Taking to the air.....

Marriott Resort at Nawiliwili

Day 13 – Feb 9

The day started slowly with my morning routine (exercise, morning chai, shower and connecting to the outside world) but the skies offered some spotty clouds and a promise of a sunny day ahead to encourage us in our plan for the day. We had conspired against my sister Lucy and not told her what we had planned for this day. We have always wanted to do the helicopter tour of Kauai and we tried three years ago only to get cancelled with mechanical failure just before we boarded the helicopter. That was actually a good time to find out about such things. However, I had booked a tour for this day some days ago and we swore not to tell Lucy as we knew it would be something that would provide some angst if she had any time to think about it. So we had harboured this news and would only tell her just before we were to be picked up. So the morning started with breakfast at Kukui’s where we enjoyed the buffet and managed to finish just as they were closing up the buffet. I love those late breakfast meals. We then made our way to the beach to enjoy some sunshine and read for a while. Finally it was time to get ready for the trip and we had to break the news to Lucy and get ready for the driver in 45 minutes. Her reaction was great as she appeared to be keen and we all gathered our things to get to the front doors of the resort on time. By things I mean that we were instructed to wear tie up shoes (no flip flops allowed), jackets (as it cools down when there are no doors on the Hughes 500 machine), cameras with neck straps or hand grips) and nothing else. When I thought about those instructions I realized that perhaps we were in for more of an adventure than an easy helicopter ride through the warm air of Kauai. Right now I have to tell you that I have difficulty with heights and still wonder why I had agreed to fly in a small mechanical device that would crowd 5 people (one being a trusted pilot) into a space about the size of a small 2 person sauna and soar to great heights above the island with no doors on the machine! I guess it was the continued quest to get over the height thingy and enjoy the fine vistas we would be exposed to. I could not begin to feel what Lucy was going through as she shares my fear of heights and was a trooper as she marched to the helicopter suited up with personal floatation device, jacket and camera clutched in her hand. Once inside she was seated between the pilot (Jason) and Freddi. Tara-Lee and I were seated in the back seats with a gaping hole to my right that ran from floor to ceiling. Here I must tell you that I took some strength at the ease in which my daughter and wife slipped into this mode of ridiculously unsafe (feeling) mode of transit. In y mind I knew that we only had to endure this fear for 60 minutes. Do you know how long 60 minutes is! The ground guy took a lot of time and attention to make sure that Lucy was comfortable and suitably kidded as she got ready to take her first helicopter ride.

After all the preparation, which I appreciated, we slowly slipped off the ground, turned slowly and zipped away gaining altitude as moved from the airport (NW) along the west coat of this absolutely gorgeous island. The sun was on us most of the time but there were times that the overcast mountains produced some coolness and rain as we passed by. We flew over our resort on Nawiliwili Bay and saw the pool area where we had just been and the harbour which, at that time, house a large Princess cruise liner. We gained a little more altitude as we ventured over the first range of mountains and set out along the west coast shoreline. We flew over Poipu and the shores we had seen the day before from the Captain Andy sailboat and saw the vast and green countryside that was used as horse and cattle ranches by well to do families. We then ventured up the Waimea Grand Canyon which was shadowed by big clouds and likely some rain happening down below. The vista was incredible and the thought to viewing areas that no one can even walk to was very inspiring. Jason reminded us that Jurassic park films had been shot in these hills and under or around some of the waterfalls that we were viewing. His narration was very complete and specific as he rolled off stories of the things we were looking at.

We finally moved to the area that this trip was all about for me. We motored along the face of the Napali coastline where there are no roads, only a few trails and no inhabitants (with the exception of a few hippies living in there who grow weeds that are not allowed anywhere else) and just plain raw naturally created walls of lava and the relatively recent growth of small green vegetation along the less vertical areas. I managed to release my death grip on the handle in the helicopter to take some photos of this area. (actually I had perfected the release, pick up camera, focus, click and release the camera to catch the handle in a surprisingly short time). Tara-Lee spotted some whales from above and they appeared to be pretty small considering where we were. We entered a canyon that stretched 3000 feet above us to get the feel of the size of the cliffs we were looking at. Thankfully Jason managed to turn and lift the machine as we approached the end of the canyon. (At that moment I wondered how Lucy was doing as she was in the front facing the sheer cliffs as they approached – apparently she was thinking similar thoughts to the ones I was having!) Freddi and Tara-Lee were quite in sync with the experience as they happily shot pictures and revelled in the moment.

