Tag Archives: gluten-free kauai

Hawaii Reflections

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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.

Luau!!!

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I have to be honest with something right off the bat about this island in the spirit of full disclosure.  I feel that it has positively sucked me in and is not willing to let me go.  The best way I can explain this is my concept of time.  Go ahead, ask me what time it is.  I don’t know.  I haven’t worn a watch since I got here and for those of you who know me well, you understand just how exceptional this is.  We’ve gone where we wanted, ate when we wanted, and pretty much did everything else with little regard for standard measures of time.  I think this is a small part of “living aloha”.  I have been perfectly content to just let things happen.  If you come here, abandon all plans for meals, activities, etc., and just see where the day takes you-except for the Na Pali Coast tour, book that early…

When we got back to the groms last night (Lucy and Ethel), I inquired as to their interest in renting a couple of boards and going back out again.  They were on board (ugh, bad pun, but had too).  We visited our friends at Hawaiian Surfing Adventures again, rented three boards, two rash guards, and bought three t-shirts.  With the discount we got for being returning students, the total was less than eighty bucks.  Once we arrived at the same beach where our lessons were on Monday, Waioli Beach Park, we ran into our friend Chas of surfing lesson fame.  It’s one of the cool things about this end of the island, after only a few days you start seeing familiar faces.  We talked with him for a bit and then I took the girls out.  They had clearly learned their lessons well on Monday for they were up and surfing all morning.  We surfed, we played in the water, we munched.  The boss sat on the beach and read (it was her birthday, so free pass).  All in all it was a great morning.  Too soon, it was over and we had to grab some lunch.  The girls all ate at L and L BBQ.  This restaurant came highly suggested by Chas, but since it was most assuredly not gluten free, I went back to Chicken in a Barrel, which was every bit as tasty as earlier this week.

We got back to Bali Hai, showered, and rested before leaving around 3 to take our jeep back to Lihue.  Another wonderful thing about this island is even driving to return a rental car is spectacular.  The views heading from the north shore towards Lihue were amazing.  Business handled, we made a quick detour to check out a waterfall from the road and then we arrived at the Smith’s Family Garden Luau.  I am fully aware that a luau is about the single most touristy thing one can do in Hawaii, but I also think you almost have to do at least one in your life.  Since my parents were going to be on the island on the 8th, they joined us for the party.  My mom even made the boss a lei on her cruise (nice touch, ma).  At Smith’s, they first take you on a tram ride around their gardens.  Lots of flora to be see and even some fauna.  The coolest sight was a peacock on full display giving us his best shimmy.  After the imu ceremony, we headed in to the pavilion to eat.  I had sent the management an email earlier mentioning my celiac and to see what my options were and they were many.  I had my full run of the salads, the pork, and the fruit.  When I got back to my seat, there was a plate of white rice, chicken, and fish waiting.  I ate way too much, but then so did everyone.  Also, there was an open bar.  The mai tais were weak and my favorite drink was the rum with guava.  I spoke with the manager, thanked him for his help and he explained that over the last few years they’ve gotten used to this.  I did notice that out of about 800 folks, I was the only one served a special meal.  Wonder what that makes me????

After dinner, we walked the short distance to the theater for the show.  In a real simple description, it was an homage to all those nations and cultures that have made Hawaii what it is.  My favorite was the Tahitian dancers (think hip shaking, now think faster).  The girls agreed that they liked the fire dancer the best and the boss scared me when she said she was going to go home and practice the flaming ball routine.  I fear for her safety and mine.  The show lasts about an hour and is crazy kitschy.  Like I said above, I still think it is something everyone should do-once.  Having done it, I don’t know that I’d go back unless I was with first timers.  Aside from the dancing, I did enjoy the percussion playing and I found the rhythms to not be that dissimilar from things we did in college.  My biggest let down of the entire night was the finale.  I was expecting this, thanks Elvis, but I got something less than that.  I was always taught that a finale should leave the crowd wanting more.  All I wanted to was find a bathroom.  Still, of all of the options for a luau, I feel that the Smith Family gives you a good time at a reasonable price, so go for it, and enjoy.

That’s it for Thursday on Kauai.  It went by way, way too fast.  I

Free Day!

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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?

Surf’s Up!!!!

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As a new surfer (a kook if you will), I was thrilled to find out I’d be visiting the birthplace of surfing.  I visited the Duke Kahanamoku statue in Honolulu, I went to the Banzai Pipeline and Waimea Bay, but one thing was missing.  That one thing was actually surfing in Hawaii.  This was something that had to remedied.  Somehow I managed to convince the boss and her mom that they too could surf with the proper instruction.  Lucy and Ethel, the Groms in the family, could hardly be contained they were so excited.  Finally, the day arrived.

We had to be at the location to sign all of the necessary paperwork in Hanalei at 7:30 and we nailed the timing.  I looked at so many different surf instruction companies in Hanalei I feel I could write a book just on this one thing, but I decided on Hawaiian Surfing Adventures.  These guys were absolutely awesome to deal with.  From check-in to wrap-up they were great.  They split the family into adults and kids.  Evan took Lucy and Ethel and within minutes had them riding their waves on in and even riding all the way to the beach.  The boss and her mom took a bit longer, but with the help of their fantastic instructor, Chaz, they too, were able to catch waves despite themselves.  There is something quite amazing about watching two ladies who previously had no confidence in their abilities to ride a wave do just that.  As for yours truly, I let Chaz know right off that I was a kook (look it up).  The best thing he said to me all day after one of my rides was that I was definitely less kookish.  I don’t know what comes after kook, but I think I am there.  Now to convince the boss to buy another board when we get home.

