The Desert of My Dreams

My week in Kauai was pretty awesome. Kauai was one of the most beautiful and peaceful places I’ve ever visited and I can’t wait to go back (one of these days). For the most part, vacationing by myself was pretty nice – I got to do whatever I wanted and without dealing with other people’s issues/whining. :) I enjoyed myself so much that I’m planning on making a habit out of traveling somewhere special for my birthday (suggestions are open for my 30th). Here’s a short recap of what I did last week:

Saturday, March 7

• Spent most of the day traveling from the Bay Area to Kauai. Both of my flights (San Jose to Honolulu and Honolulu to Lihue) were delayed, which added to my fatigue. I drove from the airport to Poipu (where I was staying) and managed to find a small grocery store in Koloa (close to Poipu) where I stocked up on some healthy groceries. I went running near the beach.

Sunday, March 8

• I went swimming in the morning (mostly in the pool since I’m still scared of swimming in the ocean) and then hiked Waimea Canyon, which was my favorite hike of the entire trip. For dinner, I had some amazing sushi at Sushi Bushido in Lihue.

Monday, March 9

• On the way to the gym in the morning, I saw a monk seal sleeping on the hotel beach. Despite all the rain and mud, I spent most of the day hiking the Kuilau Trail. On the way back from the hike, I accidently veered off the road and ended up puncturing the front passenger tire on my rental car. I can’t emphasize how much this sucked (especially since I was alone). I had to wait for AAA for 1.5 hours to come and change the tire and then had to drive the car back to Hertz to get a new one.

Tuesday, March 10

• After the flat tire incident, I decided that I needed a more low-key day. I think I went running in the morning and then got a massage at the Sheraton (thanks to my sister Nabeela for gifting me a couple of massages there!). OH. MY. GOD. Best massage ever. I hung out in Poipu the rest of the day. I visited Spouting Horn (which wasn’t very spouting when I was there) and toured the National Tropical Botanical Garden (which was AMAZING). I then tried going to lunch at the Hyatt (which is near the Sheraton in Poipu) but I was too late for lunch. I spent the rest of the afternoon swimming in the pool and reading my trashy vampire novel (New Moon) on the beach (heavenly).

Wednesday, March 11

• The weather was really nice today so I decided to make the drive up to the north shore and attempt hiking the Kalalau Trail. I didn’t get very far before my fear of hiking rocky trails got the best of me and I decided to go back. I was really disappointed that I couldn’t hike it since it took two hours to get there and it is supposed to be an amazing trail. Next time. I did spend some time walking on Ke’e beach (next to the Kalalau Trailhead) and got some photos of the Na Pali Coast. On the drive back to Poipu, I stopped by the Kilauea Lighthouse. Once I was back in Poipu, I decided to hike the Maha’ulepu Trail, which was pretty close to my hotel. It was a pretty easy trail but offered some really nice views of the ocean. I think I spent more time on the beach/pool after the hike and then had an uninspiring dinner at Shells.

Thursday, March 12

• My birthday! I went running in the morning, had breakfast at Shells, then had another amazing massage at the Sheraton. I spent the afternoon in Hanapepe, touring art galleries and petting stray cats. I had lunch at the Hanapepe Cafe and then bought a couple of tiles (for me and my mom) from Banana Patch Studio. I then checked out the Hanapepe farmers market, which was disappointingly small. In the afternoon, I spent more time at the pool/beach. For dinner, I had the best birthday dinner ever at the Plantation Gardens restaurant. I ordered the island stir fry and the baked Hawaiian – both were really really good.

Friday, March 13

• My last day in Kauai :( – I tried going hiking but it got really foggy/rainy/muddy by the time I got to the trail. I drove back to Poipu, went running, and then spent the rest of the afternoon on the beach/pool. I also made sure to watch my last sunset in Kauai. For dinner, I tried the Sheraton’s sushi place, Naniwa. The sushi was great, the atmosphere and service not so much.

Saturday, March 14

• Went for a short walk near the beach in the morning then had to get to the airport. Spent most of the day traveling. Watched Alpha Dog on the plane and read more trashy vampire novel goodness. Came home to two very cuddly kitties.