Once we emerged from our venture up close to the land, we travelled up and down the Napali to make sure we were afforded many views of this significant area of the island. It was awesome in the fullest extent of that word. We then ventured further to the North shore where we had driven a couple of days before. We flew over the area where we walked on the rocks to view the surf and were impressed by the size of the surf and the transparency of the shallows where we could see the differing colours of the coral below. The sun was bathing the area in warmth and light to see the colours clearly. It was very spectacular to see. Jason then guided us through the interior once again to view more mountains, valleys, flowering trees and ranch lands owned by some of the wealthy farmers of the island. We finally visited a twin waterfall that was on the east side where some movies have been filmed. I could see the airport in the distance as started back to Nawiliwili harbour area. Jason concluded the tour as we approached the airport and the landing was smooth and easy as we settled down on the tarmac. What a ride! It was very exhilarating to revel through the air with the wind and weather all around you but I promised myself that any future helicopter rides would be in aircraft with doors. That is a simple request to be remembered.

Once out of our headgear and safety straps we were allowed to take some pictures around the helicopter and we managed to get Roadtrip Rooster involved in that process also. Naturally, the ground guy kidded Lucy about doing some sky-diving next but she was not inclined to continue that line of discussion. We were driven back to the resort where we all felt the need for a shower to get the feel of the salt air out of our hair and skin after the 60 minute blast of cool air. It was a great experience to have behind us. The picture will serve as a record for us for some time.
Once dressed and ready or push on to the next adventure we drove to Poipu to visit a shop that Tara-Lee had spotted when we were there for dinner a few nights before. The mall was having a Farmers Market at that time so we enjoyed walking about the stalls to see what they were offering. They were all home grown or home made products and there was a good deal of attention from the gathered tourists and locals. We picked up a fresh papaya, a bottle of banana foster jam, some fresh organic chocolate chip cookies and a few small gifts for people back home. It was a fun place to walk about and I took some pictures of the beautiful flowers that were appreciating the bright sunlight.
We then drove to the Spouting Horn where the natural waves produce a huge spout and a deep horn sound as they pound the shoreline. We had formerly known this as a “blow hole” but the new name has been formalized with road signs etc since we were here last. Poipu has grown a great deal since our first visit and it is destined to grow more as large housing projects dot this side of the island. At around 5 pm we arrived at our destination for the evening. It was the Beach House Restaurant which is a restaurant that Freddi and I have made a traditional stop for one meal each trip. It has a westerly exposure and all of the windows slide away to offer a beautiful beach view of the sunset each night. The surrounding area is out of everyone’s imagination of the sun setting along the coast of a Hawaiian island. This evening it did not fail us even though there was a cloud cover. For a few minutes we were treated to a beautiful sunset vista that Freddi tried to capture on film. Our dinner was great also as we tried their “pupus” (appies) and enjoyed their Mahi-mahi and Ahi in several different forms. The drive home was interrupted with a stop to shop and enjoy some of the island’s best gelato at the Poipu Shopping Village. Some members of our family will never pass up an opportunity to sift through the stock of several stores in a single session.

Sunset at Beach House Restaurant - Kauai

A day at sea.....

Day 12 – Feb 8

The day started quietly with some sunny period but an overcast look to it. We had our in house breakfast and I managed to get some blogging done and downloaded some pictures. The ladies went to shore for some lay-about time and reading. When I found them we walked to the local shops to pick up some things we needed for the afternoon activity.

