Our Hawaiian Vacation 2007

This is a blog of our Hawaiian Vacation. If you would like to follow along with my husband and I and our 4 boys, please read below. We will add pictures when we return home.

Nov 14th

Today we flew nonstop from Denver to Honolulu. Our flight arrived early so we were able to standby for an earlier flight to Kauai.  We got our van while we were waiting for our luggage to arrive on the later flight.

We are staying on the northern part of the island of Kauai in the Princeville area.  Since we have never stayed in this area, we decided to give it a try.  Our condo is on a cliff overlooking the most beautiful view I have ever seen.  We are lulled to sleep at night by gentle breezes and sounds of the waves crashing against the cliff. 

Nov 15th

When we woke up this morning our baby (almost 2) looked out the window and said "wow, wa-wa" he was mesmerized by the view. It was so fun to see his excitement.  We are a family of boys -4 energetic, fun boys.  Today we took a short drive down to Anini Beach.  We practically had the whole beach to ourselves as it is a little tricky to find.  Our boys spent most of the time digging a huge hole in the sand.  The most hilarious moment was when they were digging and they all jumped back when they dug up a tiny crab. We laughed so hard.  My husband and I enjoyed relaxing in our beach chairs- courtesy of the condo we are staying in.  In the afternoon, we took a sightseeing drive while the baby slept in the van.  We visited Hanalei and ate some ice cream then drove all the way to the northeastern end of the road.  Along the way we saw taro fields, lots of one lane bridges and some incredible views of the ocean.  The baby had a bit of a meltdown during dinner as his body is still used to Mountain Standard Time which meant it was way past his bedtime.

Nov 16th

Today we drove to Hanalei to rent some snorkeling equipment.  We also rented a clear bottom boogie board for our five year old as we can pull him on the board while snorkeling and he can see quite a ways down at the ocean below.  This proved to be a great plan.  After getting the equipment, we went back to Anini Beach.  A few more people seemed to discover our private beach as now there were 3 other families on the beach -that is 3 families in a 1 mile stretch.  He he!  Not too bad!  This beach is said to have some of the best snorkeling on the island as there is a huge reef here.  We saw lots of reef, but not too many fish.  A little disappointing.  Maybe better luck tomorrow.  We do love how the reef makes the waves nice and gentle for our kids.  It's much safer for them than most places.

We spent the whole morning and a little into the afternoon at this beautiful haven.  Then it was back to the condo for showers and a bit of homework for the kids.  As we were looking out the window we happened to see Norwegian Cruise Line's "Pride of America" cruise ship sail past our window.  It was a fun surprise to see it.

In the evening we headed to Kapaa for dinner.  We went to the Coconut Marketplace for dinner.  Our food was good, but the waiter in the restaurant seemed a little frustrated that we had 4 kids with us.  He didn't offer to take our drink order.  We got our food quickly and I even asked him if we could get some drinks.  He said, "I'll be right back for that."  He never came back to get our drink order or did he refill our water.  My kids were perfect at dinner so there was no reason for him to act this way.  Thus the tip reflected his service.  As we were getting ready to leave, the hula show started.  The hula girl was about 9 years old.  She was so darling.  Our 10 year old and 8 year old boys pretended to be totally bored with her, but we knew better! We watched a few dances and then left.  We did a bit of shopping, ate Lappert's ice cream and headed back to the condo for bed.

Nov 17th

We decided to try a different beach today.  We went to Hanalei Bay, a gorgeous bay with lots of surfers and locals.  The waves were quite a bit larger than the previous days.  However, I enjoyed watching the surfers and boogie boarding.  We had to keep an eye on the kids as the waves were quite powerful. 

In the afternoon we headed back to the condo for a break from the sun- as we all got sunburned today.  Then it was back to Hanalei for dinner at a local hamburger spot. 

Nov 18th

We got up early with the best intentions.  We drove to Kapaa to go to our church services.  When we got there, we found out that the services were changed to a later time.  So, our best intentions were spoiled.  Instead of church we opted for a Sunday Brunch at the Marriott Resort at Nawiliwili Harbor.  What a gorgeous resort!  Their pool is fantastic and overlooks the ocean.  Brunch was great!

After brunch we visited Kilohana an old plantation estate complete with a diesel engine train ride through orchards.  We learned that it takes 2 years before pineapples are ready to be harvested.  Another fact, for every teaspoon of sugar you eat, it takes 3 feet of sugar cane. The boys enjoyed the train ride and especially the stop to feed the goats and pigs. The estate house at Kilohana is full of fun craft shop, perfect for me, but not for the boys.  My husband was kind enough to wait with the kids while I shopped.

Next we drove to Opaeka'a Falls to see the go to the waterfall. Then it was further up the road for a site seeing drive while the baby took his nap.  Then back to the condo to wash some clothes and get ready for the flight to Maui tomorrow.