For the second part of our trip, Andrew got us a condo in Princeville. I was kind of sad to leave the Marriott, but the north shore turned out to be even more awesome than the south. The scenery was more lush, and the shops and restaurants nicer overall. The north shore is where the surfers live and I believe that’s where a lot of the mainland transplants end up.
One of our favorite spots was ‘Anini Beach. This beach has a super wide shoreline and the break is really really far away, so it’s basically a huge calm lagoon. There are barely any fish, but there are some big turtles. I got to swim right next to several of them and this was definitely a highlight of the trip for me. You can come right up to them and watch them eating the plants on the bottom. Every so often they come up for air and you get to see them flying through the water. They’re fully aware of you and not scared, unless you try to touch them. Even though Ingrid had refused to snorkel ever again, she did put on the mask and hold her breath to see the turtles. She also met a little friend named Finley here and they climbed the trees that were all along the shore.
Another highlight was Hanalei Bay, a little west of Princeville. We watched the sunset there and drove through the hip little town surrounded by amazing green cliffs. We had a yummy sushi meal there. Not as good as Big Island sushi but still something to remember.
Several times we drove back down to the south shore. At Poipu beach we rented a boogie board with a viewing window and that way Ingrid got to see all the fish we could see. There were tons but it was a little murky since the weather was overcast. Still, it’s pretty amazing seeing all those tropical colorful fish swimming all around you. Later Andrew taught Ingrid to boogie board and she really loved it! I went over and shot some photos of the big monk seal that was ashore. See my pics because it is super cute. We had some delish pizza at Poipu and ate ice cream every other day. I loved the pineapple coconut ice cream. Tropical fruits are my favorite and I’m pretty sure I could live on them. Everyday Ingrid changed her mind on what her new favorite ice cream flavor is.
Another day we went to play mini golf. I’m not really a fan but Ingrid and Andrew wanted to do it. It turned out to be super fun! This one was also a botanical garden and all along the pathway you could see all the different plants of the island, including some adorable little pineapples that had just cropped up. I got a hole in one but Andrew still beat me! Right next door to mini golf we tried some pineapple bread and fresh cold pineapple. Ingrid gave the leftover bread to the birds who came to our lanai everyday. She threw some on the ground for the roosters too but after a while they became very vocal and demanding and she had to close the door and ignore them.
We stopped to visit Andrew’s old roommate Sean and his wife Erin and their adorable baby June a couple of times. It was fun to be around a newborn again. She’s a lucky girl to be born on Kaua’i!
We tried to do a hike to a waterfall our last day but it poured like crazy and the mud is very dense and sticky in Kaua’i. Instead we drove around and took it easy. Andrew had the great idea to go back to the Marriott and hang out in their beautiful open but covered patio. There’s an ocean view, comfy chairs with tables, and soft music playing. Plus all the happy newlyweds and families walking by. It’s a long long patio so you have lots of room. After a round of Apples to Apples it was time for us to drive to the airport and I have to admit that I got pretty misty eyed. This was one of the best vacations ever and I just couldn’t believe it was over.