We had reserved on Captain Andy’s Whale watch, Napali coastline and dinner/sunset cruise. It sounded like a full feature tour and it was scheduled to be 4 hours in length. We got organized and left at 12:30 as it was supposed to be a 50 minute drive to Ele’ Ele where we turned to Port Allen. This proved to be a 30 minute drive so we had a few minutes to kill at the other end. The disappointment was that Captain Andy had cancelled the Napali portion of the tour due to 18 foot waves in that part of the island. That meant we had to make a decision to postpone, cancel or go. We chose to go as it looked nice out in the water. That proved to be the best decision as we had a great tour. It started with a great crew, three full breaches from whales in just 5 minutes of starting, nice sunny skies, good food and drinks. The whole picture was great. The team Captain Rick, Tony, Kirk and Courtney) were terrific and attentive, informative and fun filled. They made sure everyone had a good time. We set off from harbour leaving a mean and fierce storm raging over the island. We experienced some sprinkles but no substantial rain on the tour. We managed to see several more sightings of whales and saw the most impressive full breach not too far off our port side. It was very impressive. In addition we saw a monk seal basking on the beach along the way. There are only 1200 monk seals in all of the Hawaiian island and about 200 on Kauai. (that number varies depending on who you speak to). They are well protected by the law and the locals as they are very rare. Their life consists of eating until they are full and then basking in the sun until they are hungry. Repeat the cycle and you have a seal’s life.After we had been out for a while we were offered some cocktails that were very refreshing. They flowed pretty well after our period out at sea. Then we were offered food (Teriyaki Chicken and braised beef with salads, bread and fruit – pineapple crunch cookies) and some wine to go with the dinner.

We sailed back into the sunshine as it disappeared into the clouds at the horizon. Freddi did the Rossignol Roadtrip Rooster picture process and that ended up with Tara-Lee actually piloting the boat towards home. Roadtrip has appeared in many locations in Hawaii and I am sure that Rossignol will appreciate our participation of the rooster visitations. Lots of folks on the boat got involved and asked if they could get a picture of Roadtrip. It was pretty funny and provided the staff with new material to work with as they entertained all of us.

At the end of the tour we had a nice goodbye with the team and off we went to make our way back to the resort. But we had to stop at the Koloa strip to sample some of their ice cream and goodies. I managed to find a t-shirt and a flannel shirt (fancy that – in Hawaii) that I didn’t realize I needed. Tara-Lee found a soap shop and bought a good deal of their stock. We then loaded up again into the car and drove to the resort feeling like we had had a great day of fun and entertainment and enjoyed the great outdoor weather.

We had a short visit with Duck and Kari but we were all very tired form the great outdoors so we retired early.

The interior.....

Day 11 – Feb 7

Early in the day, although cloudy, the ladies decided to surf. Lucy and I were relegated to the observer status as Freddi and Tara-Lee rented boards and headed out to the surf. The waves are small but regular in the bay and that makes it a good place to paddle board and catch the occasional wave. They did very well and had lots of fun. We had watched the Koe being fed in the courtyard before they went for their activity.
Once they had enough of the salt water dumpings, they returned to shore and we readied ourselves for another car adventure. This time we drove up the west coast and headed for the Waimea Canyon. Once again the day was not a sunny one, or at least that was the case when we set out.

We drove up to Waimea and had a nice Taco at the local taco joint (very delicious maki-mahi taco) before we set off up the Canyon to see the wonders of the inner island. We stopped a couple of time to enjoy the vistas and feel the warmth of the sun. It was very nice inland. On our final stop at Kalalau lookout we were in the clouds and were actually above some of the helicopters we could see hovering over the Napali coast line. Our altitude was 5100 feet above sea level. The clouds opened and closed to afford some pretty impressive vistas of the ocean and the Napali coastline.
Late in the afternoon we worked our way back to the resort to get cleaned up for dinner. We usually go to dinner (once a visit) at Gaylords Plantation and we tried to reserve for this evening. This was when we found out that the owners had made a change form the tradition of gaylords (fine dining in a traditional fashion) to a new look and feel. Now named 22 0 North, the owners have taken a local stance and have now sought to provide all ingredients from either their 22 acres farm or the local markets to ensure that they produce local food and encourage local development. The menu changed quite substantially but it was still special and the food that we tasted was well above average. We enjoyed some local Kauai beef, veal and lamb along with some very interesting and special local veggies. We also enjoyed a Freemark Abbey Merlot wine from the California Napa Valley (only non-island component of sinner). It was a nice dinner in a beautiful old plantation house that has been maintained over the years.
We returned to the resort and crashed after another good vacation day.

