Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Friday, July 17, 2009
I had expectations of crying myself to sleep huddled in a corner with my knees tucked into my chest while I rocked back and forth, cradeling a cheap box of wine, 3/4 empty. Turns out turning thirty isn't as bad as it seems. It was actually a glorious day spent with my babes (Kevin and Kassidy) up on the North Shore in Hanalei.
If you only have a short trip planned here on this gorgeous island of Kauai, the North Shore is a must on your "to do" list.
First off the ride up to Hanalei is spectacular and I always find myself asking Kevin, "Why don't we come up here more often?" The large albezia trees with there expanding canopys creates the rainforest effect that draws alot of people to Kauai. There is a beautiful waterfall on the drive up and gorgeous sprawling fields that have horses grazing in them. It really is postcard picture perfect. Then as you decend into the town of Hanalei you are greeted by the emerald green taro fields and gorgeous mountains that have skinny waterfalls and springs running down their faces and the pinnacles of these mountains are tenderly dusted with moist clouds that are passing through. The various shades of green ferns, flowers, trees, and other plant life that spackle the landscape are constantly changing shades as the sun changes vibrancy over them. It almost looks like the mountains are moving. It may seem cliche' to say, however, your not in Kansas anymore.
We started our day up there with a great lunch at the Hanalei Gourmet where Kevin got the fish and chips and I got a delicious veggie burger that had pine nuts and carrots in the burger mix. Both dishes came with french fries that were perfectly crispy on the outside and warm and soft on the inside.
We then headed on to the beach...a spot half way between the Hanalei pier and Pine Trees that had a perfect view of Puff the Magic Dragon (You know that song by Peter, Paul, and Mary about the dragon that lived by the sea in a town called Hanalei!). It was perfect! We set up our little shade tent for Kassidy and spent the next couple of hours hanging out laughing, talking, and swimming. We took Kassidy in the ocean and played with her in the surf. We showed her the Hanalei paddle team practicing and were treated to a huge rainbow from a passing shower over the mountains.
One of our very best friends Justin (who I will lovingly refer to as the "cub". If you knew him you would understand why we call him that) has lived on the North Shore for a long time and it is always a treat when we get the opportunity to hang out with him. So we met him at Pine Trees so he and Kevin could go for an evening surf session (Can you believe it?? Kevin went surfing and I'm pretty sure hell didn't freeze over!) after which we had a FABULOUS dinner at Kalypso's which is a restaurant located pretty much dead center Hanalei. This place has great food! I had the shrimp pasta that was loaded with shrimp, but what Kevin had would knock your socks off!! He had the crab crusted opakapaka that had some creamy chili sauce on it with mashed potatos and veggies. To die for!! Topped off with a chocolate suicide cake and a great glass of wine (which by the way, on Thursdays all of Kalypso's bottles of wine are marked half off!)
It really was a fantastic way to spend my thirtieth birthday with my man, my beautiful baby girl, and a good friend. I felt like the luckiest girl alive yesterday! It really would be a great day for anybody, like I said before, if you are here on Kauai for only a short time definately hang out for a day in Hanalei.
If you only have a short trip planned here on this gorgeous island of Kauai, the North Shore is a must on your "to do" list.
First off the ride up to Hanalei is spectacular and I always find myself asking Kevin, "Why don't we come up here more often?" The large albezia trees with there expanding canopys creates the rainforest effect that draws alot of people to Kauai. There is a beautiful waterfall on the drive up and gorgeous sprawling fields that have horses grazing in them. It really is postcard picture perfect. Then as you decend into the town of Hanalei you are greeted by the emerald green taro fields and gorgeous mountains that have skinny waterfalls and springs running down their faces and the pinnacles of these mountains are tenderly dusted with moist clouds that are passing through. The various shades of green ferns, flowers, trees, and other plant life that spackle the landscape are constantly changing shades as the sun changes vibrancy over them. It almost looks like the mountains are moving. It may seem cliche' to say, however, your not in Kansas anymore.
We started our day up there with a great lunch at the Hanalei Gourmet where Kevin got the fish and chips and I got a delicious veggie burger that had pine nuts and carrots in the burger mix. Both dishes came with french fries that were perfectly crispy on the outside and warm and soft on the inside.