Having conquered the waves of Hanalei, we decided that it was time for lunch.  My gluten-free app for my phone let me know that there was a restaurant in Kapaa that would be good.  Eh, that was too far.  Wait, could it be?  It is!  A new location right in “downtown” Hanalei!  Chicken in a Barrel!!!   I had the sampler platter and the chicken, ribs, beef, and pork was absolutely fantastic.  I would, without a doubt, make a beeline for this place and eat there every time I am in Hanalei.  The food was great and the setting could not have been better.  The whole family ate there and all left very happy!  There are other restaurants in Hanalei, but for the price and the peace of mind, I don’t think you can go wrong here.

Once lunch was done we spent some time exploring the town and shops of Hanalei.  I love this town.  Everything is within a few hundred yards and while many of the shops have lots of similar products, it is still a great place to while away an hour or two.  Actually, I think I could stay here forever without hesitation.  So, dear friends, be advised, I’ll be relocating to the north shore of Kauai.  Feel free to consider my new home your home.  You are all welcome to crash here when in the islands.  Most people would consider this a full day, but those folks have never me Lucy and Ethel.  After all, we did rent snorkel equipment yesterday.

The afternoon found us near, though not actually at, Tunnels Beach.  Trying to park there was not possible so instead we spent some time at Ha’ena Beach Park.  We went to try and snorkel a bit and have some fun in the water.  Sadly, much of the area is devoid of sea life.  We managed to see some fish and the few we saw were remarkable but I wasn’t overwhelmed with the amount of fish.  The water was also less than clear so it was hard to see more than five or ten yards ahead.  My main memory of the two hours there was watching Lucy figure out how to dive to the bottom of the sea (probably around 30 feet down) and resurface while clearing her snorkel.  She really is quite good in the water.  After some time, we decided to head on back and cook dinner.  Tonight we grilled some Swordfish and Ahi with brown rice and roasted asparagus.  The fish we got at the Hanalei Dolphin Fish Market.  Was it pricey?  Yep.   But then again, everything here is expensive.  Taken altogether, it was still way less than a comparable dinner out would have been.

When asking Lucy, Ethel, and the boss what the highlight of the day was for them, I was thrilled to hear that the surfing topped their list.  Lucy and Ethel are both quite good at riding the waves.  The boss does ok and I was happy with the progress I made today.  Of the entire trip so far, today was the first time I felt relaxed.  We’ve been going so strong since last Thursday it was great to slow down, surf some, and spend some time on the beach.  Today we lived, we surfed, we ate.  In my book, that is a solid day.

Talk about a wow factor…

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Those of us with kids realize how very literal they are.  Sometimes, though, we take it for granted that they understand how some words can have more than one meaning.  Today, we were reminded of this as we got ready to head out of the door to start our day.  Ethel was busy unwrapping a disposable camera.  I asked her where her other one was since it still had a few shots left on it.  She calmly told me that she had thrown it away-it was disposable…Once we picked ourselves up off of the floor, we explained to her how disposable cameras work.  We couldn’t help but laugh, she took it literal and did what the camera told her to do.

This morning we avoided the restaurant scene by having breakfast at the condo.  We’re staying at the Wyndham Bali Hai Villas and it is a nice place.  I’ll give a more thorough review later of the accommodations.  Anyway, we left and headed towards the western side of Kauai to the Waimea Canyon.  This was one of the things that was on my list to do while here, so that was great.  We decided to stop at Kalaheo Cafe and Coffee Company for a snack before heading up to the canyon.  This was without a doubt the biggest bummer of the day.  I had done some checking and found that the place had gluten-free bread and a few gluten-free muffins.  I was stoked to get a BLT until I ordered and was told that they were out of bread.  I settled, very begrudgingly, for a muffin, ordered from a very dour employee.

Up the road we went to the Waimea Canyon.  The landscape on the south and west side of the island is so vastly different than the north.  The north is so green and lush and the southwest side is arid.  It wasn’t at all what one would expect on a tropical island.  The road to the end was about 20 miles long and to reach the end at the Na Pali Coast took around 2 hours, mostly because of the stops.  Each one offered a view that was different from the last.  By the time we reached the end we had basically traveled the width of the island.  Those of you who have been to the Grand Canyon know that no photo will ever do it justice.  The same is true for this ride.  I’ll put up a photo or two, but it will be a sad representation.

Down we came into the town of Waimea for lunch.  The Shrimp Station was on the agenda and the Spicy Thai Basil shrimp were great.  The staff was knowledgeable about gluten-free issues and when I asked what I could have from a relatively extensive menu, they immediately named two dishes.  Lucy and Ethel split some shrimp tacos that received rave reviews.  When in Waimea, this is a definite stop for those with gluten allergies.  From there we went to Jo Jo’s Shave Ice, which, according to their walls, has been rated the best shave ice on Kauai.  It was good.  I don’t know that I’d wait an hour again to get some of it, but it was good.  I suppose more than anything else, you go for the experience.  We also managed to get the boss her chilled coconut.

By now, it was closing in on 5, so we turned the minivan north towards Hanalei to go to the bay to go swim and use the equipment we got at Snorkel Bob‘s in Kapaa this morning.  The beach was devoid of tourists and seemed to be mostly local families having a good time at Back Pot Beach.  We played and enjoyed the cool water for around an hour or so and then headed back for baths and dinner, but not before one last stop for a sunset photo over Hanalei Bay.