Kauai 4 - Coconut Coast (Tues 06/15)

This morning after breakfast we headed to the East Side of the island known as the Coconut Coast. We stopped at a beach park and rented bikes. On this part of the island there is a 4 mile bike trail that follows the coastal beachside. We rode our bikes on the path taking in the spectacular views.

 After working up an appetite we stopped at a picnic table and ate our packed lunch of PB&J sandwiches with fresh fruit.

 After we rode to the end of the trail we walked down to the beach. The waves here were huge with a killer undertow so I didn't feel comfortable letting my boy get in the ocean here. So, instead we walked along the sand looking for sea glass.

 We actually found quite a bit, it's amazing how different the sand is on each beach. After our rest on the beach it was time to get the bikes back. As we headed back to the condo we stopped for a shave ice, which is obviously really big here. Once back at the condo we spent the rest of the afternoon at Poipu beach by our condo. Then for dinner we ate at Tidepools (our fancy splurge dinner).

Awesome organic green salad with Maui Onion salad dressing...yummy!

Max loved the chocolate lava cake!

Today was a great day....the right amount activity with beautiful beaches, topped off by a fabulous dinner.  Life is good on vacation!

Kauai 3 - Headed West (Mon 06/14/2010)

Today we drove to the west side of the island to Wailua and boarded a Zodiac raft to cruise the Na Pali coast.

 The trip was amazing we saw hundreds of spinner dolphins on the way out as we hung out in the part of the ocean known as their maternity ward.

 We then cruised on down the coast taking in the majestic views. It was incredible, the views just never get old. It is so beautiful that it doesn't even look real.

 The waters were calm enough, so we were able to go inside a couple sea caves.

 After the boat ride we stopped for some lunch in old town Koala and then headed to another beach. This time we went to Shipwreck Beach, which is down a bumpy dirt road near our condo. This is a great beach for exploring.

 We walked up and down this beach taking our time exploring the area. At the end of one side of the beach are some trails to hike up the cliff.

 There was barely anyone on this beach....we felt like we were the only ones there.  After a few hours playing on the beach we were ready to head back to the condo and take showers. For dinner we fixed a huge salad with all the delicious veggies we got at the farmers market and opened a bottle of wine. For the rest of the evening we just chilled on the lanai. Another early night....it is definitely about the daytime activities here on the island.

Kauai 2 - Day at the Beach (Sun 06/13/2010

Today we woke up sore after hiking the day before. So, a day relaxing at the beach is just what we needed! Our condo is located on the south side of the island on Poipu Beach. We just headed down the walkway found a spot in the sand and caught rays and waves all day!

 We took a break mid day and came in for a quick lunch and then headed back down to the beach! By five o'clock we had our fill of sun and sand. After cleaning up we drove down the street to a new little village of shops and restaurants. We grabbed a bite at Merriman's. I had a black bean burger, it was good just needed a little more flavor. After dinner we walked around the shops until it started pouring down rain. It was so wonderful going to bed hearing and smelling the rain.

Kauai Day 1 - (Sat 06/12/2010)

Today was our first full day on the island. After breakfast we headed to north side of the island. We stopped in Hanalei first to check out a farmer's market and arrived just in time. It opens at 9:30 and people were lined up. At the market we picked up some organic lettuce, a cucumber, papaya, lychee nuts, local honey(my son has a thing for honey) and a coconut.

 We packed it all in our cooler and head to Kee Beach located at the end of the road. Before hanging out at the beach we put our tennis shoes on and did some hiking. At this beach is the beginning of the Na Pali Coast with an 11 mile hiking trail up and around the mountain. The trail is called Kalalau Trail,we only hiked 4 miles in (8 miles round trip). The view from the mountain was breathtaking!

 After our long hike we grabbed our stuff and headed to the beach. Even from the beach the views of the Na Pali coast are exquisite. The Thornbirds and Lord of the Flies were filmed at this beach. Kee Beach has a reef that creates a calm lagoon which is great for snorkeling.

 After a couple house at the beach we were on the road again. On the way back we stopped in Hanalei again for some shaved ice. I just love this little town(I could live here)! While we ate our shaved ice a band started playing in the grass. It was such a community feeling as people were drawn to the music and started dancing on the lawn or just hang out and listen. Once we got back to our condo the activities of the day hit us and were exhausted! Another early night to get ready for another day of adventure.

Tech Issues

I wanted to post daily updates about my Kauai adventure, but I am unable to insert pics. We only brought the iPad and I just can't figure it out! So, going to have to wait until I get back to the mainland!

Hawaii, Finally!

I know it has been awhile since I have blogged, but I have been crazy busy at work finishing up projects before I leave for my Hawaiian vacation! It has all been worth it as we woke up at the crack of dawn this morning for our first full day in Kauai. As the sun rose we made our coffee and sat out on the lanai. Waiting to wish us good morning was a gorgeous rainbow. You could see the full arc of the rainbow and hear the birds chirping. By the time we reached coherency and thought to get the camera the rainbow had faded, so no pic this morning. But,we have 9 more days here with no plans! It is an awesome feeling to be able to wake up each day in paradise with no alarm clock and plan that day's adventure. Today we are going to head to the other side of the island and check out a local farmers market and a beach or two! I promise to have pics for the next post!

ALOHA!

Happy Memorial Day!

Other than Memorial Day being a day to remember our fallen service men, it has also traditionally become a day of cook outs.  It is a kick-off to summer, time to fire up the grills.  As I sit on my back patio this afternoon I can smell the meat grilling.  While to some this smell is yummy, to me it turns my stomach.   Before I became vegan I never was a big meat eater....I could not step into a steak restaurant with out feeling nauseas.  For me Memorial Day is the beginning of the abundance of delicious summer fruits and veggies.......

You can only get strawberries this big in the summertime!  So sweet and fresh!

I love marinated cucumbers..... I could eat this all day!

If you must grill something, grill up some corn.  When else can you find corn on the cob at 4 for $1 and so sweet?  Other grilling options:  portabella mushrooms (make a great burger substitute), veggie kabobs,   

asparagus, and the best grilled pinapple!

What is your favorite veggie/fruit to grill?