We then headed on to the beach...a spot half way between the Hanalei pier and Pine Trees that had a perfect view of Puff the Magic Dragon (You know that song by Peter, Paul, and Mary about the dragon that lived by the sea in a town called Hanalei!). It was perfect! We set up our little shade tent for Kassidy and spent the next couple of hours hanging out laughing, talking, and swimming. We took Kassidy in the ocean and played with her in the surf. We showed her the Hanalei paddle team practicing and were treated to a huge rainbow from a passing shower over the mountains.
One of our very best friends Justin (who I will lovingly refer to as the "cub". If you knew him you would understand why we call him that) has lived on the North Shore for a long time and it is always a treat when we get the opportunity to hang out with him. So we met him at Pine Trees so he and Kevin could go for an evening surf session (Can you believe it?? Kevin went surfing and I'm pretty sure hell didn't freeze over!) after which we had a FABULOUS dinner at Kalypso's which is a restaurant located pretty much dead center Hanalei. This place has great food! I had the shrimp pasta that was loaded with shrimp, but what Kevin had would knock your socks off!! He had the crab crusted opakapaka that had some creamy chili sauce on it with mashed potatos and veggies. To die for!! Topped off with a chocolate suicide cake and a great glass of wine (which by the way, on Thursdays all of Kalypso's bottles of wine are marked half off!)
It really was a fantastic way to spend my thirtieth birthday with my man, my beautiful baby girl, and a good friend. I felt like the luckiest girl alive yesterday! It really would be a great day for anybody, like I said before, if you are here on Kauai for only a short time definately hang out for a day in Hanalei.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Maha'ulepu
Ahhh... what a beautiful 5th day of July!! One of my most favorite beaches to go to has always been the lovely beach of Maha'ulepu. Located in the sometimes smothering and touristy Po'ipu on the south side of Kauai it is pristine and relatively untouched except for the dusty, rocky road that leads you out there. Kevin, Kassidy and I met up with our friends and their baby today for a day of fun in the sun, under a spf 50 sunshade, with the babes. The sky crisp, the clouds puffy, and those wonderful trade winds were perfectly distributing warmth from the sun and cool from the ocean. A fantastic post Independence Day celebration on a gorgeous stretch of Kauai coastline.
Today the Maha'ulepu area is owned by Grove Farm (which is owned by Stephen Case, co founder of AOL and encompasses approximately 40,000 acres, purchased in 2000), which if you spend anytime here on Kauai you are bound to see those green Grove Farm gates. For all you history buffs out there here is a brief run down of Grove Farm and the land: In 1850, after the Great Mahele, which was the act allowing non natives to purchase Hawaiian land, Warren Goodale is the first owner. Goodale sells the land to James Marshall for $3,000 who holds onto it until 1856 at which time he sells to Judge Herman Wideman for $8,000. In 1864 George N. Wilcox takes over the lease and will run Grove Farm successfully from 1870-1933. Grove Farm was synonomous with sugar cane and while sugar cane cultivation in Hawaii has ceased operations, Grove Farm has diversified into cattle ranching, as well as other agricultural endevours such as taro, trees, corn...The Grove Farm land has also been subject to land development and if you spend any time on the south side you will see tons of resorts, shopping centers (some not even finished being built), and restaurants.
So why give you all the above information when I am really trying to highlight the beauty of a beach?? Well because there are rumors that said beautiful beach may one day fall victim to the same sort of land development as its sister coastline just to the west. Which would be a shame as almost the entire landscape is a cemetary and precious to the ancestors of those buried there. Not only that but it is home to a blind cave spider that is on the federal endangered species list as well as where the endangered monk seal likes to snooze. There are petroglyphs and sacred heiau and every once in a while you can see a local throw net fishing. There are tidepools with marine life thriving and I hope to one day very soon be able to share with my daughter the uniqueness and beauty of this place where the ocean meets the sand. How is anybody to teach the up and coming generation respect and love for the land when there is a resort standing where a sacred heiau once stood, or where pua pilo once grew??
I encourage you to visit a wonderfully fantastic website www.malama-mahaulepu.org This website is dedicated to the preservation and education of the true value of this particular piece of land and all of its natural resources. I also encourage you to visit Maha'ulepu and see for yourself how truely wonderful this place is just the way it is, completely untouched.