North coast day....

Day 10 – Feb 6

Sunday morning and all is well with the world. It appeared that the skies were socked in and the day would offer some rain. Since it was Super-bowl Sunday there was anticipation in the air and the bar was set up early. After some breakfast we decided to take a drive to the North and east side of the island. We drove all the way to the end of the road at the North end and took a walk on the beach and rocks listening to the pounding surf. It was overcast with light rain form time to time. The surf was very cool as it pounded away on the shore showing its bright luminescent colour as it broke into a ferocious curl. On the way back we watched some surfers catch some of those huge (18 ft) waves and riding the power to its limit. We then stopped at Bubba Burgers to sample the best burgers in all of Hawaii. The little village of Hanalei was bustling as the sounds of Superbowl flowed out of every establishment. Each of the small bars and restaurants were full to capacity. We ordered our burgers and waited inside watching the game as did the others who were waiting their opportunity to tastes the best burgers. They did not disappoint any of us and the trick here is to take as they serve them as they do a great job.

Our next stop was at a roadside craft stop in Kapa’a where we checked out some local wares. We did not buy anything but we had some fun chatting up the locals. Next we went to our stand-by Coconut Mall where we have always been treated to a number of local offerings in a mall environment. It was shocking to note that truly one half of the stores were empty. The retailers were definitely struggling and some had gone away for good. There is a distinct lack of tourists on the islands these days with the exception of the travelling Canadians. Many of the vendors commented on the numbers of Canadians and lack of either U.S citizens or foreign travellers. The impact of our economy is felt by all.

We then returned to the resort to watch the final 10 minutes of the game. We found Duck and Karin safely tucked in their corner of the crowded bar. The results were a happy thing to most of the assembled audience. We stayed for a while but retreated to Poipu for dinner at Josselin’s for a Tapas dinner. The food was delightful and very creative in its construction and presentation. We enjoyed some scallop pillows, beef buns, a beef short rib, chicken teriyaki and some veggies with salad. They had a tray of Sangria that we tasted and decided to try it out. That too was delicious. All in all a very tasty dinner with a new look to food preparation as all the food was prepared in an open kitchen environment. Mmmm good!

I was tired on the drive back but it was a good day all around even if there were blasts of rain throughout the day.

A quiet day.....

Day 9 – Feb 5, 2011

The day started slowly as we were all tired the night before. We got together for breakfast at 10:00 and enjoyed the buffet at Kukuio’s. There was a good selection of breakfast delights and we went at it like we had not eaten in days. From there we went to the beach to put in a few hours of reading, snoozing and catching a few rays. The beach was pretty busy with a group of locals monopolizing the volleyball court and playing some pretty good games challenging each other. We learned later that one of the girls was actually on the U.S. team as a volleyball player. This provided some entertainment as we enjoyed the quiet time and the heat of the sun. The weather will play into our plans for the week so we decided to take advantage of the sun when it was around.

Later in the day we took a trip to town and the Walmart for some essentials shopping. I bought a neat little wallet for a card or two and some cash instead of lugging around a full heavy wallet all the time. The ladies picked up some other stuff none of which I questioned. We returned to the resort and went to the Kukuio’s bar for happy hour. We met Duck and Kari there again. They were with their friends who arrived the day before. Eddie, our server made us feel very welcome and we chatted with other guests for a while. It rained a downpour as the daylight left the sky.

We then walked to the highway and went to Meriachi’s for some Mexican food. It was good and we enjoyed some fajitas and enchiladas along with some cheap wine. Then we walked back to the resort and had to pass the bar again. Duck and Kari were still there so we joined them for a nightcap or two. The evening slipped away pretty fast and we crashed at about 11. A fun and not too hectic time was had by all.

