After spending lots of time with the entire family, I knew that I needed some time away.  When planning the trip, I figured that mid-week would be the perfect time for the boss and I to slip off for the day.  A few months ago, I rented a Jeep Wrangler from Discount Hawaii Car Rental.  At the end of the day, the best deal was to be had through Thrifty.  I would recommend using this company.  They were easy to work with and the price wasn’t bad.  I also realize that renting a Jeep isn’t the most cost effective or fuel efficient car to use, but since I drive a sensible SUV at home, it was kinda fun driving around Kauai with the top off and the radio blasting.

We picked the car up at the airport in Lihue shortly after 8 and then headed out from there.  The plan all along was to have no plan.  I really believe that when you are on this island, you have to allow time to just pass with no real plans.  We drove to Koloa with no real destination in mind and happened upon Koloa Mill Ice Cream and Coffee.  What a great find.  The coffee was half off until 9 and we just scraped in under the time limit.  2 great coffees, an apple pastry, and macadamia nuts for 8 bucks.  On Kauai, that is just like stealing.  Once we had walked around Koloa for a bit, we headed towards Poipu.  At one of the shopping centers along the way, we found Savage Shrimp.  This place is a must do.  The shrimp we ordered came with 2 scoops of rice and ours was cooked in coconut milk, cilantro, tomatoes, and a few other things.  They were very proficient in gluten issues and the guy taking our order even offered up some sightseeing tips for us.  In addition, the owner tried to buy the very shirt off of my back.  Apparently, this used to be a shrimp truck, but now she has taken up residence in the shopping village.  Go here and do what we did.  Buy your shrimp and head 5 minutes down the road to Price Kuhio Beach.  There is not a large beach here, but it’s just large enough to eat some shrimp and then go snorkeling.  After a bit here, we headed to the Spouting Horn.  Much like the Queen’s Bath, this is a neat thing to do if you’re in the area.  I would, in no way, make a special trip for it.

By this time, we had decided to turn back towards the east and north.  Our last stop on the very sunny and hot south shore of Kauai was Poipu Beach.  The snorkeling here was quite good and you didn’t have to go very far out to see some cool sights.  Still, for my money, the south shore feels a lot like many other beaches I’ve been to in my life.  It was hot, crowded, and after an hour or two, I had had my fill.  The great news is that just across the street from the beach is Brennecke’s Beachfront Restaurant.  We were seated right away and even though there was no dedicated gluten-free menu, the boss and I were able to put the breaks on the hunger pangs with a fish ceviche and an order of seared ahi.  I can’t guarantee that everyone would be ok, but I can say that the server was knowledgeable and very accommodating.  After several hours on the beach on the very hot south shore, 2 light fish plates and a couple of Mai Tais were perfect.

Our day without Lucy and Ethel was quickly coming to a close and there was still much to do!  We were fully pointed north by now, heading towards Kapa’a.  This is such a cool little town, we couldn’t just pass through without stopping to browse some of the shops.  We picked up a few souvenirs.  Even though I don’t generally buy kitschy stuff, for some reason I haven’t been able to stop myself on this trip.  Our big purchases in Kapa’a consisted of a Honu necklace for the boss and a t-shirt for me.  We still weren’t done.  On the way to our final stop we pulled in to Duane’s Ono Charburger in Anahola.  They don’t have a website or I’d link to it, nor do they have a gluten-free menu.  I found that ordering the burger without the bun and telling the server that there is an allergy involved, no issues were had.  I got the burger to go so we could make our final stop at Secret Beach.

Getting to Secret Beach involved a bit of a walk, though nothing like our previous “walks”.  On the bright side, it was all down hill to get there.  Once there, we were two of only about 20 folks on an expanse of beach at least a mile long.  We ate the burger, had some wine, and spent some time in the water.  About the water-don’t go in unless you are extremely confident in your ability to get back to shore.  When all is said and done about the beach, the thing that will stick with me the longest is the seclusion and the views, Kilauea Lighthouse to the east, setting sun to the west, and nothing but ocean in front.  The hike out wasn’t all that difficult to be almost vertical.  The boss was starting to get hungry so we went to the Princeville Shopping Center to find her something to eat.  I’m not sure of the name, but there is a gas station in the parking lot that makes fresh pizzas.  I can’t speak to their tastiness, even though we noticed after we ordered they have gluten-free crust, but the boss says that the pizza was ok.  It was inexpensive and that, in itself, is worth it.  While we waited for the pizza we went to Lappert’s for ice cream.  My passion fruit sorbet was fantastic.

And so, we made it back to Bali Hai.  Our kiddos arrived shortly after.  It sounds as if they had a great day on their own.  Apparently, Lucy even saw a sea turtle.  All in all it was a great day.  The break was much needed and now we are all recharged to finish out the vacation strong.  If you are planning to come to Kauai, I can offer this advice.  Take off your watch, talk to folks, and just see what happens.  Following these tips, the boss and I had a good day.  Now, who knows what fun tomorrow brings?