jamaltay

My granddaughter, Tiphani, her best friend, Kendall and I took a 2 week trip to Kaua'i to visit one of my daughters (I have four) and family that lives in Kapa'a(Kapahi).

It was a great trip. We left PHX on the morning of Thursday, May 25 on Hawaiian Airlines. It was a pleasant surprise to find that they had entertainment at the Hawaiian gate area while waiting for our flight. They try to get you in the mood before you even reach Hawaii. This was my first experience on Hawaiian Air. Our flight to HNL was good. The DigePlayers make a long flight much shorter. I rented one for each of us and never heard "when are we going to be there" on the flight over the pond. I can easily say that flying Hawaiian was the best service that I have had in many years on any domestic flight while in cattle car.
HNL to LIH was a quick hop and we were on Kaua'i at 3pm. My daughter Shawna and hubby Jim picked us up at the airport, the rest of the family was already at Kealia Beach waiting for us. No going home to unpack. Straight to the beach for BBQ steak. My kids have been well trained on how to spoil dad.

We eventually got to the house about 11:30pm and turned in.

The next day, after a trip to Ono Family Restaurant for breakfast (yum), we went to a little beach that requires 4x4. It was Friday and DD and SIL were off work until Monday so we were seal hunting for the kids. The tide was in and there wasn't must beach area when we were there so we left after a couple hours and ended up back at Kealia Beach because they kids wanted to boogie board. Got home about sunset to just visit and enjoy family.

Saturday we went to Kountry Kitchen for breakfast but it was so crowded that we couldn't find a place to park within 2 blocks so we went back to Ono Family Restaurant. Then off to another beach that requires 4x4, YES the girls found their seal. They named her Sandie. While being careful not to disturb Sandie, Tiphani made the mistake of walking between Sandie and the ocean. I wish that I had a video cam going at the moment when Sandie sat up and barked at Tiph. The scene was priceless. Tiph saw her life flash before her eyes even though she was 40 feet from Sandie. Later we stocked up on pizzas and headed back to the house.

Sunday morning Tiph, Kenny and I went to Wailua Family Restaurant and they fell in love with that place. After breakfast we stopped at the Coconut Marketplace (ka-ching!, ka-ching!, I swear, women learn to shop before they are out of diapers). Then we struck out on our own to the north shore. Since the three of us hadn't been to Kaua'i before it was time for some basic sightseeing. We stopped at the Kilauea Lighthouse and spent about an hour and a half there then off to other parts. Drove to Ke'e Beach, turned around and stopped at Ha'ena State Park. We wandered to the back of Maniniholo Dry Cave then it was time for some shave ice from the truck at the park. Off to Hanalei to wander through a few shops (ka-ching, ka-ching). By the time I figured out how to get the girls out of the stores it was time to head back to Kapa'a and relax.

Monday morning. It was time for DD and SIL to go back work so our free hotel didn't get repo'ed. The girls and I stopped at Wailua Family Restaurant. I could see that I was going to see a lot more of this restaurant before we returned to the mainland. The girls and the manager of the restaurant were now best friends. Then we took a short drive to Opaeka'a Falls. At the falls overlook parking lot some maroon felt that it was necessary to feed a loaf of bread to the roosters~gt;~gt;~gt;. I guess he thought that they were an endangered species on Kaua'i and in need of help. By the way, there is nothing on earth stupider than a Kaua'i rooster~gt;. They only have one function, to crow, and they don't know when to do it so they just crow 24/7. After we spent a few minutes at the overlook we headed to Wailua Marina. Even though the Fern Grotto is closed, and probably will be until late summer, we took the boat trip up the river for a little sightseeing. On a side note, I am saddened to report that the Sand Bar is still closed#39;(. Now, where was I:-??. Oh yeah, we were doing Smith's Luau that night so we had some time to kill. Back to the Coconut Marketplace (ka-ching, ka-ching). Ah, finally, Smith's Tropical Paradise Luau. We enjoyed ourselves immensely. The grounds are 30 acres of beauty that you will not see anywhere else. That alone is worth the price, IMHO. The luau was good. I couldn't convince the girls to try poi. They may be young but they are not stupid. The mai tais are a little weak so you just drink more (unfortunately I couldn't as I was the only one old enough to drive). We ran into my SIL's cousin and wife (who were also visiting the island and were staying in Po'ipu) at the luau so we had company for the evening. The show after the feed bag was excellent. The girls were impressed and so was I. If you are going to do a luau on Kaua'i you can't miss with Smith's. Highly recommended.

