Hanalei | Welcome to Roaming Ron!

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.

: Chicken in a Barrel!

: Sea cave near Ha’ena

: Ha’ena Beach

: Incredibly beautiful-Ha’ena

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.