The call came in February. My daughter, Emily, had accrued some vacation time at work and called to tell me that she wanted to use this time to visit the island of Kauai. She had seen a picture on Instagram of Kauai that spoke to her, maybe even called to her. She wanted to go and she wanted me to go with her. Ummmmmm . . . yes! I didn’t need to be invited twice. I had been to Hawaii before, but never to the island of Kauai. I was in! The invitation meant the world to me. You see, the dreaded “empty nest” was looming over my shoulder. Three of my five children were adults and living thousands of miles away—including Emily. Number four was flying away in September. The precious time I had left with my children was rare and valuable—a truth that I hadn’t always appreciated. I couldn’t bribe my two sons who were still at home to spend time with me. They preferred to spend time with their friends, not with their parents. It was normal, but painful. When Emily called to tell me that she wanted to spend time with me, I was reduced to tears. I didn’t want to miss this opportunity for anything.
The next several weeks were spent coordinating schedules and
flights, researching rentals and activities. Before long, our flight was booked
to leave on June 28th, returning on July 2nd. We debated
between renting a condo or a private cottage on the North shore. The deciding
factor turned out to be an outdoor lava rock shower. The Om Cottage is a rental
cottage on the three-acre property called Om Orchard owned by Tsajon and Kamalia Von Lixfeld.
The online pictures of the cottage looked peaceful and secluded—an
honest-to-goodness tropical paradise. And then there was the shower. The
cottage had an outdoor shower constructed of lava rocks. I had never heard of
such a thing, but it sounded exotic and a little bit scandalous. That appealed
to me. Emily agreed. Om Cottage it was.
My dear friend, Bethany, recommended a book called Kauai Revealed by Andrew Doughty to use as a resource to
plan our activities. Some of the information I've included regarding the sights in Kauai came from this book. Emily and I composed a wish list of what
we wanted to do and how we wanted to spend our time. Kayaking, hiking,
horseback riding, beach combing, shopping, and eating delicious food were priorities. All we had left to do was save every penny we could and wait, which
we did. It seemed like a long way off but before we knew it, the long-awaited
day came. We were flying to Lihue, Kauai!
Om Orchard was even more wonderful than we dreamed! It was private, secluded, and looked like an expertly manicured tropical park. Tsajon met us at the gate, welcomed us, and made sure we had everything we needed. The cottage was a "great room" with a queen-sized four-poster bed, small dining table, desk, and kitchenette. The only other room was the bathroom. There was also a loft with a small TV area and another queen-sized mattress on the floor. The décor was bamboo and Zen—perfect for the setting. The shower was outside the bathroom door. It made me feel like I was in an expensive spa under a warm waterfall--heavenly!
Om Orchard was even more wonderful than we dreamed! It was private, secluded, and looked like an expertly manicured tropical park. Tsajon met us at the gate, welcomed us, and made sure we had everything we needed. The cottage was a "great room" with a queen-sized four-poster bed, small dining table, desk, and kitchenette. The only other room was the bathroom. There was also a loft with a small TV area and another queen-sized mattress on the floor. The décor was bamboo and Zen—perfect for the setting. The shower was outside the bathroom door. It made me feel like I was in an expensive spa under a warm waterfall--heavenly!
Om Cottage and Orchard
Kilauea Point Lighthouse
One of our first destinations was the 52-foot Daniel K. Inouye Kilauea Point Lighthouse. It was built in
1913 as a beacon for traveling ships. Although its light was turned off
in the 1970s and has been replaced by an automatic beacon, it still
serves as one of the island's most frequented attractions.
Zipu Zipline Safari
Of all of our adventures in Kauai, the Zipu Zipline Safari operated by Outfitters Kauai was my favorite. We started by kayaking two miles on the Hule'ia river. Next we hiked from the river bank to a waterfall where we swung from a tree rope (just like Tarzan, or maybe Jane) into a fresh water pool and enjoyed a refreshing swim. We were then transported via farm wagon through Kipu Ranch where parts of Jurassic Park, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Raiders of the Lost Ark were filmed. From there we enjoyed a catered lunch and prepared for the big excitement--the ziplines! I thought I would be scared, but I was amazed at how secure the harnesses were. I felt completely safe and had a thrilling adrenaline rush. After soaring through the air above a tropical forest canopy on two separate ziplines, we continued hiking to another fresh water swimming hole with a waterzip zipline and a cliff jump. Finally, we hiked back to the riverbank to relax as a motorized canoe delivered us back to the harbor and our car. I don't think I've ever had that much fun in one day! I highly recommend it.
(Please pardon the blurry pictures. I used my husband's waterproof point-and-shoot camera on this activity for fear that my expensive camera might inadvertently go for a swim.)
Secret Beach
Secret Beach, also known as Kauapea Beach, is a stunning golden sand beach only accessible via a 10-15 minute hike down a steep, jungle-like trail. There's a lovely waterfall on the trail that can be used to rinse the salt water off your body and gear on the way back to your car. Emily and I brought a wheeled cooler with lunch plus two backpacks with beach essentials. The hike to and from the beach was a great workout. I carried the backpacks, Emily lugged the cooler like a pro.
Side note for women: On our trek down to the beach, we heard a someone coming at a faster pace from behind. We stepped off the trail to allow a beautiful, toned, tanned woman in a tiny bikini (not carrying a cooler) to pass. As we watched her continue down the trail, our mouths gaped open in awe. She had the body of a goddess and, to put it bluntly, an absolutely perfect butt. We both commented on how we thought that a butt like that was only possible through Photoshop. It was inspiring and depressing to see it in real life. About five minutes later, we see her bounding back up the trail. I thought maybe she'd forgotten something in her car, like her clothes? We step aside again and as she passes I smile and say, "Wow, that's quite a workout!"
