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.