Gidget Goes Hawaiian- Kauai & Aulani 8/2012 TR- 5/24 COMPLETE!!

[podsnel]

OK, I said I wasn't going to post in the middle of your update, but since I can't see your pics right now, guess what? I am going to post in the middle of your update. Sorry!

Post wherever you want! I just happy you post!

These pictures are gorgeous! We really need to make it to Hawaii someday.

That valley was especially beautiful-

Your pictures are amazing! Living in Seattle, we have often spent our vacation in Hawaii. The last 2 years we have gone to the Big island. I have never been to Kauai but your photos are really pushing it to the top of my list for our next Hawaii trip! It just looks amazing!

What hotel did you stay at? There is a photo with a water slide and sand entry into the pool - just wanting to know which property that is.


Just curious, with a 10.5 hour domestic flight, are meals provided by the airline or do you have to buy your own like other domestic flights? That is a loooong flight!!

The hotel the first night was Kauai Beach Resort in Lihue. It was on the east side, and PERFECT for the first night. The downside was the beach was unswimmable- for the remainder of our stay, we stayed at the Hanalei Bay Resort- it was in Princeville, and we rented a condo (but a studio) directly from the owner who was WONDERFUL. I knew 2 years ago that I would rent some part of her condo- it is beautifully furnished, priced well, but best of all, she has the most incredible, completely stunning view of Hanalei Bay I had seen! It was unit 4303, here is a link- http://www.summitpacificinc.com/4303.html#floorplan

We went back and forth whether or not to get the full condo, and ultimately decided against it because we felt we would be eating out anyway, and only in the condo to sleep. It was tight for 3 nights with 4 (really) adults, but we were fine! And the woman who owns it is really lovely- more about all of it after Waimea, because that's when we checked in!

And NO- NO free food on the plane- we ate a big lunch pre-boarding, then ate the snack boxes/ chesseburgers/sesame noodles/chicken wraps on the plane along with some sandwiches from home and granola bars. There WAS food in first class, on the flight home as well- but, get this- that one home was a red eye to Chicago- it was 8 hours, and they had NO hot food (in coach)AND not enough blankets for everyone on the plane (not a problem in first class, tho-)!!! United is the WORST, I really really miss Continental in my home airport.

 

[englishrose47]

What inspiring pix Ellen !!! Do they have chairlifts or helicopters for the elderley

 

[dvc4life]

All I can say is WOW, Double WOW! I so want to go to Hawaii one day. Your pictures are amazing. I love the one of Tyler sitting there by himself. He looks just so, relaxed.

Keep em coming!

 

[jenseib]

Is your dell a laptop?
Mine jumps words around all the time. I hate it. I even had the keyboard replaced once because it stopped typing certain letters, now it types them all but the words jump all over and I have to watch and correct constantly. It's such a pain.

 

[podsnel]

What inspiring pix Ellen !!! Do they have chairlifts or helicopters for the elderley

Probably not, but you can see so much from the overlooks which you can drive up to, and they have ramps-

And a big YEA on the helicopters!! Of course they have that!

How inspiring is THIS, tho- I read about a guy (on a hiking website) who did it, and he has a disability where he has to wear leg braces- I was VERY impressed!

 

[Wicket's Mom]

Beautiful scenery, but I would be freaking out at those heights!

I absolutely cannot go anywhere near an edge like that!

 

[MAGICFOR2]

Wow again! Amazing pics Ellen! You guys did a killer hike! I'm proud of you! I love the comment "sometimes there was a board" I can so relate to that! Some of your hike looked like mine - slippery mud and all. Great feeling of accomplishment once you were done!

 

[CRdisMom]

okay caught up. I'm keeping this bookmarked for those dreary winter days that are ahead. I love those photos. I was stunned while I watched your adventures on FB. Hawaii is definately on my to do list. I may just have to wait until Katie can hike a bit more.

Our big excitement this weekend is to go visit the biggest ball of twine in Darwin, MN. Not nearly as fun as this but crazy none the less.