Tuesday morning we were up early because it was zipline day. First stop, Wailua Family Restaurant ( the girls and the manager were on a first name basis now). Then off to Po'ipu. We had some time to kill so we went to Spouting Horn for a while then to the Grand Hyatt to hang out. I really liked the Hyatt. I need to stay there one of these days. We checked in at Outfitters Kauai about 12:30pm for the Kipu Falls Zipline Trek. When everyone showed up we jumped into their van and drove halfway back to Lihu'e to the Kipu Falls turnoff. The ziplines were great. On the way back to the mainland I asked the girls what their single most favorite thing that they did on Kaua'i was, they both said "the zipline" without pause. After zipping it was a very short hike down to Kipu Falls for swimming. Tiph really liked the rope swing out over the pool below the falls. Kenny wasn't quite as thrilled with it because every time she dropped from the rope into the pool she sucked water. A little after 5:00pm we wrapped it up and headed back to Outfitters Kauai in Po'ipu to pick up our car so we could turn around and head north again to Kapa'a. It is much more convenient to do the Kipu Falls zipline if you are staying in Po'ipu, but it is worth doing no matter where you are staying.

Wednesday was a rest day. In the morning we went to the Menehune Mart in Kapahi to buy donuts and garbage for breakfast, then back to the house to eat and catch up on email and download some pics from my camera to my laptop. After that we went to visit (get in the way) Shawna at her shop. When we finished bugging her we stopped at the ABC Store for more pupus for us and trinket shopping for people back home. Headed back to the house. I relaxed on the lanai with a very cold Silver Bullet while the girls went out back to feed carrots to Shawna's horse, Mailia.

Thursday morning we left the house early. Stopped at guess where? Yup, the Wailua Family Restaurant. Now, the manager is giving the girls pointers on sightseeing and Hawaiiana, and the girls are giving him fashion tips to attract the ladies. After breakfast we headed into Lihu'e for a little shopping (ka-ching, ka-ching) and to go on an airplane tour of the island. We got to Wings Over Kaua'i at about 11:40am at the commuter terminal at Lihu'e Airport. Bruce, the owner and our pilot was a very pleasant gentleman, very easy to like and very informative. The plane was a Cessna 172. Bruce and I had the front and the girls had the back seats. That makes no difference as every seat is a window seat. Bruce gets his passengers involved. Each of us wore headsets and he encouraged conversation and questions. He had me read off the pre-flight check list from the in dash computer to him as we were waiting for clearance to take off. It was a fabulous day to fly. It was a calm and very smooth flight. When I go back in March for whale season I think I'll go flying with him again. After we arrived on terra ferma, we headed back to Kapa'a with a stop at Coconut Marketplace (ka-ching, ka-ching, ka-ching, ka-ching). The kids have no mercy. I was beginning to think about weight limits for the trip home.

Friday Shawna took the day off work and Jim planned to be off by noon. BEACH BBQ TIME. Kendall, Tiphani and I when to Kojima's and Big Save in the morning and stocked up on lots of food and beverages for the beach as there were going to be 14-15 people there. We homesteaded our spot at Kailea Beach by 2:00pm. The girls spent the rest of the day collecting (sssssshhh) sea shells. When the sun was starting to go down it was time for the fire as it is required by law on Kaua'i that all beach BBQ's be accompanied by the regulation bonfire. We got back home about midnight.

Saturday morning the girls and I went to Kountry Kitchen for breakfast. Yes, we did some place other than WFR. It wasn't easy, but I pulled it off. Afterwards we went to the Kaua'i Products Fair (ka-ching) in Kapa'a. After a couple other stops we went back to the house. I bribed all the kids (mine, Shawna's and the kid's 4 friends*) with enough money to go get lots of pupus and a couple of movies, then Shawna, Jim and I took off for the Bullshed. We had a choice window table. The prime rib that I had was the biggest piece of meat that I had ever seen that was not hanging on a hook. I ate more than half of it and the piece that I doggy bagged was bigger than what you usually get in most fine restaurants. It really pays to go anywhere with people that know people.
*BTW, when I say my kids and Shawna's kids, that is only for distinquishing who's there. They are all my grandgirls.

