Archive for August, 2010
Okay, today let’s go for big, beautiful, and on the beach! When you’re looking for an Anahola Beach House with enough room for a large family or a private party, it pays to know about this bodacious beauty right on the sand. With seven bedrooms, seven full bathrooms, and 5,000 square feet of opulent accommodations, you can get lost in this wonder of a rental. Plus, did I mention it was only a few hundred feet away from the water?
This comfortable beach house located at 4274 Poha Road has modern furnishings, a private courtyard, free wireless internet access, and an outdoor BBQ area complete with garden showers for rinsing off after some fun in the ocean. It is perfect for a large group of individuals or couples who are traveling together, especially if money is an issue. At $7,000 a week, you can either have a very large house all to yourself or you can invite everyone you know and make a party of it, splitting the cost between the lot of you.
The best part is that this house is on the east side of the island, giving you access to everything eastern Kauai has to offer, from Fern Grotto and the Kauai Museum to Kilohana Plantation and Kipu Falls. In fact, the east side also has Lydgate State Park, by far one of the best family beaches on the island. After renting this house, you can truly have a great time exploring the east side of the island right from your own backyard. What could be better?
I have an admonition. I can’t surf. Now I realize that this comes as a shock for most of you, but I just can’t do it. Yes, I live on an island. Yes, the surfing here is wonderful. Yes, people pay large amounts of money to fly to Hawaii and take surfing lessons every year. But as for me, I’m clumsy.
I remember trying to surf as a child. It didn’t go well. I could never stay up, and by up I don’t mean standing. I wasn’t that lucky. You see, I considered myself blessed if I could stay atop the surf board for any length of time before inevitably falling off. While most of my friends practiced and became better, I practiced and got more bruised. One time I went out and ended up water-logged, bruised, and bleeding. (I had accidentally fallen and then simultaneously hit my head on the surf board on my way down.) Who knows – perhaps this much klutziness is a talent.
My friends to this day laugh at me. I even had one friend buy me surfing lessons from Hawaiian Surfing Adventures on the north shore, but I knew even then that I was hopeless. I suppose I just don’t fit the stereotype of the typical Hawaiian native. But that’s okay. I’ve learned to really enjoy watching others surf over the years. And just in case I’m frightening you, don’t worry. I have never known another human being, whether native or tourist, to have as much trouble learning as I have had. I’m guess I’m just not meant to fly across the water.
Today I had a bit of fun and went snorkeling with some friends off the south shore. I’ll admit to being a north shore kinda girl, but I take a good snorkeling opportunity whenever it presents itself, and this week the opportunity was in Eleele.
Eleele is on Hanapepe Bay, spitting distance from Port Allen Airport. There is a company there called Kauai Sea Tours, and my girlfriends decided to sign up for one of their underwater adventures. And just so you know, contrary to popular opinion, not every resident of Kauai owns their own snorkeling gear. Sure, many of us do, but sometimes it pays to go out with a group.
Anyway, I had a wonderful day of fun in the water. We snorkeled out to this one area where we knew there would be Hawaiian Sea Turtles and pretended to be in the movie Finding Nemo for a while. (You remember the scene, right? All the turtles in surfer accents hanging out in the current?) I love swimming alongside those big turtles, especially since they don’t seem to fear people at all. I even found a smaller turtle away from the rest of the group and named him Squirt. It was a great swim.
When we got back to shore, we all dried off, jumped in the car, and headed back up to the north side of the island for pizza from Kilauea Bakery. (I think I’ve mentioned them before.) They have the best pizza on the whole island, and we polished off several pieces apiece before heading back home.
Okay, here is something fun for tourists and short term residents of Kauai. Did you know you can get a helicopter tour of the island? Well, you can! Believe me when I tell you that there is nothing quite like flying above the lush paradise of my hometown and seeing everything Kauai has to offer. There are unique features of the island that you can only see from the air, so a helicopter ride is your best chance.