She responds, "I sure hope so."
*LIGHT BULB MOMENT*
She wasn't a tourist spending the day on the beach, this was her workout. Moral of the story, if you want a fabulous backside, climb mountains or do stairs. I'm a believer.
Now back to the pictures . . .
Silver Falls Ranch
Silver Falls Ranch of Kilauea was our choice for horseback riding. We chose their two hour ride which included a hot lunch at a small waterfall/pool along with an optional swim. The ranch is a 300 acre private estate with an 80 acre tropical garden bragging 150 different species of palm tress and more peacocks than you can count. One joined us for lunch!
The location was stunning, the stables beautiful, our guide friendly and knowledgeable, and the horses well-groomed. Emily is an experienced rider, but it had been decades since I had been on a horse. After a short riding orientation and safety briefing, I felt comfortable back in the saddle (with a helmet) and truly enjoyed the experience.
These photos were taken with my iPhone.
Queen's Bath
Queen's Bath is a large horseshoe-shaped pool carved by nature into a lava shelf with an inlet from the ocean for fresh seawater to flow. To get there, you need to make another 10 to 15 minute hike through a scenic, but steep, trail similar to the trail to Secret Beach. We learned that during the winter months, high surf assaults the area. Numerous lives have been lost when swimmers have been nailed by large waves when they shouldn't have been there. Fortunately, we were there at the right time of the year and at a fairly low tide. I regret not bringing a snorkel mask as there were fish in the pool. There was also a modest cliff jump on one side of the pool. It was high enough to get my adrenaline going, but not too high to stop me from jumping! The sky was cloudy and the water slightly murky when we were there, but a local told us that on sunny days the water is crystal clear. The first pictures were taken on the trail, sunburn courtesy of our day on Secret Beach.
The Na Pali Coast
Our guidebook claimed that the Kalalau trail on the Na Pali coast was the "most famous hike in all Hawai'i--11 miles of switchbacks, hills and beautiful scenery." With a description like that, we couldn't resist. The 11 mile trek takes a full day. Unless you camp, the 22 mile round trip is not possible. We researched camping on the coast and found that a permit is required and there is a one year waiting list for permits. That fact alone testified that the trail lived up to the hype. Since camping was not an option, we did an 8 mile day hike to Hanakapi'ai Beach along the coast and Hanakapi'ai Falls 2 miles inland. We were not disappointed. I cannot fully capture the beauty we experienced in photographs, but it was truly awe-inspiring.The hiking was strenuous for me, but just another day for Emily. She was sweet and patient with me, which I appreciated.
On the trail to the waterfall, we passed sections of bamboo forest where names and initial were carved into the trees. The bamboo seemed to be alive as it creaked and moaned in the breeze. It was beautiful, and a little creepy. The waterfall was majestic--taller than any waterfall I have ever seen. I could only get about one fourth of it in a photo at a time. The water in the pool was surprisingly cold. It felt similar to the temperatures of the lakes in Alaska. We had to slowly ease into the water to adjust to the cold, but it was worth it!
Smith's Tropical Paradise Lu'au
Our "last supper" was a Lu'au at Smith's Tropical Paradise, a family owned 30-acre botanical garden. The evening started with a quick guided tour of the property via trolly followed by an educational imu ceremony (removal of the cloth and leaves from the pit oven to expose the roasted pig). We were then ushered into a huge dining hall to enjoy live entertainment while tables were called upon one at a time to fill up their plates at the buffet line. The food was plentiful and had all the traditional luau offerings, though not extraordinary. After dinner, we moved to an open air, torch lit amphitheater to enjoy a performance of Polynesian dancing similar to the evening show at the Polynesian Cultural Center, only on a smaller scale. Overall, it was enjoyable and a fun way to finish off our vacation.
Odds and Ends
Dining
Our first stop after picking up our rental car was Costco. We stocked up on breakfast and lunch foods so that we didn't have to eat out every single meal. We did though try several restaurants. Our favorite ended up being CJ's Steak & Seafood in Princeville. The atmosphere was nice, but nothing special. It was the food that had us returning again and again. We absolutely loved their shrimp and crab melt sandwich for lunch and their coconut shrimp for dinner. Their salad bar was top notch too.
The award for best atmosphere goes to Duke's Canoe Club in Lihu'e. There is an outdoor bar downstairs overlooking Kalapaki Bay. We were seated at a small table near the entrance in the upstairs restaurant close to an indoor waterfall. The restaurant is upscale, the food good, and the prices high. This would be a great restaurant to celebrate a birthday or anniversary.
Where I Live in my Dreams
I fell in love with a charming little town (population 450) on the North shore called Hanalei. I found out after we got home that the musical South Pacific was filmed there. We attended a small, but delightful slack-key guitar and ukulele concert at the Hanalei Community Center. The artists were the talented Doug and Sandy McMaster. I bought two of their CD's. After the concert, we walked through town taking in the lush beauty of the valley and the quaint restaurants and shops. If we were multimillionaires, I could see David and myself with a cute little home and a vegetable garden in Hanalei. We returned on Sunday to attend church there. The congregation was very sweet, although I believe more than half were tourists. Yep, my happily ever after could be in Hanalei, with my summers in Alaska of course!
Final Thoughts
Two eternal principles were repeated in my mind and in my heart throughout my time in Kauai. One, a loving Heavenly Father through His son, Jesus Christ, created this amazing, beautiful, miraculous earth for us, His children. My heart is overflowing with gratitude to Him. Second, nothing is more valuable and treasured than time spent with loved ones. I will remember this vacation and the precious time that I was blessed to spend with my sweet Emily forever.
If you made it this far, you are a true friend! Mahalo!
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