Sunday was a shopping day. As if I hadn't had enough. First was Wailua Family Restaurant ( DUH). Only one day had we eaten breakfast at the house. Then to Walmart in Lihu'e to buy some shoes to replace the ones that we planned to donate to the people of Kaua'i due to the fact that they were permanently signed by the island (red dirt). While we were in Lihue, we drove by Hamura's Saimin Shop for the third time and still it was so crowded that we didn't stop. The next time that I am over there I am going to just bite the bullet and go for it. I probably would have this time had the kids not been with me. Anyway, we spent most of the day shopping in Lihu'e and Kapa'a. Then back to the house for family time.

Monday after our morning ritual at WFR we were off to Waimea Canyon. A funny thing happened. I am not so proud that I can't admit that sometimes I can be a complete idiot. When we turned to go up the canyon I assumed that we we on hwy 550. Actually we were on hwy 552. When we reached the junction of the two I said to the girls that when we come back down we well take that other road. Then I turned right thinking that we were heading up the canyon. Wrong! After a bit it started to occur to me that the canyon was on the wrong side and the ocean was on the wrong side. We decided at that point to save Waimea Canyon for another time. The girls wanted to go to Glass Beach, but we couldn't because we were in a Camaro. We stopped in Hanapepe and Ele'ele to do some window shopping then to Poipu Shopping Village (ka-ching, ka-ching).

Tuesday was the day that my oldest granddaughter, Tabetha (Shawna's oldest) finally had a day off work. She had been working every day since we had been there. She told me earlier that we had to go snorkeling in Poi'pu that day with her. We got up early. Could we wake Tabby up. Nooooooooo! After much time trying to wake her, Tiph, Kenny and I went to WFR. The manager asked what we were doing today. After being told that we were going snorkeling, he asked where. I said either Lydgate or Po'ipu. He responded "You go to Lydgate, you go to Lydgate, it's much safer". I said that was probably where we would go because the kids wanted to check out Kamalani Playground anyway. While we were eating breakfast he came out of the kitchen with two bags of stale bread and gave to us saying "don't chase fish, make fish come to you, don't chase fish, make fish come to you". He was hilarious. The kids loved him. We were off to Lydgate. I learned a valuable lesson that day. When you hang your cell phone on your swim trucks before you leave the house, be sure to remove it before going snorkeling. I was standing in neck deep water when the kids swam over to me and hung onto me for a pit stop. Then Kenny says "ummm, Boompa, are you wearing your cell phone?". Damn! I had been in the water for ten minutes and the phone was vibrating under water and I never realized it. after I pulled it out of the water it would not turn on and it was full of water, but it continued to vibrate for about 3-4 more minutes until the battery finally died. After some snorkeling we had to go to Shawna's shop to print out our boarding passes for the trip home. That done, we decided to go to the house and pick up a cooler, pupus, beverages and go back to Lydgate. At the house we tried once again to wake Tabby. No chance. She had been working about 2 1/2 weeks straight and nothing was going to get her up until she slept it out. Back at Lydgate the girls did some more snorkeling and then Kamalani Playground. You just never get too old for a good playground. Later back at the house I relaxed and spent the last night on the lanai with my DD & SIL while the kids all went to the Fun Factory in town.

Wednesday it was time to go home. Shawna was super busy at work, so we said our goodbyes early in the morning and had Tabby drive us to the airport on her way to work (griping all the time about her not getting out of bed the day before). She dropped us at the airport at 9:00am and we said our goodbyes. Our flight was not until 12:05pm. We hit the cafeteria for sustenance. There is not much to do at Lihu'e airport while waiting for a plane so the girls managed to pacify their boredom by spending the next hour and a half in the couple tiny shops there. Go figure! After the short hop to Honolulu it was time for more food, and yes, shopping. What else is a female going to do in an airport (or anywhere else for that matter)? The girls decided that it was necessary to buy fresh leis for everyone in their lives back home, plus some for themselves to wear on the plane. The flight home was good. Once again we rented DigePlayers. The selections in the players are change on the first of each month and this was a new month. I watched King Kong, 2 episodes of Friends, 1 of The Simpsons and half of another movie before it was time to turn the players in and get ready to land in Phoenix.