 

[podsnel]

All I can say is WOW, Double WOW! I so want to go to Hawaii one day. Your pictures are amazing. I love the one of Tyler sitting there by himself. He looks just so, relaxed.

Keep em coming!

Tyler WAS so relaxed- what was even better was that REALLY, NO JOKE, he was sitting there EXACTLY like that when we came up to him. It is not posed at ALL!

Is your dell a laptop?
Mine jumps words around all the time. I hate it. I even had the keyboard replaced once because it stopped typing certain letters, now it types them all but the words jump all over and I have to watch and correct constantly. It's such a pain.

YES! YES! That's exactly right!! I had to stop and correct 3 times on the response above!! I HATE DELL!!!!!!! Sometimes I'm typing and it jumps to the middle of someone else's sentence or to the middle of my own words randomly, and sometimes it just didn't type anything i wrote! DON'T BUY DELL!!!!!!!!

Beautiful scenery, but I would be freaking out at those heights!

I absolutely cannot go anywhere near an edge like that!

We did not go right up to the edge- and it was much worse on another hike we took- you'll see....

Wow again! Amazing pics Ellen! You guys did a killer hike! I'm proud of you! I love the comment "sometimes there was a board" I can so relate to that! Some of your hike looked like mine - slippery mud and all. Great feeling of accomplishment once you were done!

Well, it was not very muddy on our hike- August is much drier than other times of year. When it is muddy, all of those dirt stairs become a giant slip and slide- I don't think I would have enjoyed it very much then!

okay caught up. I'm keeping this bookmarked for those dreary winter days that are ahead. I love those photos. I was stunned while I watched your adventures on FB. Hawaii is definately on my to do list. I may just have to wait until Katie can hike a bit more.

Our big excitement this weekend is to go visit the biggest ball of twine in Darwin, MN. Not nearly as fun as this but crazy none the less.

That's so funny- that's where Pods always tells the kids I'm dragging them to next- the world's biggest ball of twine- Really? You're going? I can't wait to tell them!

 

[podsnel]

Driving back down Waimea Canyon Road, I couldn't stop gushing about our day so far- Timmy kept on telling me i was on an Oxtail Soup rush-, which I probably was- that was some magical soup I had had for breakfast! Looking at the Canyon on the way down, we noticed that it was a LOT foggier. I think it was around 1:00 at this point- and can I just say, my kids were having an oxtail soup rush, too, because they couldn't get over all we had done and seen, and it was only 1 in the afternnon! Heck, Tyler isn't even awake yet at home in the summer by 1:00! Anyway, we also noticed something else- it was a LOT smokier on the way down- it was almost too much- and when we got down a little further, we saw why- the fire, which had appeared so small earlier in the morning, had spread- and it was not good.

Those helicopters were still trying-

But they were not getting very far.

click to play-


What we found out later was that the second road up into the canyon (the one the signs were directing us to, but we ignored) had actually been closed all morning. The canyon was foggy, but maybe that was also trapped smoke.

And the next day? BOTH roads were closed into the Canyon- it was all inaccesible. And the day after that? They began evacuating people. It ended up being a very, very baaaaaaad fire.

Well, once we had finished there, we were headed to some Shave Ice- and not just any shave ice- we were going to JoJo's Anuenue shave ice, in Waimea-

I know- it doesn't look like much. But it ended up being the best shave ice of the trip, AND it is touted as being the best shave ice on Kauai. It is NOT on the main road- THAT JoJo's is a copy trying to live off our JoJo's good name. And the fact that the other JoJo's is in the building where the original JoJo's once stood. JoJo's Anuenue is on a side street off of the main road- right before we hit the other one.

Confused? Don't worry- everyone else is, too.

This being our first Shave Ice- ever- it took a bit to figure out what to order.

Have I mentioned how much i hate my Dell lately? Because I just prematurely posted again. Among other freakin irratations.....

So- decisions, decisions-

I knew what I wanted- Tropical Anuenue Special- Mac nut ice cream on the bottom, topped with Mango, Guava & Lilikoi (passion fruit). Oh- and i'll have mine with beans, please.

