On Wednesday we went out to explore the other side of the Island. We headed out a little later then expected, but for the most part we're not on a strict time table. Our main destination was the Waialai Canyon, sort of a baby version of the Grand Canyon. We drove up abotu 3,500 feet to the top in order to get the best view. It was a beautiful site, much more lush then the Grand Canyon (never been but I've seen photos), with rivers and a waterfall. Fortunatley there was a ramp and we were able to get Mom up there in the wheel chair. Even up that high, we saw a rooster and a couple of chickens, something you see every now and then almost everywhere.

We proceeded down the mountain and looked for the Red Dirt Shirt Outlet. We went to the town it was in, but didn't see it. So I took out the GPS, which led us right to it. Jim is not a big fan of the GPS, so I haven't been using it a lot, but without it we probably woulndt have found it. Jim is more into figuring things out for himself. Me I hate to get lost so I love using the GPS, I even have one in my phone.

The outlet wasn't much of an outlet. It was in a warehouse, had about the same things as the retail store, and only had one thing on sale, everything else was regular retail price. Oh they do give you a free cherry flavored shaved ice - wahoo! :-)

We continued on and stopped at the Kuai Coffee Co. Something Mom saw in one of the flyers we picked up. It was mostly a store with a museum in the back, which was about the size of my living room. There was a short video that we watched on how they make coffee. Kind of interesting if you've never seen how it's done. Seems like a lot of work actually, makes you appreciate the coffee a little more. The outside had some coffee plants, something I've never seen up close before.

We went back to the hotel and got ready for dinner. We at on property at the Tidewater restaraunt. Mom and I had the Mahi Mahi and Jim had the Ahi. We lucked out with the Mahi Mahi because I think we got the last of it. The waiter told the table next to use that there was none left just a few minutes after we got ours.

Oh that was a story by itself. It seemed like they just got engaged that night, maybe just before we got there. They spent the rest of the night sitting next to each other texting - ahhh how romantic. We joked that they were probably texting each other.

We had a good spot at the restaraunt, but I'm not sure there were many bad seats. The restaraunt is round and there open (as is many things in Hawaii), so there are several seats on the outside.

We walked back along the scenic path back to our rooms. I decided to take a walk around the property and discovered a hammock situated between two palm trees right by the ocean. While I was laying there looking up at the stars, I could here some music in the backround. About 10pm the music stopped, a lot of the torches went out, and it got more quiet then it was before. Seems 10pm is when everything ends around here, that's the kind of place Kuai is, a quiet retreat. If you want more action, I guess you go to Oahu and a place like Waikiki.

On Tuesday we decided to stay at the hotel. We are trying to make a day out and a day on property since it's such a beautiful place. Jim actually went out and did laundry while Mom and I toured the property. We had only seen a small part of it until now and Jim has stayed here before. Getting there is a bit of a maze, lot's of zigging and zagging along the hallways. I think every room has an ocean view or is ocean front, so all the hallways are along the back of the hotel. Our hallway is all open in the back.

We finally made it to the other side of the hotel which has several pools. Some of the pools are connected and the design is like a river. One of the pools has a sand entrance and I think it's a salt water pool. Beyond the pools you look at the ocean. The landscaping is beautiful with lots of tropical plants, flowers, and rocks.

On the way back we found a path that went along the ocean and led all the way back to our room, so we didn't have to go through the hotel. Later we went back along that path and ate at a self serve place on property. We each had something light to eat along with what was basically a Pina Colada, but had some other name.

We hit up the club again for dinner (trying to make the most of the free stuff - ya know), and this time they had Baby Back BBQ ribs. I certainly made the most of that one. I found it interesting that Jim never seems to eat with his hands, I mean these are ribs. Maybe he get's that from Dad. I commented about it and he said he does but only at BBQs.

We hung out at the club the rest of the night for cofee and dessert then hit the sack.

On Monday we decided to explore the Island. We headed off to the North Shore. The island is very dense with vegetation. There are far fewer homes along this drive as opposed to Maui. Only a small part of our drive was along the shore, however the ocean is beautiful everywhere. The water has some turquoise, but much less then we saw at Waikiki.

About half way we ate at a little place along the road. We had 2 Mahi Mahi sandwiches, one blackened and one broiled. The blackened was a little too spicey. We also had lemonade that we thought was real lemonade but ended up being Crystal Light.

Along the way we passed Hanalei -- Yes where Puff the Magic Dragon Lived!

We continued North and to find the beach where parts of South Pacific was filmed. It was a pretty beach with lots of huge waves. I shot a bunch of photos, hopefully I got a few good shots.

We then headed back to the hotel. When we got back, we went to the club room again. The main appetizer was vegetable and pork rolls, and everything else was the same. Open Bar of course, with dessert and liquors later.

