Dreaming of Kauai

I have had the gorgeous island of Kauai on my mind over the last couple days, and I just cant shake it! I truly believe this paradise has been on my mind because in the midst of change, the mind tends to reminisce. There is tons of change going on in my life currently….amazing change that I will elaborate on at a later date. Exactly two years ago, I was stepping off of a plane at PBI airport after two glorious weeks in Hawaii with my family. In the last two years, my life has changed drastically. I graduated from Florida Gulf Coast University, I started a career, learned a ton about the corporate world, and most importantly–I realized what I want out of life. It is now my time (our time) to go get it, and I will. In this post, I will show you exactly why our time in Kauai showed us true paradise. I can’t wait to go back to this magical place, and hopefully soon I will only be a 6 hour plane ride away! 😉

We spent one week in Kauai, and another week on the Big Island. While in Kauai, we stayed in the amazing town of Poipou. We rented a fabulous oceanfront condo in Kuhio Shores where we were steps from the water. We snorkeled here and saw many sea turtles as well as witnessed amazing local surfers, and gorgeous sunsets with wine in hand! 😉  Waimea Canyon is the Grand Canyon of Hawaii. It took my breath away with its lush greenery and strong colors. While walking to the top of the trail, we were blessed with a clear view of the Kalalau Lookout. We were honestly standing in a painting. For the first time in my life, I truly understood the beauty of nature, and how incredibly important it is to preserve it for 100s of generations to come. Looking back at the pictures, I still feel like it was fake. We were in awe, and as a matter of fact, I am still in awe that I was there and witnessed the beauty with my own two eyes.  Spouting Horn Beach Park was a short drive from our condo. We loved watching the spout shoot up from the lava, each person guessing how high the next spout would go.Out of all the amazing things we saw and did, the Kalalau Trail was my absolute favorite. We went on a 3-mile hike to a hidden beach, passing breathtaking vistas of the NaPali Coast, and taking in all that nature offered us. It was quite unbelievable. 

If in Kauai and wanting to do a helicopter tour, book with Jack Harter Helicopters. They were great! However, I will warn you, if you tend to get motion sick like I do, a helicopter ride might not be the right choice for you. I am very sensitive to motion sickness, and got very nauseous throughout the ride. If you think this might happen to you, I recommend taking a catamaran along the NaPali Coast instead. There are pros/cons to both, but regardless the views are unbelievable. While flying high above Kauai, I couldn’t help but think how gorgeous the views were. I honestly felt like it resembled scenes from Avatar or some other fantasy land. I never thought nature could be so beautiful. Our pictures are living proof that this unedited paradise really does exist, and I am so happy I could see it with my own eyes! Previously, I would have thought it was edited, or a place like this only existed in movies or my dreams, but boy was I wrong. There were so many wild bouganvilleas and hydrangeas all over Kauai. If you know me, you know these are my absolute favorite flowers, and they were GORGEOUS! The most special moment of our time in Kauai was celebrating my parents 25-year wedding anniversary. My parents are the most hard-working and loving individuals I have ever met. They love my sister and I so much, and would give their lives for us at a moments notice. We celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary with a Vow Renewal Ceremony at Shipwreck Beach in Poipou. I was proud to be apart of their vow renewal, and I hope to one day have a marriage as strong and loving as theirs.  Polihale State Beach was another personal favorite of mine. This 7-mile beach is hard to get too, but boasts one of the most amazing sunsets in Kauai. Needless to say, it did not disappoint. The backside of the NaPali Coast resembles Aztec pyramids, but what is even more amazing is that the oddly shaped mountains are completely natural and were formed from erosion over the years. I would be remiss not to mention that many car rental companies prohibit driving to Poilhale because the sand is so thick. It is composed of dense sand dunes, and many cars get stuck. Luckily for us, we rented a 4-wheel drive Jeep Wrangler and were perfectly fine. Sure, we took our chances but at the end of the day it was so worth it! What’s life without a little adventure anyway? 

I will never forget the day we were exploring the roads of Kauai, and noticed two locals disappear into the brush. Being the adventurous family that we are, we decided to follow the locals, and I am SOO glad that we did. We found Lumahai Beach, which was by far the most beautiful beach I have ever seen. The water was bright blue and crystal clear. There were lava pools and cliffs surrounding the secluded beach with locals scattered everywhere. It was here that my dream of cliff jumping came true. I left a piece of my heart in Lumahai that day. 

On our last day in Kauai, we drove to Princeville to see the famous Queen’s Bath. Queen’s Bath is a natural tidal pool carved out of lava rock beneath many rocky cliffs. It is the size of a large public swimming pool. You can only get there by hiking, and it said to be very dangerous during the winter months where the waves have swept tourists out to sea. And of course, how could I forget to mention that we visited Hanapepe, Lilo and Stich’s hometown. In Hanapepe, we passed many beautiful beaches, but my favorite was a Glass beach where we found tons and tons of weathered sea glass. 

I hope you enjoyed reminiscing my adventures in Hawaii as much as I enjoyed sharing them. What are your best family memories? Please share!

Until next time, Love Bugs!

xoxo Christina