I asked "What day is it?" a lot a couple weeks ago because I was in Kauai to celebrate my 30th birthday with my husband, Ryan! My lost sense of time was not only due to the plane ride or the time difference (5 hours behind), but because we were so relaxed we didn't want to move forward in time so fast...if that makes any sense...
I can't imagine a better way to turn 30. Being in what I consider paradise with my husband, relaxing on the beach every day, and not having an itinerary was ideal. I will admit at first I was worried about not having an itinerary because I "didn't want to miss anything". But what I didn't realize is what happens when I don't have an itinerary (light bulb moment coming) is that I DON'T miss anything. I was able to experience everything, see everything, feel everything. I thought I did the first time we were in Kauai, but really, I didn't. I was so caught up in taking pictures and making sure we saw this and saw that. This time, I walked in the sand a little slower, stared out into the ocean a little longer, and put my camera down to see what was in front of me with my own two eyes.
Don't get me wrong, we did go and see some sites, but overall, we were beach bums, food tasters, and people watchers...it was truly wonderful! And I did take pictures, just not as many as usual for me, haha. Throughout this blog, you will probably notice a lot of references to photography. It's one of my passions, and a big reason why you will see lots of photos that I've taken.
Here are a few of my favorite pictures from the trip.
When we landed, Ryan surprised me with a welcome lei (stop it, you dirty minds!). Then we headed off to our hotel and were pleasantly surprised by the view from our hotel room.
(photos courtesy of my iPhone, which is so far the best invention ever. Other photos are taken by Hubert (my Nikon D40, yes, I named him) or my smaller digital Canon Power Shot SD750 camera, which for some reason has no name...sad).
We decided to go to Waimea Canyon on our first full day there. It was an absolutely gorgeous day and we wanted to take advantage of the full sunlight and clear sky. The last time we were in Kauai, it rained or was cloudy almost every day and when we went to see Waimea Canyon, we couldn't see 5 feet in front of us (let alone the canyon)...very disappointing. This time, Ryan was determined that I would finally see my first canyon! Our other attempt of seeing the Grand Canyon did not bode well either...don't get me started.
So...off we went to go see Waimea Canyon! We rode in the rental car with our windows down, sunglasses on, and smiles on our faces because it was a beautiful, clear day! There was no way we wouldn't be able to see the canyon, right? Right??? Wrong! We got to the very first lookout and there it was...again...fog. We couldn't believe it. There literally was a patch of clouds and fog just surrounding the canyon. I was so upset that I wanted to huff and puff my way out of there like a kid in her terrible twos. We watched as others left with the look of disappointment on their faces and I urged Ryan to just leave so that we could at least get to the beach. It was like deja vu for me, I was so upset! And there he was, my patient husband, looking up in the clouds and trying to peer out in the direction of where the canyon would be. And all he said was, "give it one more minute..."
Less than 30 seconds later...we saw this...
Once again, Ryan taught me the virtue of patience. I am slowly trying to incorporate it into my attitude. It definitely is a slow and study progress!
We took so many pictures at the canyon that I can't possibly post them all here, but take my word for it, it was breathtaking.
After some more lookouts, hiking, and some lunch, Ryan and I headed to the beach.
Here are some of the beach pictures I really liked from the trip.
The day of my actual birthday, we went to the Allerton Garden, which is a national tropical botanical garden located in the south shore of Kauai. The tour was beyond my expectations and was absolutely beautiful. From the minute we got there I knew we were going to love it. Our tour guide, Juan, made the tour even better. The story he told us about how he fell in love with the island brought tears to my eyes. He spoke so well about his love for the land that I won't even attempt to repeat it here.
Instead, here are some pictures from Allerton Garden. I think there's a saying that "a picture is worth a thousand words". Well, there aren't enough words to describe this place. Enjoy!
When I think of "Hawaii", this is the view that I picture:
Moreton Bay Fig Trees (aka "Jurassic Park trees")...you can see how little we were compared to them.
After Allerton Garden, we grabbed some lunch and went to...guess! The Beach!! We spent the afternoon at the beach reading, lounging, and people watching. We even saw a seal that parked itself right on shore to join everyone in the same sun worshipping position.