Sunshine Helicopters (also known as Will Squyres Helicopter Tours) is a tour company that offers copter rides and spectacular aerial views for a pretty good price. And Safari Helicopter Tours is located right next door, offering rides in some of the best helicopters on the island. Only an hour of flying can get you into places you’ve never dreamed, observing vibrant vegetation, tropical rainforests, plunging waterfalls, and dramatic vistas. The helicopter company calls these places the unspoiled side of Kauai, the parts that only wildlife can travel. And you’ll get to see it.
If you want to go on a helicopter tour of the island, then head east. Sunshine Helicopters and Safari Helicopter Tours are both located in Lihue, which is off of HWY 56 near the Kuhio Mall. If you are coming from the airport, you’d simply have to take HWY 51 south to Rice Street, hang a right and travel up to Eiwa Street, hang another right and follow this street until it ends at Hardy Street. Go left at Hardy and take an almost immediate right on Akahi Street. Safari is at the end of Akahi and for Sunshine you’ll have to turn left on Ahukini Road. It will be on your left.
On Sunday I was inspired. I drove over to Hanalei Bay and ate a picnic lunch, waiting for 3 pm to roll around. The bay is a nice area for a seaside day without the pounding surf. I enjoy going up there sometimes just to sit and think, often taking a book along or my guitar and lazing by the water. It’s very relaxing, which I very much enjoy. Plus, when I put a small hat out while I’m playing my guitar, sometimes I make pocket money!
Anyway, I usually hang out around Princeville on Friday and Sunday afternoons, for I love live music. I always have and I probably always will. And Princeville is usually the place to find it, though there are a few venues down south. Music gives me so much inspiration, and I find myself doing things I never thought I could like writing a book, cleaning up the house after my brother visits, learning the guitar, going on a zip line course, and more. Music speaks to me, especially if it is live and I know the musicians, which just happens to be the case with the McMasters.
The McMasters (also known as Doug and Sandy) play a Slack Key Concert almost every Friday and Sunday afternoon, and I often find myself entering the Hanalei Community Center to listen to their performances. The Community Center is home to myriad other activities as well, so I know the area well. It’s located just off of HWY 560 near the Ching Young Village Shopping Center. As a side note, the shopping center is a great place to find great restaurants, tour reservations, surfing lessons, and maybe great stores. You should definitely check it out if you are going to be visiting the area.
Anyway, the concert went well. After all, Doug and Sandy don’t just play music; they tell stories using their guitar and ukulele. Their music is soft, sweet, and relaxing. I can almost feel my internal frequencies adjusting to the spirit of aloha. I always leave their performances feeling refreshed and ready to tackle the week. So if you are on the island and want a wonderful music experience, come see them play. You won’t regret it.
This might seem a bit odd, but I’ve decided to dedicate this blog post to my morning cup of coffee, which doesn’t make much sense until you live here. This morning I came downstairs, started the coffee, grabbed some cereal and a banana, and lounged outside on my porch swing. It was a beautiful morning, especially since I was up much earlier than normal. A friend was flying home today, and I promised to see her off. Of course, her flight was in two hours and she had yet to make an appearance…
Anyway, I was taking my first sip of Peaberry coffee while sitting out in the early morning breeze when it suddenly hit me how lucky I was. No, I’m not talking about how early I got up. No one who has to get up early is lucky. I was referring to my wonderful little house on our lovely island and the hot cup of coffee that I was able to drink without paying import fees. You see, Kauai Coffee is one of the best coffees in the world, and I have it on good authority that Starbucks just wouldn’t stand a chance against it.
The mix I was drinking is called Peaberry, a rich dark roast with a smooth almost chocolaty flavor. I love bold coffees in the morning, so I usually buy Peaberry, though many of the other roasts made on the island are quite good too. The friend I’m taking to the airport loves flavored coffees, so I bought her a bag of Kauai Coffee Hawaiian Coconut Caramel Crunch, which she loved. In fact, I caught her slipping it into her suitcase last night.