Sunday was a travel day. We had breakfast in the room. Jim got some coffee and fruit, but we still had a papaya and Mango left. Mom decided that it was a waste to have a jacuzzi and not use it. Well I guess she got in OK, but Jim had to rescue her to get her out. She of course decides to do this as we're trying to get packed and ready for our flight - Oh well.

Somehow we managed to get everything packed on time. I was packed early so I helped Mom get packed. She was packing like it was a car trip and not a plane trip. She had a separate plastic bag for all her dirty laundry, well that was just not going to pack well. So I repacked her.

We made it out, but just as we walked out the door I realized I didn't have my sunglasses. Jim went back and found I had left a bag in the room I guess I was so concerned about getting Mom out, I almost left a bag behind. I'm not used to all this fancy bellboy service. If I was taking my own bags I would have realized I was missing a bag.

Getting to the airport was not a problem. Even checking bags was simple as we did it curb side. People here are very accomodating, especially with Mom. They never rush us and give her plenty of time to get through security. We did get a wheel chair as well, and they always let you cut the line, but it still takes quite a bit of time.

We had plenty of time for our flight though, and boarded with no problem. We were able to get Mom a seat closer to the front, but Jim and I had to sit back further in the plane. The only downside to the flight was that we had to take a flight from Maui to Oahu get off the plane, let a new crew board, then re board the same plane to Kauai. You see no flight goes directly, you have to go through Oahu. Not a big deal since we didn't have to go far. We were however able to get seats up front for all 3 of us on this leg.

The flight was short, only 100 miles (same as the other leg). Kauai was a little overcast, in fact there was a light rain in Oahu too. Jim went and got the car as I waited with Mom. While we were waiting, I would see the occasional chicken or rooster walking around. Seems they are wild in this area. We saw chickens all over, on the road, in parking lots, everywhere we went there was a good chance you'd see a chicken.

The drive to the hotel was very nice. Kauai is very lush with a lot of variation in vegetation. You even see cactus in one area. We also drove through a tree tunnel. Trees on each side of the road that cascade over you, quite a site.

We arrived at the hotel and were greeted with leis. The lobby of the hotel directly looks at the ocean, no windows just an open view right to the ocean, quite a grand site. The hotel is large, but seems more cozy then the last one. Our room is on the 3rd floor, but that happens to be ground level in this section. We can walk right out onto the grass and we overlook the ocean, another beautiful view. It is MUCH quieter here as well. Something we all agreed was nice. All you can hear is the ocean waves in the distance with some birds chirping.

We have a resident cardinal that seems to hang around here. The cardinals here are quite different. The male is white, black and gray with an bright red crest.

After we got settled, we went to the club room lounge which had snacks and lamb chops. We couldn't believe it. They were very yummy. I LOVE lamb and probably had a few more then I should have, but they were too good. Needless to say this ended up being our dinner. The also had a server yourself open bar - Wahoo!!!!!! I made a few Mai Tais - they were also yummy.

We spent a lot of time in the club because after snacks they have dessert with coffee and several liqueurs. They had a variety of chocolates too.

At the end of the evening we decided tomorrow was going to be a touring day, so we would head out and see some of the island.

Saturday was a lazy day, not much going on. Jim and Mom spent some time in one of the pools. It was a little too hot for me.

We went to 5:30pm mass at a small local church. A small church that was about half full. The crucifix was interesting, it looked just like an Hawaiin, but I guess that's to be expected. The music leader sounded a little bit like Kermit the Frog, and I swear one of the songs was a rip off of the "Lion Sleeps Tonight". The mass was a bit long, it was special collection time for the diocese so homily was how to fill out a pledge card. He made everyone do it right then and there.

After mass we went to the Fairmont Hotel for dinner. It was only about a mile down the road from us, however mass was in the opposite direction. The restaraunt (one of two on property) specialized in seafood. It was downstairs in the back and like many places inHawaii it was covered but open to the outside. It overlooked the pools which was designed to look something remeniciant of Rome. The lights in and around the pool made for some very nice ambiance.

Dinner was great, we all had fish ( go figure). Everyone said Happy Birthday to Mom, from the Receptionist, to all the wait staff. That was something different and very nice. The fish had a very nice sear on the outside but was tender and moist on the inside. Jim and I had an Asian style and mom had more of a butter sauce. Each dish was delicious. The bread was really great too, I think we had at least 4 baskets. It was so light and lots of flavor. We all had dessert as well. I had a triplle choclate cake, Jim had bananas foster, and mom had custard. The cake was a bit rich, Jims was slightly burnt, but I think Mom had the best dessert. It had lot's of flavor.

On Friday we each did our own thing. Jim had made plans to play golf in the morning, which he ended up changing because of some work he needed to do. He first headed off to Sport Authority to get some golf balls, a glove and a hat. You see to pack light he only brought his golf shoes and was going to rent clubs, however he also needed golf balls, a glove and a hat. However the course he was going to play was a little pricey, like $35 for a dozen golf balls. So he economized and went to Sports Authority for what he needed. As it was, the course fees, clubs, and cart was over $200 - sure hope he got his monies worth.