Beans??????

Yea- dude, I am goin totally local- adzuki beans are these sweet beans Hawaiians put on their shave ice. Schaaaaaa...... If I had REALLY done it, though, I would have also gotten condensed milk on top- but that sounded too sweet for me, so I skipped it.

Tim got chocolate (why? Oh why did he get chocolate? He only likes vanilla- with sprinkles. ). He did look happy about it though-

I have no idea what Pods got- I was busy talking to the nice local lady in line.

Looks like Mango to me- but he got vanilla ice cream on the bottom- uh, DUH- why would you EVER choose vanilla when there is mac nut to be had??? SHEESH- amateurs.....

Tyler got

With no ice cream- and was so disappointed- he didn't know you could have gotten ice cream!

...

...

Am I the only one in the family that can read??? I explained it all to them before we got there- but, well, I guess they were listening to me about as much as usual. so their loss! Mine was GREAT, beans and all!

The nice lady in line and I had a great conversation (she lived on Kauai, and had just returned from her vacation in Alaska- in case you were wondering). She was pretty impressed we knew to go to the right JoJo's- she said it was the best, and her son's girlfriend's sister worked there, so she would know. (Seriously- these are the conversations i have with total strangers- and i love every bit! ). We also discussed the fire- which she said had started the night before at least, and her brother had called the fire dept about, but they brushed him off because they said it was already out and small. She felt that someone was going to lose their job over this one. She asked where we were staying- and when i said Hanalei Bay Resort, she made a face and said, "All the way up there????"



It's like 1 1/2 hours maybe away! But when you live on a little island all your life, it becomes the ends of the earth, i suppose.

We said goodbye, and decided to walk down the street to eat our shave ice on the beach-

Of course, there were chickens-

and black sand-

And amateurs-

I let Pods have some of my mac nut (he'd never make THAT mistake again!) before we piled back into the car- time to head "all the way up there" to Princeville!

 

[franandaj]

Oh good! I haven't missed too much, I saw 5 pages and thought yikes!!!!!

I remember when you booked this trip and shared your plans on one of your BCV TRs. The pictures so far have been stunning! And I know you have some exciting plans in the works!

 

[snowmanlover]

WOW, WOW, WOW....such BEAUTIFUL pictures AND a well written report of your trip to Hawaii!!

Your a gal after my own heart....lover of Disney & Hawaii!

I have been to Hawaii 3 times, but on a cruise ship each time! OH, that's right, you like cruising, too!!! I read ALOT of reports, just don't comment like I probably should.

We are thinking next time we go to Hawaii of not doing a cruise. Kauai & Maui are my favorite islands. Of course, I think I would be happy to stay on any of them!!

 

[CRdisMom]

Yup the ball of twine. It's only an hour from my house.

I'll send the boys a postcard...lol

 

[Wicket's Mom]

I sure could use one of those shaved ice things right now! I would have to do without the Mac nuts, never cutivated a taste for them.

I love to talk with people in line with me when on vacation. The kids used ot gte so embarrassed when I did that.

Hawaii is so beautiful, just wish the plane ride wasn't so long.

My laptop is a Sony Vaio & it does the jump around thing, too. It drives me crazy when that happens.

 

[dallastxcpa]

I am LOVIN your trip report. Thank you so much for taking the time to share your wonderful vacation.

 

[englishrose47]

Probably not, but you can see so much from the overlooks which you can drive up to, and they have ramps-

And a big YEA on the helicopters!! Of course they have that!

How inspiring is THIS, tho- I read about a guy (on a hiking website) who did it, and he has a disability where he has to wear leg braces- I was VERY impressed!

Very inspiring , I was however thinking of me with the chairlift

 

[MEK]

That scenery is stunning. I am so glad I remembered to check out your pictures tonight. I don't think I could have stood another day at work where I looked at your updates and said DOH! I can believe how blue that water is. Gorgeous.