Now that I look at this day we really didn’t do very much. However it was a vacation day for sure.

Roosters

Day 8 - Feb 4, 2011
Ahh the roosters of Kauai ... nice way to start the day but so early!

Friday was our day to transfer from Maui to Kauai. The day started in the usual manner and turned a bit cloudy shortly thereafter. There has been talk of some foul weather coming this way. We had a nice breakfast in the condo and completed our packing. We had an 11 o’clock check-out and a 1 o’clock flight to Honolulu and a 2 o’clock flight to Lihue Kauai. We cleaned up the place and left the extra food and beer for the cleaners. Overall the condo was adequate but lacked the feel we had experienced when the place was run by a single management company. The owners now run through any company and the feel in that condo was not what we had learned to like about Kamaole Sands. Some of the entires into the Guest Book were not very flattering of the owners or their approach. But overall it was adequate and we noted some other locations for future stays.

We returned the car rental and checked in at the airport. The traffic through security was very high but they managed a pretty thorough security process in fairly short order. We were in a line that would take 45 minutes in Ottawa and we were through in about 10 minutes. Organized bunch for sure. We had a short wait for the flight (island hops are like commuter flights around here) and we were on our way – oh we landed after a short 34 minutes.

In Honolulu we had a short wait at the gate and we were loading, flying and landing all as scheduled. We arrived in Kauai at about 2:30. Once there I picked up a car and Freddi waited for the luggage. The latter came in on the next flight (30 minutes later) and we were off to the Marriott Vacation Club called Kauai Beach Club. This is our 4th time staying here and the feel and appearance was very familiar with that “feeling at home” feel about it. We settled in quickly and went down to the pool area and had some nachos and a cocktail at Kulio beach bar. We chatted with some other owners from South Carolina and enjoyed the brief interlude to the day. We then unpacked our bags and went to the local Walmart for some supplies for the suite and to set up the suite for Lucy and Tara-Lee. That was all very easy as we knew where to go and how to get there – mostly.

At around 7 pm we received a text from Tara-Lee saying they were unable to make the tight connection in Honolulu and they would be delayed by a half hour as they and to catch the next flight. They did that and we met them at about 8:30 when they arrived after a long day of travel. We gave fresh flower leis when they arrived to ease the weariness and we drove to the resort. They settled in and we went to Duke’s for some appies and sustenance before calling it an evening. It was a nice day and I was happy to have Tara-Lee and Lucy with us for the week.

Day 7 Feb 3, 2011

The day started with a clear sunny morning and no wind. What a nice way to greet the day. We had no plans for the day and we set out to snorkel somewhere in the North of the island. We drove to the site we thought we had been to before but approached it from an entirely new direction and decided this was in fact the spot. It was a bit confusing but we found it and went snorkelling off the rocky beach. We saw some beautiful fish over the reef but it just wasn’t what we had remembered and there were very few fish there. I recall it being quite clear and plentiful but that was not the case. We rested for a while and sat in the sun to dry our selves off before we set out on the famous drive around the North point. That was an adventure as a good deal of it is one lane and there definitely are vehicles going both ways. It was fun to see it in the sunlight as the last time we drove that route it was pouring rain. We stopped along the way to to enjoy a little lunch snack Freddi had prepared and enjoy the views, wind and the sun.

We returned to Kamaole for a brief relax and Freddi snorkelled out there too. She concluded that there were more fish at our local beach than up the north side near Honolua Bay. I read and contacted Lucy and Tara-Lee to cement our arrangements for the next day.

We drive to Wailea for dinner at Lohghi’s and enjoyed a fine dinner and entertainment from the Chinese community as they had a ceremony to bring in the New Year. Brian, our waiter, was from Oregon and was quite the comedian as he shared his views of the tourists, the Chinese event and some stories of the area. I had Filet and lobster and Freddi had a filet of beef. We enjoyed a fine bottle of Tuscan wine that complimented the dinner very well. A short drive home, some ice cream and the end of an easy but fine day.