Mom on the other hand had an appointment at the Spa. Another thanks to Naomi for that one! They originally made an appointment for yesterday (on her birthday), but there was just too much going on so I changed it to today. She had a hydro therapy treatment and a Swedish massage. The hydro therapy consisted of spending a little time in a hot tub, then she said they rubbed some stuff on her and washed it off. Afterwards she had her massage. I think this was the highlight of her trip, or at least she seemed to appreciate it the most out of the things we did thus far.

After leaving mom off, I explored the place a bit. It's so large and with all the vegetation, things are hidden all over the place. There is also no straight path to anything, everything is a winding path through vegetation, over small bridges, and several small and large waterfalls. I went back to the room briefly, but then it was time to pick Mom up. It also is a 10 to 15 minute walk to get to the Spa from our room....again there is no direct path to anything around here. If you take the main path inside the hotel, you "always" have to pass by all the shops....I'm sure that's just a coincidence ;-)

After her massage, Mom was feeling great, she was even walking much better. We went back to the room and had some lunch. A little sushi we bought from the supermarket. Jim came back a little later that afternoon, a little sore from not having played golf in about 6 months (he's just getting old...LOL). We went next door (approx 1/2 mile down the road) to a small shopping complex. There was a burger joint there, something like Cheeseburger in Paradise. They each had a Mahi Mahi sandwich and I had an Aloha Cheese Burger. A burger with terryaki sauce and pineapple, it was yummy. Jim ordered a Planters Punch for Mom, but I think the 151 rum in it was a little much for Mom. We share an order of fries which was really good. Big fries, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.

After dinner we walked around the shops a bit. One shop had a lot of stuff made from Koa wood, a wood that is native to Hawaii. It's beautiful wood, but pretty pricey. A chair in this place was $1,600.

We then went to an ice cream shop there and had some excellent ice cream, so rich and creamy, and no calories. Well OK, there were calories (probably a lot), but they don't count when on vacation - Right?

Moms 88th Birthday

Thursday was a busy day. We awoke at 1:30am. This morning we were heading to Haleakala. It's the tallest mountain on the island, approx 10,032 feet. So high you are actually above the clouds. The drive is a windy road, speed limit is 15mph. We arrived at the top at about 4:30am, we were one of the first cars there. We sat in the car for awhile, then walked about about 100ft up to the very top. Fortunately there was a ramp, so we could take Mom the wheel chair. While it wasn't a long way, I was quickly out of breath due to the high altitude. Jim and I both felt it, but Mom didn't feel it at all. Funny because I was more concerned about how she would be at this high altitude and she was fine. She did have a bit of a sore throat though, which was gone by the time we were all the way back down the mountain later.

Jim stayed with Mom in the observatory while I went outside to take photos. It was much warmer then last time, about 50 degrees (usually it's below freezing). Even though it was warmer, the winds made it quite cold. I had a sweatshirt on with a fall coat, hood, and gloves and still was a bit cold. There were probably at least 50 people up there with us. While there are no lights up there (I brought a flashlight this time), the moon was pretty bright so you could see a little bit. Last time we went it seemed pitch black and we had no flashlight with us.

The sunrise was gorgeous. We watched it majestically rise above the clouds. When we left, we saw some other people just arrive. One was a commercial van, I'm sure they were not happy customers having arrived after the entire event was over.

Sunrise at Haleakala...

We proceeded down the mountain and ate breakfast at the Kula Lodge. It was cold in the lodge, partly because they had some windows open and partly because they don't have heat- who needs heat in Hawaii?

We all had the pancakes which were the best I've ever had. Macadamia nut pancakes with coconut syrup to go with it. The lodge is still partly elevated and has a great view of Maui.

We went back to the hotel, stopping briefly at Borders so Jim could pick up a Hawaiin CD he wanted. We all crashed, I took the longest nap (a couple of hours at least). We had to rest up because we were going to a Luau later.




We rested a bit then headed out for the Old Lahaina Luau. It was about a half hour ride from where we are staying. A very pretty drive partly along the coast. We arrived a few minutes late, but didn't really miss much, just the pulling of the pig out of the ground. We walked around the property a bit looking at the sunset and settled into our seats. We were the furthest from the stage, but the seats are elevated so there really isn't a bad seat. We were fortunate to be the very first table to go up for food. A good selection of Mahi Mahi, pulled pork, ahi, chicken, purple sweet potatoes, and more. We also had a choice of about a dozen different fancy drinks...as much as we wanted. The waiter was pretty attentive and we were never without a drink!



The show was entertaining. The dancing was all about the history of Hawaii. Every gesture in Hawaiian dancing has a meaning, so the dance is actually telling a story. It was a total of 3hrs but it certainly went fast. We went back to the hotel and called it a night. It was a long day.