There’s nothing that I hate more than an over planned weekend or vacation. I think the whole point of taking time off is to chill out and not have to adhere to a schedule! Nonetheless, there is soooo much stuff to do in Kauai so I figured some prior research and tentative planning couldn’t hurt.

My notes are all over the place so I’m going to use this blog post as an opportunity to get organized. Apologies in advance for all the extra notes and page numbers (which refer to the Lonely Planet guide book).

Here’s some stuff I’m thinking of doing in Kauai (I have these loosely organized by their location on the island):

North Shore:

• hike the Kalalau Trail (Na Pali Coast State Park – pg 156) – I’m only going to do the first two miles – Ke’e Beach to Hanakapi’ai Valley. Depending on how I’m feeling that day (and how strenuous it turns out to be), I might continue on the Hanakapi’ai Falls trail (pg 159). [Hike both of these after a dry spell.]
• Hanalei Bay (pg 143) – There are a bunch of beaches here, although it sounds like they might not be great for swimming. My book recommends Hanalei (Black Pot) Beach Park. There is also supposed to be some shopping in Hanalei. It might be good to do this one on the day that I hike the Kalalau Trail (since they look close).
• dinner cruise of the Na Pali coast – I’ve heard from a couple of people that these are well worth the expense because you get a different view in the water than when you’re hiking it. My main concern with this one is that I’ll be alone – will I feel like a total loser being on a dinner cruise all by myself? :)
• checkout the Princeville Hotel (pg 135) – apparently the sunsets here are amazing

Westside

• hike Waimea Canyon (pg 199) – I want to do the Kukai Trail (2.5 miles) and the Koaile Canyon Trail (3 miles). I’m not sure how realistic it will be to do both trails so I might only do part of the Koaile Canyon Trail. I should checkout the Waimea Canyon Lookout on the drive there. [Best time to go is on a sunny day following a heavy rain.]
• hike the Alakai Swamp (pg 211) – I want to hike the Pihea Trail (3.75 miles) to the Alakai Swamp Trail (3.5 miles). Round trip, that’s over 14 miles but the elevation change looks pretty easy (it appears mostly flat). Again, this might be one of those where I only start part of the Alakai Swamp Trail and decide to head back before finishing it. On the drive there, I should checkout the Kalalau Lookout (pg 207).

Eastside

• hike the Kuilan Ridge Trail and parts of the Moalepe Trail (pg 103) – The Kuilan Ridge Trail is 2.1 miles one way. I can walk 0.5 miles into the Moalepe Trail to see views of cliffs and waterfalls.
• drive Kuamo’o Road (HWY 580 – pg 98) to the Keahua Arboretum (pg 100) - This drive is supposed to be really scenic and I believe leads to the Kuilan Ridge Trail. It sounds like you can picnic at the Arboretum.

South Shore

• Spouting Horn (Poipu – pg 167) – best time to see it is in the late afternoon
• Botanical Gardens (Poipu – pg 167)
• swim in the ocean (Poipu) – Well, as much swimming as I can muster with my pathetic swimming skills :)
• run on the beach (Poipu) – You know just because I can do that sort of thing now. I’m actually a little worried about getting my new running shoes dirty but I guess sand washes off.
• get a massage – I haven’t had one in a few months (I know, the tragic life I lead) and I’m figuring with all the hiking I’ll be doing, I could use one! I might get one at my hotel or get one at the St. Regis in Princeville, preferably on my birthday.
• snorkeling – I really want to try snorkeling but I’m not so sure about my swimming skills. After talking it over with a few friends, I think the best option for me would be to get a private instructor/tour and ask to be in a shallow area (maybe even wearing a life jacket). My hotel offers snorkeling lessons so I’m going to check into it when I get there.
• farmer’s market – I’ve heard from a few people about a farmer’s market in Koloa where you can buy local tropical fruit and flowers. I’m going to ask about it when I get there.
• have dinner at the Plantation Gardens restaurant – this might be a good option for my birthday

I probably won’t have time to do everything on my list but I’m not too worried about it. Needless to say, I’m really really excited and simply can’t wait until Saturday morning! :)