Vacation Post 3: Kauai's North Side

The north side of Kauai has special meaning for me. I spent January - April 2001 serving as an intern at the Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge, living onsite, leading interpretive hikes, helping with whale and bird watching, and doing other intern-type duties (i.e., cleaning the lighthouse lens). I didn't have a car or a means to get out and about too often, but when I was able to I tried to make the most of my time. The north shore is also a spiritually important place for me, as it is where I reconnected with God and renewed and strengthened my faith.

On our way to Princeville we stopped for lunch at the Kilauea Bakery. Just making the turn into town brought back memories and a sense of peace. It was Superbowl Sunday and Tony was anxious to get checked into the hotel, so we didn't go visit the lighthouse. It was lunch and on to Princeville.

Thanks to Tony's credit card point playing, we were able to book a four night stay at the super swank St. Regis Princeville. It.Was.Amazing. Embossed toilet paper points. Marble bathroom with a *real* rug by the double sink. Comfy bed. Living area. Private lanai overlooking the mountains. Turndown service. And the property was equally as nice.

Tony checking out our room - from the hallway/bathroom looking at the lanai

Looking at the mountains and ocean from our private lanai (to the left is a golf course)

The bathroom featured a large window. With the flip of a switch, it went from clear glass to frosted!

On our first full day we had breakfast in Hanalei. I had a papaya boat -- half a papaya filled with fresh pineapple, banana and strawberries, topped with toasted coconut and served with yogurt and granola. By far the best breakfast I had all week. Yum! 

The trail was often right on the edge of a cliff.

After lingering for a bit we continued down the road toward our destination: the (literal) end of the road and beginning of the Kalalau Trail along the Na Pali Coast. The trail offers amazing views, rough terrane, lots of ups and downs, and then more amazing views. We decided to hike to Hanakapi'ai, a beach that is about 2 miles in (so a 4 mile roundtrip hike). 

As you may have noticed, Tony doesn't appear in too many pictures. It isn't from a lack of my asking "do you want a picture here?" but rather his desire to be behind the camera, not in front of it. Even though he's not in the below pictures, he was, in fact, along for the hike!

The trail was pretty rough in places, but the views were amazing.

Resting at Hanakapi'ai beach. Dangerous for swimming, but perfect for catching your breath.

While the mileage is low, the difficulty and traffic make the journey a longer one. By the time we finished the hike it was well past lunch, so we made our way back to Hanalei to try another plate lunch (this one wasn't as good as the first) and then opted for a bit of R&R.

Tuesday was a "His & Hers" day. Tony played Prince Golf Course, a Robert Trent Jones course that is said to be one of the most beautiful courses in the world. It is also known to be pretty tough. While he was enjoying a round of golf, I enjoyed a full body massage and facial, along with the sauna and fancy spa showers. It was heavenly! We ended the day with a great dinner at the Prince Course that evening (if you're ever in the area, The Tavern is an excellent -- and reasonably priced -- place to grab a bite to eat). 

Wednesday was our last full day on the island and it started off quite rainy. We headed south to Kapa'a for breakfast, shopping, and a bit of reminiscing. Here's a picture of the hostel we stayed at during our J-Term trip in 1999 -- which looked a bit more lively and less run down 14 years ago.  

Good times were had here in 1999 - what a fun J-Term trip!

On our way back up we stopped at the Kilauea Fish Market -- a spot that is known for it's wraps and plate lunches. Tony went for the traditional fish plate lunch while I tried the chicken wrap. Normally I avoid the over-large stuffed wraps (think Chipotle), but this meal was delicious. I may have dreams about this wrap for years to come! Once we were done, it was finally time to return to the Kilauea Point Lighthouse. 


I could go on and on about how things have changed -- it is clear that they are not receiving the same level of funding they once had. The old intern house is now the office (not sure what they use the office for), the lighthouse itself is fenced off and inaccessible, and the great interpretive hikes they used to have interns lead into the private part of the refuge have also ceased. It was sad to see things in this state, but yet great to see some of the familiar birds, landscapes, displays and plants. We didn't have as much time here as I had hoped, but perhaps it was good to not linger too long. Tony took a lot of photos, here are just a few:

Now an office (and rather run down), this is where I lived in 2001

Kilauea Point and the lighthouse

After the lighthouse we headed to Anini Beach Park, a spot that I enjoyed when I lived there. I love the trees hanging out over the water, and the shallow stretches with a soft sandy bottom. The weather was cool and windy, so we didn't venture in. Just enjoyed the views.

Anini Beach Park has a couple of these trees hanging over the water.  One of my favorite spots!

On our final evening at the St. Regis we made it to the Champagne Sabering at Sunset. It was a fun to-do and a the balcony was a great spot to watch the sun dip beyond the Na Pali Coast.

Post champagne-sabering photo as the sun set on our final night in Kauai

Beautiful sunset on the Na Pali Coast

On our last morning it was rainy, so we caught an earlier flight to Honolulu and the final stop on our adventure.