Kauai and “Mahalo”

Our final port of call was the beautiful and lush Kauai. It was sprinkling and beautifully moody when we docked, but by the time we had eaten breakfast and were ready for our adventures, the sun was shining its hello.

One of the small bits of joy while traveling for Jason and me is talking to Lyft and Uber drivers. We have had the most wonderful experiences with them. They tend to be laid back and friendly, and their local knowledge is the best. Our Kauai Lyft driver was the same, and she was our guide through some of the most gorgeous country we had seen yet on the trip. It is called the “Garden Isle” for good reason. Many a movie is shot here on Kauai, but Jurassic Park is certainly of the most well-known. Our driver pointed out the fields and places that were used as part of the set, and Harper and Jameson were oohing and aahing.

That morning, we were heading out for a zipline experience, and boy did we love it! We zipped through the trees with the ocean on our left and the jungle on our right. It was pure fun and scenic, too. Plus, we got a little hiking in so we felt satisfyingly active by the time we finished. We used Koloa Zipline and would highly recommend them. Their tour guides were great! After ziplining, we freshened up and got ready for a very memorable evening.

Our family of eight dressed up and headed out for a luau. It was wonderful. There is some humor to be shared around the name of this: Smith Family Garden Luau. The owner of it thanked all of us for believing that any Hawaiian experience with the name “Smith” was worth going to. Apparently, his Hawaiian grandmother married and Englishman (name-Smith), and it has been a family business ever since. We had a lovely time together there. It was set in a large tropical garden that we could explore before dinner. Also, before dinner, we learned how they cook the pig (in the ground, covered with banana tree leaves so it steams and cooks) and watched them unearth it. Dinner (pulled pork, sweet and sour chicken, teriyaki beef, veggies, poi, salad, sweet breads, coconut cake, and fruit) was accompanied with all you can drink mai tais, music, and hula dancing. The evening concluded with a full show of dancing and singing. There were dances from the very many Polynesian islands and cultures of heritage. The staging and costuming were well done, and we just enjoyed ourselves immensely.

Do you notice a difference in the last two pictures? This cracked us up. This lucky stranger was adopted by our family. It was the power of matching shirts. Good sports all around!

We were happy to be overnight in port so that we could explore a little more the next day. Grandma told us we had to try the famous Hula Pie, and so it was that we ended up at the cutest darn restaurant called Duke’s eating this:

It was really obnoxiously large. And very much delicious. A macademia nut ice cream married a fudge cookie crust kind of dream.

We did not have an entire second day on Kauai. All aboard time was called at 2:00, so that we could cruise further north in order to see the Napali Coast. That afternoon, we kept ourselves busy on the ship.

Late afternoon, we reached the coast, and it was, quite simply, breathtaking. Some things in life really are rainbows. No photo-shopping necessary.

Just like that, it was time for our last dinner together. Though it had been a week of eating, and we felt that we couldn’t possibly squeeze in another bite of anything, we wisely made an exception for the Nutella creme brulee that was offered that night, a sweet end to an unforgettable opportunity with our family. I am, and will forever be, grateful. Harper and Jameson had magical moments in a wildly new place, and Jason and I got to watch. We laughed and shared and talked with Chad and Charanya, who we wish we could see so much more than we do. We embraced Mom and Dad’s company, and soaked in their travel stories, and watched with warm hearts as they listened to their kids’ and grandkids’ tales and quips from the day. I wish every family had the chance to spend such special days together.

The ship docked in Honolulu once more early Saturday morning. After a last and quick breakfast, our family was among the first off the ship, because our flight for the mainland was early. Chad and Charanya spent the day exploring the north shore (which they said was amazing) before leaving late that night. Mom and Dad flew to Kona that afternoon before boarding an evening home-bound flight. As with all trips, we looked forward to the comforts of home, and we missed Finn! But, we were sad to leave the bubble that vacation creates.

Mahalo, thank you, Hawaii and family, for such a special vacation. We loved it.

–Behind the Scenes–

I once read a blog that highlighted a family’s adventures, much like I enjoy doing. But, the author always included a “not pictured” part, which always cracked me up. It would go something like this: Not Pictured- sibling fights in the backseat, car sick toddler, tantrum about bubble gum, etc.

And so, here are a few things that weren’t pictured:

-1. Crowds! Cruise ships are booking in full, ladies and gents. We, not so kindly, labeled the cruise buffet the “trough,” because there were an awful lot of people fiercely maneuvering for bacon. Elbows were constantly knocking, and the throngs were continual.

-2. Covid! (See 1.) Poor sweet mom started coughing on the plane ride home. Covid is not gone, my friends, and it found mom again.* Fortunately, she is doing better! And, miraculously, no one else came home with it.

*It must be noted that the only other time Mom got Covid was on a cruise ship last summer.

3. Sand! Did you know that sand can reach extreme temperatures? I noticed that my feet were really uncomfortable the day we spent on the beach in Maui. Even after rinsing them with water and putting sandals on to walk back and forth, I found myself awkwardly jogging (how does anyone actually “run” on the beach? I think this is fake news.) to get back to the pavement each time I crossed the beach to get something. The next morning, I was running on the treadmill and could not figure out why my toes were stinging so much that I had to stop. Turns out, I had burnt the bottom of my feet. Who knew?!

4. Run Down: There is an interesting dichotomy in Hawaii. Of course, there are some of the most beautiful sights and scenery. But, there are many pockets, in between, of run down buildings, streets, and neighborhoods. Also, the schools have a poor reputation, and it sounds like many of the “haves” opt for private schools, leaving the “have nots” with a lacking public school system.

5. Winners!: Here’s a fun one- Chad, Charanya, Mom, and Dad won the movie night trivia contest on board. Yahoo! Chad is a walking encyclopedia, Mom and Dad have all kinds of experience, and Charanya clinched the winning answer by nailing this question: Where did Sex in the City 2 take place? Answer: Dubai. Dream Team.

Hawaii is a fascinating place. We did a little polling of our family afterward to find out what we liked and didn’t like about each island. Here is our unfairly quick rundown:

Oahu: It is bustling, so there are plenty of hotels, restaurants, beach scenes, and luaus to choose from. However, it is overcrowded and not entirely pleasant to look at outside the immediate coastal area.

Maui: The ship docks in the center of the island which is … flat and brown looking. The ends of the island are lush and beautiful, but you really need to get off and do some traveling to get there. We did enjoy our time there but would not necessarily come back just for the island itself.

Big Island: We felt this was the most interesting. All of us noted that we would come back and explore Kona a bit more. I would like to see the green sand beaches, as well.

Kauai: It is the most gorgeous and lush, to be sure. Jason said he would get a little island fever if he stayed there for long, though … it’s cozy in between ocean and jungle.

For now, aloha, friends. Thanks for sharing life’s treats with me.