Here are some pics of our trip. Be patient with me. Some of them are basicly family value:

http://www.imagestation.com/album/pi...?id=2106058776


Here are some very short video clips:

http://jamaltay.phanfare.com/album/74081


There was so much planned but left undone on this trip. Two weeks is just not enough time. Next trip over there, maybe a month.



Five days after returning home, Tiphani and Kendall's families all left for Mexico for a week. This old boy stayed home to recuperate from 2 weeks with 2 twelve year olds, and to begin planning the next trip. I'm going to San Diego for a week in October and then back to Kauai in March for Whale season..........but, that's another story.

jamaltay

I had a very difficult time posting this report. After the first preview the server would not let me make changes or add smileys. Every time that I went back to edit and then preview again, it would not accept the changes.

Fodor's is really having some problems right now with the system.

LindainOhio

So glad you were able to post your report.

How wonderful that you could spend 2 weeks with your daughter and grandkids in Kauai. Sounds like you had a great time.

I also had trouble posting a reply here---ended up hitting the "post a reply" button 3 times before the screen appeared.

Barbara5353

Thanks for your entertaining report. I love breakfast at Ono Family Restaurant, so that memory jog was particular fun!

iceeu2

Great report. Lucky you, spending all that time with your beloved children and grandchildren in Paradise. The kids are all beautiful!

Hey, you may be there when we are next year. We are leaving and going to The Big Island on March 25th and then onto Kauai sometime after March 28th.

Thanks for sharing your glorious trip experience. Your photos are beautiful.

i'2

jamaltay

It's great that you'll be there in March, i'2. Now to rattle the cages of Kal, Bill, and everyone else. We could end up with a Kaua'i GTG in March or April. No, wait! Kal won't go if the Sand Bar is still closed. Oh well......
8-)

Kal

jamster!!!
EXCELLENT!!!
Those two kids look like handfulls!!!
Remind me of my nieces and Great nieces.
I could just smell Kealia Beach!

Booking the air and the hotel this weekend.
BUT....we're booking a Plan B in case the Sand Bar is STILL CLOSED!!!!

While we love The Islander...it's just not the same w/o TSB!!!
187 mo' days!!!!

jamaltay

Buck up, Kal. Look on the bright side. The Tradewindsis within walking distance (at least going to, if not coming from).

And yes........the girls were a handful (I am not used to having two 12yo's for 2 weeks). I am still recuperating, BUT, I loved every second of it. Two weeks was not long enough. In March I need to spend more time. I'll be doing big boy stuff then.
8-)

pspercy

Has anyone got a realistic estimate of just when the IOB's Sand Bar will re-open ?
Looking at June 2007 trip, surely it'll be happy-days by then ?

CajunStorm

Hi jamaltay

Thanks so much for sharing. I enjoyed reading your report and viewing your photos. It would be a dream come true for me if one of my relatives lived anywhere in Hawaii!

jamaltay

pspercy......The IOB doesn't even know when the SB will reopen. They are just waiting for the permits.
8-)

FainaAgain

Jamal, maybe you had posting problems because your report is long?

I know many people on European board had the same problem, but after sub-dividing the report into smaller pieces it was easy to post. Just reply to yourself.

jamaltay

Faina.......The other day I was having problems with even short replies. I thing most people were. The problems seem to be fixed now (I hope).
8-)

jamaltay

"think", Jim...."think"!
8-)

Kal

P'sper and jammer....I got my spies out right now on the Grand Reopening of The Sand Bar.

The Genl Mgr wrote us a nice e-mail in Feb '06 saying the reopening is "right around the corner". That's one big corner! :-?

I just can't believe how much money they have lost on that snafu.

jamaltay

Kal....did you ask the GM if your reserved stool would still be there when the SB reopened?
8-)

Kal

I have it stored safely in The Bat Cave.

jamaltay

Hey Cajun......I am glad that you enjoyed....and yes, having my lovely daughter and family in Kauai is a real treat. I get family and paradise at the same time. You just can't beat that.
8-)

Kal

"family and paradise..you just can't beat that". :-?:-?:-?

In our "family" we seldom use the terms family and paradise in the same sentence unless the word "without" is interjected somewhere in it. :-"

You are a lucky man!