Today the Maha'ulepu area is owned by Grove Farm (which is owned by Stephen Case, co founder of AOL and encompasses approximately 40,000 acres, purchased in 2000), which if you spend anytime here on Kauai you are bound to see those green Grove Farm gates. For all you history buffs out there here is a brief run down of Grove Farm and the land: In 1850, after the Great Mahele, which was the act allowing non natives to purchase Hawaiian land, Warren Goodale is the first owner. Goodale sells the land to James Marshall for $3,000 who holds onto it until 1856 at which time he sells to Judge Herman Wideman for $8,000. In 1864 George N. Wilcox takes over the lease and will run Grove Farm successfully from 1870-1933. Grove Farm was synonomous with sugar cane and while sugar cane cultivation in Hawaii has ceased operations, Grove Farm has diversified into cattle ranching, as well as other agricultural endevours such as taro, trees, corn...The Grove Farm land has also been subject to land development and if you spend any time on the south side you will see tons of resorts, shopping centers (some not even finished being built), and restaurants.
So why give you all the above information when I am really trying to highlight the beauty of a beach?? Well because there are rumors that said beautiful beach may one day fall victim to the same sort of land development as its sister coastline just to the west. Which would be a shame as almost the entire landscape is a cemetary and precious to the ancestors of those buried there. Not only that but it is home to a blind cave spider that is on the federal endangered species list as well as where the endangered monk seal likes to snooze. There are petroglyphs and sacred heiau and every once in a while you can see a local throw net fishing. There are tidepools with marine life thriving and I hope to one day very soon be able to share with my daughter the uniqueness and beauty of this place where the ocean meets the sand. How is anybody to teach the up and coming generation respect and love for the land when there is a resort standing where a sacred heiau once stood, or where pua pilo once grew??
I encourage you to visit a wonderfully fantastic website www.malama-mahaulepu.org This website is dedicated to the preservation and education of the true value of this particular piece of land and all of its natural resources. I also encourage you to visit Maha'ulepu and see for yourself how truely wonderful this place is just the way it is, completely untouched.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Oh My Yoga!
If you would have asked me about doing yoga or anything yoga-ish a year ago, I probably would have rolled my eyes and made some remark about tree hugging, patchouli wearing, psudo "hippies". Although that remark would have been incredibly uneducated and soley based on the opinion of somebody who has never endured an hour of this unbelievable workout. What can I say? I'm hooked.
My interest in this activity began when a friend of mine started taking pre natal yoga while we were both pregnant. Now I went from somebody that, pre preganancy, was running 4 miles a day and riding my bike to work, to somebody that resigned to sitting on her super comfy couch with a pint of Ben n Jerry's for the duration of the 41 1/2 weeks that I was pregnant. Probably not the wisest choice seeing as here I am almost 4 months post natal and pretty unhappy with the way my body is looking. But alas, there is a light at the end of that chocolate coated, cream filled, tunnel.
That light comes in the form of a petite blonde named Samantha Fox who for the past 4 Tuesdays, has given me hope that there is a very real possibility that I might glide (without the aid of crisco or pam cooking spray) back into those torn and tattered Levis that give my booty the right amount of lift. For an hour Samantha combines her knowledge of yoga, pilates, and gyrokenisis (sorry about the spelling!) to get me to stretch, strengthen, tone and take a deep breath thus giving me hope that my body will eventually, with a little patience and alot of sweating, return to it's normal pre baby size. What really helps me are the inspirational words (gratitude, joy, light... just to name a few) she uses to ensure that my body is receiving the most optimal workout possible. I've left each one of her classes feeling uplifted, calm, and eternally grateful to Kevin for allowing me to go to these classes, for my daughter, for my friend that introduced me to this great teacher, and to Samantha for this lovely gift of hope.
I do have to say though, this class isn't a walk in the organic farm wearing birkenstocks, lemme tell ya! My legs are as limp as a wet spaghetti noodles. The small act of picking up my wallet and water bottle off the ground after the class is over usually requires a small internal cheer, and my stomach muscles feel like The Incredible Hulk looks. Although the way they feel and the way they look are two COMPLETELY different things (because they still resemble tapioca pudding...white, lumpy, and jiggly!). But again, there is hope!
So if you are visiting or are lucky enough to live on Kauai and want an incredibly mind, body, and soulful workout, check out any of Samantha's classes on her website at www.kauaiyogaandfitness.com. It's more than just a class, it's an experience! But please leave the patchouli at home.
My interest in this activity began when a friend of mine started taking pre natal yoga while we were both pregnant. Now I went from somebody that, pre preganancy, was running 4 miles a day and riding my bike to work, to somebody that resigned to sitting on her super comfy couch with a pint of Ben n Jerry's for the duration of the 41 1/2 weeks that I was pregnant. Probably not the wisest choice seeing as here I am almost 4 months post natal and pretty unhappy with the way my body is looking. But alas, there is a light at the end of that chocolate coated, cream filled, tunnel.