You know, I can buy any flavor of Kauai Coffee I want from the store. But if you are a tourist, you might enjoy touring the coffee plantation yourself. The plantation is located less than 20 miles from the airport on the southwest side of the island. You just take HWY 50 past Kalaheo and go south on the 540 and you’ll see it. The plantation gives tours and does free coffee tasting sessions, so you can find the exact coffee you want to bring home with you. It really is worth the visit.
So here’s to you, my wonderful cup of coffee. Thank you for waking me up each morning and keeping me going each day with your flavorful caffeine and your wonderful aroma.
So today I decided to walk down to the beach. Well, really I drove to the park and then walked down to the beach. Let me explain. On the northern side of Kauai off of Anini Road, there is a park called Kalihikai Park. It is a lovely place and also one of the few places on the island where you can go camping. When I was first learning to write, I would wander down to the campground and “people watch” for hours. It’s amazing how many stories you can come up with if you just have enough interesting people crammed into one place.
Anyway, Kalihikai Park is right on the ocean, so the beach is readily accessible. Whenever I want to “people watch” for a while, I take my notebook and head to the park, walking down to the beach to admire the sapphire waves and the white sands. All sorts of people come to the beach, especially since many different water activities are made available there by Hawaiian businessmen. When searching for a fun activity or two, you can find any number of rental deals from boats and surfing gear to snorkeling and scuba equipment. It’s just that kind of place.
Today was my day to simply relax, however, and leave the water activities to the tourists. I brought a good book, a large beach towel, a small cooler of refreshments, and absorbed the sun for a few hours. It felt good to be out in the sunshine enjoying the humid weather and the scent of the sea breezes. While I enjoyed watching a few tourists learn how to surf, the day wasn’t about “people watching”. The day was about me. I was relaxed, I was enjoying the sights and sounds of the oceanfront, and I was suddenly very sunburned! That teaches me to forget my hat!
Do you need a cozy getaway location for you and your love? There is the nicest condo in Princeville up on the cliffs that I think you should visit. Located at 3811 Edward Road, it is comfortable and romantic with ocean views out almost every window. The master suite has a plush king-sized bed with a private bath, and there is a second full bathroom off the living room for guests.
So what brings this up? Well, I found out this morning that my cousin is coming to visit at the end of the month. The last time my cousin came to visit was after his wedding. Okay, to be honest, it was for his honeymoon, so we didn’t see that much of him. He and his beautiful wife, Julie, stayed in Princeville at this exact same condo, a lovely spot that we visited the third day they were in town.
They told a lot of wonderful stories about this darling condo, especially about the sunrises over the ocean. Julie said they used to sit out on the patio every morning and watch the sea for dolphins, bursts of color appearing over the horizon at dawn. It sounded so romantic. So, if you are reading this blog and you want a beautiful spot for your honeymoon, this is just the place.
Kauai is home to adventure, at least that’s what we tell the tourists. Honestly, though, it’s true. I’d been saving up some money and last month I headed up the mountain for some zip-line fun. The course was fierce but amazing, jumping off of a 1200-foot peak and zipping down the mountain into the valley below. I even got to see a few of the hidden pools on the island as I relaxed for a mid-day meal with my fellow high-adventurers, most of which were tourists.
It was an exhilarating, but scary experience, especially when we came upon the valley crossing, an extension bridge 80 feet in the air that swung with our every step. It was at that point that I remembered why I had never gone on this high-flying trip before: I hate bridges. It turned out okay though. I made it across the bridge unscathed and conquered a bit of fear in the process.
The outing I undertook was called the Zip n’ Dip Expedition, a shorter excursion running about $125 plus tax. Of course, by shorter I mean only 3-5 hours instead of an all day trek. Usually the other tours involve kayaking or horseback riding or something. I opted for something simple. All in all, it was a great day and a trip that I would recommend to anyone… well, anyone who isn’t afraid of heights!
