Beautiful Kaua'i
Today we woke up early (actually set the alarm for 7am), ate breakfast and hit the road to drive up to the North Shore. We heard that the surf was low (bad for surfers, but good for snorkeling) and there was not a cloud in the sky. A beautiful day for hiking the Na Pali coast and swimming & snorkeling at the beach. After an hour & a half drive, we reached the end of the road (literally, there is no road through the Na Pali coast, it can only be crossed by foot). We strapped on our hiking boots and took off.
The Kalalau Trail covers 11 miles, but most people only trek out the first 2 miles to the Hanakapi'ai Beach and then head back. Anything past that point requires a permit and a lot more time and energy than we had to give. (Someday it would be so cool to pack the trail, and camp along the way, but that day was not today!) The trail was not too bad (we are, after all, experienced hikers!) but it was pretty muddy and slippery in places. The hardest part was remembering to look up and enjoy the views, because I was so focused on looking at the ground to find my footing.
The views were amazing. The trail is all along the edge of these cliffs that just rise up out of the ocean. The water is that beautiful teal-blue color and you can see straight through it to the ocean floor. It was a great hike!
We ate our PB&J sandwiches on Hanakapi'ai Beach, but swimming was strongly discouraged there because of the current being dangerous. So we hiked back and went to Ke'e beach, which was at the trailhead.
Unfortunately, the waves were a little higher by the time we got to the beach, and the lifeguard kept yelling at people to not get too far out with snorkeling. The water was fairly choppy, and while we did get to see some cool fish along the reef there, it wasn't the most profitable snorkeling experience. After hiking 4 miles however, I was more than content to just lay on the sand like a beached whale. Aahhh...
Later in the afternoon, we drove back to our hotel, with not a lot of time to spare, as we had reservations at the famous Beach House restaurant. The dinner was actually a gift to us from my husband's boss, which was so nice. We got a table with an ocean view, and we got to watch the sun sink down into the Pacific. (How romantic!)
And the food was just as good as the view. Mmmm! We totally took advantage of the local fresh fish. We had ceviche (in citrus & passion fruit juices) for our appetizer, and for dinner my husband had the Black Truffle-crusted monchong & grilled tiger prawns. 
I ate the macadamia nut crusted mahi-mahi. 
My fish was served with a citrus aka-miso buerre blanc, and it was SO good! I actually found their recipe on food network here. Maybe someday I'll try it at home! (not that it will be anywhere near as tasty...)
After dinner we sat outside the restaurant, watched the waves come in and just chatted. It was a wonderful evening. Actually, it was the perfect ending to a beautiful day.
The Kalalau Trail covers 11 miles, but most people only trek out the first 2 miles to the Hanakapi'ai Beach and then head back. Anything past that point requires a permit and a lot more time and energy than we had to give. (Someday it would be so cool to pack the trail, and camp along the way, but that day was not today!) The trail was not too bad (we are, after all, experienced hikers!) but it was pretty muddy and slippery in places. The hardest part was remembering to look up and enjoy the views, because I was so focused on looking at the ground to find my footing.
The views were amazing. The trail is all along the edge of these cliffs that just rise up out of the ocean. The water is that beautiful teal-blue color and you can see straight through it to the ocean floor. It was a great hike!
We ate our PB&J sandwiches on Hanakapi'ai Beach, but swimming was strongly discouraged there because of the current being dangerous. So we hiked back and went to Ke'e beach, which was at the trailhead.Unfortunately, the waves were a little higher by the time we got to the beach, and the lifeguard kept yelling at people to not get too far out with snorkeling. The water was fairly choppy, and while we did get to see some cool fish along the reef there, it wasn't the most profitable snorkeling experience. After hiking 4 miles however, I was more than content to just lay on the sand like a beached whale. Aahhh...
Later in the afternoon, we drove back to our hotel, with not a lot of time to spare, as we had reservations at the famous Beach House restaurant. The dinner was actually a gift to us from my husband's boss, which was so nice. We got a table with an ocean view, and we got to watch the sun sink down into the Pacific. (How romantic!)
And the food was just as good as the view. Mmmm! We totally took advantage of the local fresh fish. We had ceviche (in citrus & passion fruit juices) for our appetizer, and for dinner my husband had the Black Truffle-crusted monchong & grilled tiger prawns. 
I ate the macadamia nut crusted mahi-mahi. 
My fish was served with a citrus aka-miso buerre blanc, and it was SO good! I actually found their recipe on food network here. Maybe someday I'll try it at home! (not that it will be anywhere near as tasty...)
After dinner we sat outside the restaurant, watched the waves come in and just chatted. It was a wonderful evening. Actually, it was the perfect ending to a beautiful day.
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