That light comes in the form of a petite blonde named Samantha Fox who for the past 4 Tuesdays, has given me hope that there is a very real possibility that I might glide (without the aid of crisco or pam cooking spray) back into those torn and tattered Levis that give my booty the right amount of lift. For an hour Samantha combines her knowledge of yoga, pilates, and gyrokenisis (sorry about the spelling!) to get me to stretch, strengthen, tone and take a deep breath thus giving me hope that my body will eventually, with a little patience and alot of sweating, return to it's normal pre baby size. What really helps me are the inspirational words (gratitude, joy, light... just to name a few) she uses to ensure that my body is receiving the most optimal workout possible. I've left each one of her classes feeling uplifted, calm, and eternally grateful to Kevin for allowing me to go to these classes, for my daughter, for my friend that introduced me to this great teacher, and to Samantha for this lovely gift of hope.
I do have to say though, this class isn't a walk in the organic farm wearing birkenstocks, lemme tell ya! My legs are as limp as a wet spaghetti noodles. The small act of picking up my wallet and water bottle off the ground after the class is over usually requires a small internal cheer, and my stomach muscles feel like The Incredible Hulk looks. Although the way they feel and the way they look are two COMPLETELY different things (because they still resemble tapioca pudding...white, lumpy, and jiggly!). But again, there is hope!
So if you are visiting or are lucky enough to live on Kauai and want an incredibly mind, body, and soulful workout, check out any of Samantha's classes on her website at www.kauaiyogaandfitness.com. It's more than just a class, it's an experience! But please leave the patchouli at home.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
GO TUBING!!
How many people can say, "I sit in a tube, float down an old irrigation ditch, and get paid for it."? Not many I presume, however I was lucky enough to say that for 3 1/2 years while working at Kauai Backcountry Adventures. That's right, for 3 1/2 years I was lucky enough to take guests up into the interior of Kauai and float them down an irrigation ditch that was once used for watering sugarcane on the Lihue Plantation, which closed in November of 2000.
We would take guests up on 6 wheel drive Pinz Gauers (Swiss military vehicles) giving history of the land, flora, fauna, and the not so occasional bad joke (although we prefer to call it "cheese"). The views on the ride up are rare to the everyday vacationer as all the land(17,779 acres) is private property and Kauai Backcountry Adventures are the only ones with access. You get to see awsome views of Mt. Wai'ale'ale (the wettest spot on earth) and learn how the water for the ditch originates in the sky to the mountain, to the swamp, to the waterfall, to the river, and into the ditch. It's a great photo opportunity! Once in the ditch you float through 5 seperate tunnels, the longest being about a half mile. You get to wear a super neat-o helmet with an even cooler headlamp so you can see what your floating through. Your in the water for about 45 minutes to an hour stopping a few times for safety and once to tell you a story in the middle of the longest tunnel. At the end of the ditch, the drivers will pick you up and take you to the picnic area/ swimming hole where you are givin a sandwich, cookie, chips and water and you can swim in the natural swimming hole. It's a three hour tour (cue Gilligan's Island theme music) and will run you $100 plus tax. There is a 300lb weight limit (that's the manufacturers reccomendation for the weight limit on the tube) and if you have kids they MUST BE 5 years old AND 43 inches. (I'm gonna hop on my soapbox for just a second...Now this is an incredibly safe ride however, if you have a 4 year old don't ask them to lie about their age, while I'm sure they are a very mature 4 year old, a strong swimmer, and they probably would be able to handle being in dark tunnels for 70% of the ride, those standards are in place for the SAFETY of the guests and by making your child lie about their age, if something were to happen, the safety of the your child, other guests, and the guides would be compromised. Sorry, just had to put that out there!)
Now the tour sells itself as far as tours go, I mean where else are you gonna go tubing in Hawaii?? What really makes this tour so unique and so special is the staff. Of course you could be reading this thinking that my opinion is slightly biased and I would have to say that you are right to some extent. Kauai Backcountry Adventures has been very good to me and I am extremely loyal to the owners, management, and staff. This is the best group of approximately 50 people I have had the priviledge to work with. While this cast of tour guides are the biggest group of clowns you could possibly meet, they are also the most compassionate, funniest, knowledgable, and talented group of people to spend three hours with each one incorporating their own uniqueness to their tours.