I got up early this morning for a long bike ride. I’ve been feeling a bit bigger around the middle, if you catch my meaning, and I figured it was time for me to put down the book and get off my butt. Of course, the bike ride was pleasant and I passed many tourists on the beaches and natives in their shops. It was such a lovely morning excursion that I never wanted it to end. Plus, I was getting so much exercise and feeling thinner by the moment!
I don’t really know how it happened. I truly believe it was fate, but my friends say it was my stomach. Either way, I ended up at Kilauea Bakery on Keneke Street near Kilauea Park. Now, normally I would go straight in and get something delicious, but I held back. I had this whole conversation with myself, arguing back and forth about cravings vs. carbs. Then, after a few minutes, Brianne (only the best barista in the world) called out a hello, and suddenly I had my excuse to go in.
Oh the wonderful aroma of a bakery! Seriously, is there anything better on earth? I only stayed a few minutes, but I left with some freshly baked sin in a bag. I just couldn’t help myself. I figure it this way though – I did ride my bike for at least 20 minutes that morning. Surly that deserved a reward, right?
I’m a reader and a writer. I always have been and I always will be. However, I hate to read and write indoors. There is something about living in a beautiful place that fills you with dread about boring white walls and no sea breezes. As much as possible, I like to find interesting places to read and put my thoughts together, often times heading into the dense vegetation and finding a nice log to sit upon or a tree to climb. There is even a waterfall I know about, but it takes a while to get there.
Yesterday, I grabbed my book (a binder of ideas and stories I’ve been collecting) and headed north on HWY 56 to Kiauea Road, the site of the Kilauea Lighthouse. As a bit of background, you should know that the Kilauea Lighthouse was built on the northern shore of Kauai in 1913 and is a part of the Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge, a place every tourist must go. This lighthouse has the largest clamshell lens in the world, though that particular lens is now just for show, and you can take tours of the surrounding area and the lighthouse itself if you wish.
It is absolutely gorgeous up there on the cliff. I like to look out to sea, imagining the tales it could tell, tales of wayward ships, epic loves, and lonely nights watching the island it was sworn to protect. Okay, maybe I’m getting a bit carried away, but you get the idea. Anyway, just as I had picked up my pen, I saw it: a beautiful dolphin jumping happily into the ocean. That sparked a few ideas, and before I knew it, the sun was starting to set and I was starving. I had been there for hours! Oh well, at least I have some good chapters written.
I am starting this blog for the lovely people at Kauai Vacation Rentals and Oceanfront Realty International, Inc, since Donna really is the most wonderful person in the world.
Oceanfront is a local real estate company with many years of experience on Kauai, which makes a lot of sense considering the fact that they live on Kauai. Donna, the owner and founder of Oceanfront, runs her company with integrity and is well-respected by all her clients, tourists and natives both. I believe this is a firm indication of her real estate capabilities.
Oceanfront Realty has the best rentals on the north shore, including many exceptional properties for sale as well. From large beachfront villas to small getaway condos, tourists of all income levels can find a place to stay here. Plus, their website is a breeze to navigate. Earnest searchers will have no trouble finding a vacation home, booking it, and enjoying it for their entire stay.
As for this blog site, while referring to rental homes from time to time, my job is actually pretty simple: talk about the island. Many tourists come every year, but few know what I know about which restaurants are good, what the most popular haunts are, where on the island to find fun tours and activities for the family, etc. So this blog will be their guide – and yours if you choose to read it.
In order to make your stay the best ever, I am going to share my local knowledge, thoughts, impressions, input, and observations about the island. If you’d like, you can subscribe to my posts, even choosing a particular category you want to hear more about. This way, when it comes time for you to vacation on Kauai, you will know exactly what to do and where to go.
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