We just got back from a lovely week in Kauai where we celebrated our 5th anniversary. It was such a fabulous trip. Here's a short synopsis of our trip:
Day 1: Arrive in Kauai around 7 pm. Check into our lovely little vacation rental (this was a steal! If you ever plan on traveling to Kauai, you should check out
Classic Vacation Cottages). We had reserved the cheapest, smallest unit which was $45 a night. Apparently there had been a plumbing problem, so the owner put us up in a much larger, comfortable unit for the same price!
Day 2: Drive to Waimea Canyon. Hike, explore, enjoy breathtaking views. Afternoon at Salt Pond Beach.
Day 3: Caught the morning sunrise from Lydgate State Park. Ate breakfast at Eggbert's. Spent the day at Lydgate swimming, snorkeling, napping, building sandcastles, and playing on it's fabulous park structure. In the late afternoon, we had an adventurous drive to the arboretum (kind of got lost on a 4wd road for an hour or so).
Day 4: Took a nice walk through Kukuiolono Park in Kalaheo. It was really a lovely little park with a walking trail through the forest and beautiful views. Went to church in Kalaheo. Went back to our cottage, napped and ate lunch. Spent afternoon at Poipu Beach.
Day 5: My personal favorite day of the trip- In the morning drove north up to Kilauea lighthouse and National Wildlife Refuge. In the afternoon, we took a boat ride up the Wailua River to Fern Grotto. After boat trip, went to the Smith Family Luau. I wore my mom's mumu she got in Hawaii when she was about my age. Fabulous food and show (highly recommened, kinda touristy but really worth it). Checked into the Marriott.
Day 6: Spent the day on the north shore beaches- Tunnels Beach and Hanelei Beach. Snorkeling was better here then any of the other beaches. Hiked up about a mile of the Na Pali coast. Got really tired and Jasper got really ansy. We were lucky that it was clear and beautiful and we had some great views along the hike. Swam in the Marriott's fabulous pool in the evening.
Day 7: This was also my favorite day (I can have two favorite days- it's my blog). We woke up early to swim in the pool, then got packed up and checked out. Drove up north again to visit the Limahuli National Tropical Botanical Gardens. This was one of the most fabulous places I have ever been. Shopped for a few souveniors in the evening, drove to airport and flew home.