You can reach Kauai Backcountry Adventures at 808-245-2506 or look them up on the web. BOOK THIS TOUR!!!!! You won't be disappointed, I promise.
We would take guests up on 6 wheel drive Pinz Gauers (Swiss military vehicles) giving history of the land, flora, fauna, and the not so occasional bad joke (although we prefer to call it "cheese"). The views on the ride up are rare to the everyday vacationer as all the land(17,779 acres) is private property and Kauai Backcountry Adventures are the only ones with access. You get to see awsome views of Mt. Wai'ale'ale (the wettest spot on earth) and learn how the water for the ditch originates in the sky to the mountain, to the swamp, to the waterfall, to the river, and into the ditch. It's a great photo opportunity! Once in the ditch you float through 5 seperate tunnels, the longest being about a half mile. You get to wear a super neat-o helmet with an even cooler headlamp so you can see what your floating through. Your in the water for about 45 minutes to an hour stopping a few times for safety and once to tell you a story in the middle of the longest tunnel. At the end of the ditch, the drivers will pick you up and take you to the picnic area/ swimming hole where you are givin a sandwich, cookie, chips and water and you can swim in the natural swimming hole. It's a three hour tour (cue Gilligan's Island theme music) and will run you $100 plus tax. There is a 300lb weight limit (that's the manufacturers reccomendation for the weight limit on the tube) and if you have kids they MUST BE 5 years old AND 43 inches. (I'm gonna hop on my soapbox for just a second...Now this is an incredibly safe ride however, if you have a 4 year old don't ask them to lie about their age, while I'm sure they are a very mature 4 year old, a strong swimmer, and they probably would be able to handle being in dark tunnels for 70% of the ride, those standards are in place for the SAFETY of the guests and by making your child lie about their age, if something were to happen, the safety of the your child, other guests, and the guides would be compromised. Sorry, just had to put that out there!)
Now the tour sells itself as far as tours go, I mean where else are you gonna go tubing in Hawaii?? What really makes this tour so unique and so special is the staff. Of course you could be reading this thinking that my opinion is slightly biased and I would have to say that you are right to some extent. Kauai Backcountry Adventures has been very good to me and I am extremely loyal to the owners, management, and staff. This is the best group of approximately 50 people I have had the priviledge to work with. While this cast of tour guides are the biggest group of clowns you could possibly meet, they are also the most compassionate, funniest, knowledgable, and talented group of people to spend three hours with each one incorporating their own uniqueness to their tours.
You can reach Kauai Backcountry Adventures at 808-245-2506 or look them up on the web. BOOK THIS TOUR!!!!! You won't be disappointed, I promise.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Sunsets on the Westside!
The sun rises in the east and sets in the west and when it sets on the west side of Kauai it puts on a magnificent show that can only be explained in one word, HEAVENLY!! One of my most favorite memories since living here occured when Kevin (the love of my life) and I first moved here and were living in Waimea, right next to the river mouth. We were driving home as the sun began to set. Instead of pulling into the driveway of the ramshackle "house" we were renting, we pulled up to the river mouth to watch the sun go down. The sky was arranged with perfectly puffy clouds that spanned the entire skyline all the way to the horizon. The view from the Kevin's 86 Toyota pick up (affectionately named The Green Tamale) was the perfect balance of sky, cloud, ocean and sunlight. The dozen or so beams of light that broke free from the spattering of clouds grazed the ocean's surface as if God herself were searching for something she dropped and she needed the light to find whatever it is she was looking for. As the sun began to make its final decent into the ocean, the sky unfolded and turned the most awsome shade of pink. Not just any pink mind you, I'm talking cotton candy on steroids, 80's day glo, pepto bismol, the worst sunburn my irish skin has ever experienced, PINK! Everywhere you looked from west to east or north to south, the entire sky was gloriously pink. We both sat there in the Green Tamale utterly speachless (and for those of you who know Kevin, know that Kevin and speachless usually don't end up in the same sentence!). So if you are reading this and wondering what to do on a fabulous evening on Kauai...I recomend driving to the sunny west side of the island, (Waimea rivermouth, Kekaha beach, or my absolute favorite, Polihale!) bring your favorite beverage and pupu, pull up a nice mound of beach sand, take a deep breath, relax and take it all in! Enjoy!---Kat
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