kauai one time before. Kauai is by far my favorite. The island is pretty small, only about 50 miles around, and less than 20% of it is accessible by car. Still though, because of its incredible beauty and lushness, it has served as the set for such movies and TV shows such as Fantasy Island, Pirates of the Caribbean, Avatar, Jurassic Park and Raiders of the Lost Ark.
Our flight left at 0700 and we arrived in Lihue around 0900 so we had a few hours to explore and run around before we could check into hour hotel. I like staying in Kapa'a because it gives equal access to both the north and south sides of the island. We decided to head north the first day to get the lay of the land.
One thing about Kauai is between the two lane roads, the one lane bridges and the road construction, you're not going to get anywhere in a hurry, but why would you want to here? Anywhere you drive on this island has breathtaking views.
The first place we stopped was the Kilauea light house and wildlife refuge. The lighthouse that was originally built in 1913. It served to help ships safely navigate the rugged north shore for 62 years before being deactivated and replaced with an automatic beacon in 1976.
In 1979 it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. Recently it received a grant to be restored, which is why it's wearing the giant shower curtain in this pic.
We continued up the coast stopping in local shops until we suddenly noticed we were very, very hungry. Between traveling and the days events so far we had worked up quite an appetite. We stopped at a restaurant called the Garden Cafe at Common Grounds that was a little ways off the main road (it seems like most things in Kauai are a little ways off the main road). For anyone looking for good healthy place to eat on the island, this is definitely a great place to go. Their cafe has a seasonal fresh organic menu utilizing produce that they grow on site.
Our last stop before heading back down to the hotel was Makua Beach also known as Tunnels. When conditions are calm this beach is a great place to snorkel and dive. There are tons of fish, sometimes dolphins, and it's a turtle cleaning station. There is a 40' drop off after the reef, and like pretty much all beaches in Kauai currents can be very strong and surgy, so be informed on conditions before entering the water.
We watched the sun set here before heading back to the hotel, making for a very full first day.
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