Our first official day on the island, Neal and Mike
got up at dawn to capture the sunrise over Kalapaki Bay
right outside our hotel.
View from our rooms on the ground floor
Shortly after we moved into our rooms, we
were greeted by a friendly kitty, who became
our island pet the whole week (especially
after Mike and Lisa bought food to share!).
Relaxing sounds of the beach with birds
chirping in the background
Hanalei Lookout
Hanalei Beach
Lis and I had to laugh at this one......
After finding our spot on the beach and setting
up our towels to lay out for a bit, we watched the
guys venture off to the water with their snorkel
gear. They were back 5 minutes later, looking
totally beat up, saying that the waves were too
rough and knocked them all over the shore.
After we went down and tried getting in the water,
we had to agree with them - it was a rough day
to do any snorkeling.
The sand here is not white and smooth like that
of the Caribbean, but beautifully colorful
in its own way.
Taking a hike to one of the coolest spots on the
island, the "Queen's Bath." Neal and I had never
been able to get in because the tide was always
too high, but luckily this day was perfect for a swim.
Neal inside the bath
The water was so clear you almost felt like
you were in a fishbowl.
One of the most beautiful parts of Kauai is
its Na Pali Coast. However, it is only accessible
by helicopter, boat, or a 2-day hike over the
mountains. We opted for Captain Andy's - a
catamaran trip that takes you along the coast
and to a nice spot for snorkeling with dozens
of fish.
Often times schools of dolphins will playfully race
the boat, which is so fun to watch.
Waimea Canyon, the "Grand Canyon" of Hawaii
Neal being a goofball, pretending to fall
off the canyon
Along with our pet kitten, we also had pet
chickens outside of our room! At first they
enjoyed snacking on Triscuits with us, until the
cat food went out and they started eating that.
Mike became so attached to these chickens he
swore that he'd get some for his backyard when
he got home.
"Two Peas in a Pod"
Before we saw the luau at Smith's Paradise, we
walked around the gardens for some photos. As
is typical of the island, there were small, two-legged
creatures walking everywhere.
Lisa going for a dip :-)
As we were walking around the gardens it started
pouring rain. Luckily, we were right next to a little
straw hut where we could hide with out cameras.
As we were waiting out the rain, we saw a huge,
double-rainbow appear in the distance. It was
so pretty it was worth the rain shower.
At dinner, there was a "warm-up" luau,
which was presented by members of the
audience. Neal was one of the lucky ones
to get picked as a dancer. He actually did
very well - I was proud of him. :-)
In true Neal-Kelly-Mike-and-Lisa fashion,
we had to have some sort of motorcycle
excursion on this trip, so we rented Harleys
for a day. Well, actually the boys did - Lisa
and I rode on the back. It was Neal's first time
driving a Harley and he liked it a lot. This was
such a great way to see the island, to feel the warm
air and smell the ocean and trees along the way.
Kilauea Lighthouse
Aside from the Hula Pie, our favorite snack on
the island is shave ice (they actually call it "shave" ice
as opposed to shaved ice). This is the biggest one
we had seen to date - it took 2 of us to finish one!
View of the Wailua River Valley
Wailua Falls
My favorite road on the island - the tree lined
street that goes to Poipu
Beach near the Spouting Horn
Spouting Horn
This is a natural wonder that occurs when water
rushes under a lava shelf and bursts through a
small opening in the surface.
Our final lunch at Keoki's Paradise -
Neal's favorite restaurant.
The last Mai Tai.....until next time