I even read halfway through Dear John while on vacation (way better than the movie, don't get me started). Ryan and I even picked up a couple beach chairs while in Kauai, which was why we had to buy a bigger luggage so we could bring them back with us, lol. We just couldn't part with them.
Ryan's buddy, Mr. Penguin, even made it to the beach with us! He is really racking up his frequent flyer miles!
Ahhhh....the beach. Sometimes I sit at work and close my eyes and pretend that I'm digging my sunkissed and perfectly polished toes into the warm sand, with the wind blowing the palm trees above us, and the sunlight dancing on the ocean water in front of me. I can almost hear the waves too...
The night of my birthday, Ryan took me to the Beach House Restaurant in Poipu. It's supposed to be one of the best places to have dinner and watch the sunset, and it really was! What I loved most about this place was that we literally spent all afternoon at the beach (hence my makeup free, greasy face...you'll see in pictures later...) and then walked into this higher end restaurant and did not feel the least bit uncomfortable. I was worried that we weren't dressed up enough since Ryan said it was a "nicer" restaurant, but when we walked in, we saw people in Hawaiian shirts, tank tops, and flip flops mixed with people in khakis and dresses. Definitely not pretentious at all, which I was so happy about because I tend to feel uncomfortable in "fancy" restaurants. Ryan said it the best when we walked in: "See, you can't be too fancy on this island...it's an island." Why is he always right!? The look and feel of the restaurant was perfect. The floor to ceiling windows opened up to the beach..they were pretty much sliding glass doors I guess, but that's a poor description. Our table was right next to the doors that were opened up to the beach, it was a perfect view of the sunset. We even walked in and out of the restaurant that way to just stand outside while we waited for our meal or to take pictures. Every time we came back in, our napkins were folded again and waiting for us. I just thought that was a nice touch by our waiter.
Here are some pictures from the restaurant and dinner...the food was SO delicious!
Waiting at the bar for our table...
My birthday drink!
Both of our meals were delicious!!!! We started off with a crab cake appetizer for me and a seafood soup for Ryan. It's too bad I dug into my crab cake too fast because it tasted even better than it looked. Then I ordered a fish of the day and prawns combo, while Ryan got...guess....pork chops! Yes, we were 20 feet from the beach and the man got pork chops! I will even admit that I initially dug into my entree before taking the picture so I had to reassemble it as well as I could, hahaha.
mmmm.....dessert.....
like I said, greasy, makeup-free face...what a horrible picture, but what a beautiful sunset
A couple pictures outside of the restaurant after sunset...
Ok, this entry is getting WAY too long. I promise, they are usually not this extensive...I am just trying to make up for not blogging that much during my first couple weeks of being 30 :)
I will leave you with some random pictures and pictures of just a few of the scrumptious foods Ryan and I had while in Kauai. I wish I hadn't inhaled most of the things we ate so I could have more pictures to share with you, but hey, what can ya do ;)
These crazy roosters and chickens were all over the place in Kauai...every time Ryan saw one (or two, or three...), he would say "let's go to Ray J's when we get back home" (a great place for chicken wings). And people say I'm sick?
banana macadamia nut waffle = heaven
Tropical Taco in Hanalei...probably the best fish taco I've ever had!
I heart mermaids :)
Ryan's favorite meal from our last time in Kauai during our honeymoon...he was so looking forward to Puka Dog again. I was only able to take a picture of the sign since he had eaten it already by the time I realized I should take a picture lol.
The Fish Hut...a cute little stand where I had the best...shrimp! Hahaha, they had really good fish too :)
Before and After of THE BEST SHAVE ICE EVER!!! It was called the Lava Flow, a mix of strawberry, pineapple, and coconut syrup, with an "ice cap" (vanilla bean cream on top of the shave ice) and a hidden scoop of macadamia nut ice cream at the bottom of the container! My mouth is salivating just thinking about it....
My monkey man, with his monkey berry smoothie from Java Kai, my FAVORITE coffee place in Kauai. If you ever go there, try their Maui mocha...a mocha with a hint of coconut...drool....
All I have left to say is this was, once again, a wonderful trip. Ryan couldn't have done any better for my 30th birthday. I am a lucky girl indeed.
No comments:
Post a Comment