Seriously - you really did your homework to know about the shaved ice place and why am I not shocked that not even one of the males in your house listened to you when you told them about the ice cream? Sound familiar.

Oh - an about the Dell - I think its time for a Mac Missy. You will not regret it!

Keep the updates coming. A-MAZING!

 

[amyngary]

You went to my favorite Hawaiian island without me??!!!

During our most recent trip to Kauai, we started a game anytime we were in the car to make up different "why did the chicken cross the road?" jokes (inspired of course by all the chickens everywhere there). It was such fun and we still remind each other of those jokes.... "Why did the lion cross the Serengeti Plain? .... To get to the other Pride!... Why did the preschooler cross the playground? ... to get to the other SLIDE!...........

We had another trip booked to Kauai two Christmases ago, but then found out that we were expecting our third child. I've been wishing ever since - canceling that trip was so hard to do! And not rebooking it yet has been tough too, but we want to wait until our last child is out of diapers and can feed and dress himself first. It's a long wait!

All this to say thanks for letting me live vicariously through you for now. Great report. I hope to find out as you share more that you did the stunning helicopter ride, but if not, you'll just have to go back!

 

[podsnel]

Oh good! I haven't missed too much, I saw 5 pages and thought yikes!!!!!

I remember when you booked this trip and shared your plans on one of your BCV TRs. The pictures so far have been stunning! And I know you have some exciting plans in the works!

Hi there!! Yea- it's 5 pages of mostly photos-I feel like it looks ridiculous when you look at the table of contents and I have so many posts- and not even out of day 1 yet! But this was a BIG day for photography- not that others weren't, too.....

WOW, WOW, WOW....such BEAUTIFUL pictures AND a well written report of your trip to Hawaii!!

Your a gal after my own heart....lover of Disney & Hawaii!

I have been to Hawaii 3 times, but on a cruise ship each time! OH, that's right, you like cruising, too!!! I read ALOT of reports, just don't comment like I probably should.

We are thinking next time we go to Hawaii of not doing a cruise. Kauai & Maui are my favorite islands. Of course, I think I would be happy to stay on any of them!!

Hi! So nice to meet you! And thanks for the extremely lovely compliments! My head's all big now, there'll be no liven with me! Which cruise did you take? I was thinking about doing that next time- but I can't get past the fact that Kauai is calling me back for a week just for it, but I really want to see Maui again and go to Hana and Haleakala for the sunrise....and then Aulani is on Oahu, so I'd need to go back there, too- SUCH a dilemma! I know that the NCL POA goes to Maui and Kauai overnight- but I don't think that's gonna be enough for me! It is SUCH a special place.....

Yup the ball of twine. It's only an hour from my house.

I'll send the boys a postcard...lol

Oh no- just send it directly to Pods- he's the one who is absolutely DYING to go!

I sure could use one of those shaved ice things right now! I would have to do without the Mac nuts, never cutivated a taste for them.

I love to talk with people in line with me when on vacation. The kids used ot gte so embarrassed when I did that.

Hawaii is so beautiful, just wish the plane ride wasn't so long.

My laptop is a Sony Vaio & it does the jump around thing, too. It drives me crazy when that happens.

Too bad you don't like the macnuts! Ok, YOU can get the vanilla at the bottom! My kids don't get embarrassed when I talk to strangers- they just roll their eyes and say "What a surprise- Mommy's making a new friend..." REALLY!

Like I said before- sometimes the best places are worth sucking it up for on a long plane ride- take a pill, take a nap- whatever it takes, go to Hawaii!

Sorry you have the jumping problem, too- it's REALLY bad this morning- I've had to stop and start like 50 times so far just doing these replies-

I am LOVIN your trip report. Thank you so much for taking the time to share your wonderful vacation.

you are very welcome- I hope it's coming across as fun as it actually was!!

 

[jenseib]

So is shaved ice like a snowcone? I am not fond of those and it sounds really strange with icecream in it...so I am guessing I am out of the loop of what it really is.

But I suppose if I was lucky enough to go to Hawaii, I might give it a try.
I like the black sand beach...very pretty