It was only last week, but it seems as if it has been longer.  I have been completely taken by an island I spent only a week visiting.  I have visited many places in our country and around the world, but I can say, without a doubt, that the island of Kauai is tops on any list.  I am particularly in love with the north shore of that island from Kapa’a to the end of the Kuhio Highway at Ke’e Beach.  I’d like to visit the Big Island and Maui, for sure, but If I could only go back to Kauai I would be fine with that.  Each day brought new experiences and each of those brought new views, new emotions, new smells, and new friends.

Go to one of our beaches here in North Carolina.  They are wonderful but have you noticed that salty air that seems to hang around?  For us, that is a sure sign that you have arrived on the coast of Carolina.  On Kauai, replace that salty air with the scent of Plumeria and Hibiscus.  Replace the squawk of a sea gull with the crow of an early morning rooster.  Replace Calabash style shrimp and fries with garlic and butter shrimp served with rice.  Replace Redix with ABC Stores and you can start to get a small taste of the subtle differences.  We had some definite home runs and a few misses as we traveled around Oahu and Kauai.

I’m going to lead off, much like I did in Little League, with my misses.  Topping the list is Honolulu.  It is important to go, to see Kalakaua Avenue, to see Waikiki Beach, and pay homage to Duke.  Having done this once, I’ll not be doing it again.  Traffic in Honolulu makes everything more difficult than it needs to be.  If you go, be prepared for traffic and no driving with “aloha”.  When you go to Kauai, book your Na Pali Coast boat tour early.  I didn’t do this and I missed out on my can’t miss on Kauai.  There are myriad options for boat rides leaving from both the south shore and from Hanalei.  Pick one and go, and don’t forget to show me the pictures.  I only had one more miss and that is with airport food in Honolulu.  There are no gluten-free options that I could find.  I went to Lahaina Chicken and ordered as best as I could.  It did not work out.

For the three things that were not so great, the home runs were coming at such a clip you’d thing the island was on human growth hormone.  First on Oahu, the USS Arizona and Pearl Harbor were moving and worth the time.  Knowing what I know now, I’d have spent another hour or so there.  If you have one day on Oahu, this is an absolute must-see.  Kauai.  Where to begin?  Waimea Canyon is a great first day activity.  You see the whole of the island, the differences in landscape, and you get a feel for the different towns.  Also, you can stop for shave ice!  Surfing lessons are a must in Hanalei in summer.  Hawaiian Surfing Adventures certainly did right by us.  The Kalalau Trail was tough but worth every step.  Go early, takes lots of water, and have a picnic on the beach before going back.  I could go on an on.  Lucy and Ethel still rave about the surfing and the boss enjoyed that and the luau.  I loved it all.

Now that you’ve followed our adventures and have most assuredly booked your flights, you’re thinking:  “I am ready to go, but are there any last tips?”  Why yes, yes there are.  Take fewer clothes than you think.  I didn’t wear three of the shirts that I took.  And unless you are a competitive runner, you’ll get all the exercise you want hiking, surfing, and snorkeling.  Leave the tennis shoes at home and save that extra room for a bag of coffee for me.  Take way more cash than you think.  Many of the food trucks and smaller stores only accept cash.  This was a novel throwback to a simpler time but be prepared.  Also food is going to cost you way more than you think.  Go shop at Foodland, get the maika’i card to save some coin (I saved almost 300 dollars using the card), and eat breakfast and dinner in your condo.  The island falls asleep really early so if you go all day and return around 7, you won’t miss much.  Buy those souvenirs.  Who knows when you’ll be back so get the cheesy hula girl for your dash, get that t-shirt, and get that bottle of rum.  The best places for decent prices I found were at the ABC Store and at the K-Mart in Lihue.

Thanks for reading and don’t forget to bookmark the site.  Just because I’m home doesn’t mean I can’t keep roaming!

Those of us who have been fortunate enough to go to Hawaii and specifically Kauai, know what a wonderful, special place it is.  I hope that all of you get the chance to go and if you’d like a tour guide or just some help in planning, let me know.  I know that I will go back to the Garden Isle and I can’t wait.