LOOKING BACK AND AHEAD: smart stuff to remember for next trip to Kaua'i

Things we did right and things we want to remember for the next visit to Kaua'i:

>Soft-sided collapsible cooler
>Freezable ice pack
>The Ultimate Kaua’i Guidebook
>Keen’s for hiking the trails and into the beaches and falls
>Extra beach or fitness shoes for after hike
>Guys: more fun t-shirts, fewer golf shirts
>Girls: pack lighter—one short skirt, 3 shorts or capris, t-shirts
>Aveeno sunscreen, 30 and above
>Hats
>Ziplock bags
>Washer/dryer sheets from WalMart (Purex Laundry Sheets)
>Daypack for hikes
>Water bottle ring on a ribbon (DIY project)
>Hand sanitizer
>Butt wipes
>Neoporin To Go! spray
>Paper plates and napkins

FUN THINGS IN KAUA'I

>How to predict sundown (fingers on the horizon)
>How to measure altitude temperature changes (4 degrees per 1,000 feet)
>Kukui nuts and their uses
>Longans and more Longans
>Fruit water in the Marriott upper lobby at Kalapaki Beach
>Tip Top Café in Lihue
>Same owners for Ono Family Restaurant in Kapa’a
>Oxtail soup
>Coconut shrimp at Duke’s
>Bobble Head Beach
>Bread and Deli
>Bubba’s
>Monster Tacos
>Lappert’s
>Brick Oven Pizza
>Duke’s… Duke’s… Duke’s
>ABC Store for t-shirts and souvenirs
>Sunshine and Farmer’s Markets
>Waimea Canyon – the views, photo ops, and the hikes
>Waimea Canyon Koke’e Museum
>Kintara for sushi (a local recommended, haven’t tried it yet)
>Merrimen’s for steak (a local recommended it, haven’t tried it yet)
>Puka Dogs at the Po’ipu Marketplace – YUM!
>Flowers
>Chickens
>Judith Jackson Spa citress shampoo
>Hikes : Hideaways Beach, Queen’s Bath, Shipwreck Beach, Kipu Falls, The Canyon Trail, Kalalau Trail, and Secret Beach
>The terrace at the St. Regis Princeville Hotel

EXPERIENCING KAUA'I: part 8

Dusk and the sad goodbye - Marriott Kalapaki Beach, Kaua'i

Queen's Bath - Princeville, Kaua'i

Hideways Beach - Princeville, Kaua'i

View from St. Regis Princeville Hotel

Tip Top Cafe - Lihue, Kaua'i

I’m very, very tired this a.m., too. No more up at 5:00am on Chicago time! We have been so physically active most days and then I stay up too late blogging…

I talk to GiGi a bit, and then JE. But, it is time to do the final packing as we check out by 10:00am and then we are going for our third trip (PM’s second) to Tip Top Café.

EXPERIENCING KAUA'I: part 7

This is funny on so many levels, including the big-mouthed, attention seeking NeNe from The Real Housewives of Atlanta...

Our second to last day in Kaua’i. I sleep in and for a time wonder if I will be able to move from this bed without first an I.V. of coffee. DM calls with a request and as CA talks with him I chime in and ease into my day.

EXPERIENCING KAUA'I: part 6

Big plans for today—a return trip to Polihale Beach and then a big hike in Waimea Canyon. We start the day with breakfast again at Tip Top Café. PM stays behind as she is still a bit rocky and needs rest more than food.