Journey to Hawaii 2015 - Day 1 - Kauai

Yes It is ANOTHER Trip to Hawaii

If you have followed me or have read any of my previous blogs I know what you are thinking....this Hawaii thing is becoming an addiction!  To that I answer Yes....Yes it is.  There is just no better place to get away from the frozen tundra that is Ohio in the winter and head to much greener pastures!  If you want to see amazing sights, bask in the sunshine and/or just kick back and relax....this is the place to do it!

Cast of Characters:  This year's Hawaiian adventure includes myself as well as my husband and our adult son (age 24). 

Itinerary:  4 nights on the Island of Kauai and 5 nights on the Big Island

The Adventure Begins

Getting There

Anyone who has flown to any of the Hawaiian Islands knows how exhausting the travel is just to GET to the island!  If you have not flown to Hawaii before you need to know this!  There is no easy or quick way to get there.  Even if you live on the West Coast you are a minimum of 5 hours away from paradise.  In our case it's about an 11 hour flight to the Islands and 10 hours back.  With our itinerary this year taking us from Cleveland to San Francisco to Los Angeles to Lihue, Kauai, travel time to and from airports, layovers and the strong headwinds we encountered on our final leg, as well as time to get our baggage, picking up our rental vehicle and driving to the hotel, we were looking at about a 22 hour timeframe.  The point being.....no matter where you start your journey....you WILL be tired by the time you arrive in Hawaii!  

So once we arrived at our hotel we were so happy to be there!  The wonderful Lei greeting we received on our arrival made us feel so welcome.  The bright flowers and beautiful smell immediately let us know that we had found a little slice of paradise. Once we got to the room, it didn't take us long to fall asleep!

Tip: We have found in our travels to the Islands that we seem to adjust to the time difference (5 hours difference from EST in February) better if we land in the evening and just head to bed.  By the time you wake up in the morning you are pretty much adjusted to Hawaii time!  

The Grand Hyatt Kauai

Sunrise at The Grand Hyatt Kauai

So after a very friendly welcome to the Grand Hyatt, very helpful employees....from the valet to the bellman to the front desk...and a very good night's sleep we woke up early to an amazing sunrise that we could see from our lanai!  This is the other benefit to arriving later in the evening...you never know what you are going to wake up to in the morning!

The first thing we realized was "Wow...what a beautiful place this is!"  The second thing we realized was "Wow we are hungry!"  After a day of picking up quick meals and snacks in airports and on airplanes....we were excited to head to the breakfast at the ILIMA TERRACE.  This is an indoor/outdoor restaurant with beautiful tropical views.  They offer a breakfast buffet or you can order from a menu.  We chose the breakfast buffet (everyday of our stay!)  There were many offerings on the buffet....eggs, breakfast meats, potatoes, cereals, breads and of course the extremely fresh fruit!  The buffet is $31.00/person and is very filling.  I have seen people complain about the cost on review sites but honestly Hawaii is a lot like going to Disney World....you just have to forget about the cost and enjoy it while you are there!  

The servers were very friendly and helpful.  Asking about what we had planned for the day and offering tips and suggestions.  They would even follow up with us the next morning to see if we enjoyed ourselves.  Service was good.   Hawaii rule number 2 - everything moves a little slower on the islands....just relax and take your time...it's vacation...not a race!

Once we had eaten we were ready to explore the Garden Isle....

Waimea Canyon

The first stop of the day (one of many....you all know how I travel) was at Waimea Canyon.

View just before turning onto Waimea Canyon Road

When I first started researching what to do on the Island of Kauai I was shocked to find that there was a canyon there.  This is not just any old canyon.....this is a full blown...."Grand Canyon like" canyon.  While it is certainly not as vast as the Grand Canyon....it is still amazing nonetheless!

View just before turning onto Waimea Canyon Road

It was about an hour drive from the Grand Hyatt to the Canyon itself.  There were some interesting things to see along the way!  The 

road to the canyon takes some twists and turns.  I've seen reviewers say that it is a very windy road....yes and no.  For Hawaii it's pretty windy. If you have been to any of the western states and have driven in the mountains....this is not windy at all!  Just make sure that you take advantage of the many turnouts to take in some of the beautiful scenery along the way.  

Small waterfall along Waimea Canyon Road

We were very surprised to see the deep red rocks.  If you had dropped me into this area I would have guessed we were in the American Southwest.....not Hawaii!

The farther you drove...the further from Hawaii you felt you were.  

Waimea Canyon

Finally we arrived at Waimea Canyon itself.  There was a nice paved parking area and restrooms at the site.  There is a short climb to get to the canyon's edge from the parking lot.  There are stairs to your left and a ramp to your right (this would be wheelchair accessible but would take some pushing).  We took the steps up and the ramp down.  I believe that the ramp would be the least strenuous way to go if you have any type of mobility issues.  It was a little less steep than the stairs.  Either way you go leads you to the rim of the canyon.  We weren't quite prepared for the sight that met us.

Waimea Canyon

Waimea Canyon

Waimea Canyon

 The contrast of the colors, the deep folds of the canyon walls, the depth of the canyon itself....all just amazing to see.  

Tip:  This area gets hazy during the day.  If you want a clear look, pick a clear day (cloudy days do not yield good viewing conditions) and head up to the canyon before 10:00 AM.  The haze starts to build in late in the morning and just gets worse.  You definitely want to get a good view of this area!

Waterfall in Waimea Canyon

After viewing the canyon at the main area, we drove a little further up the road and made a quick stop at Puu Hinahina Lookout to get a better look at the waterfall in the canyon. 

Feral Chicken in Kauai

 This is also the first place (and certainly not the last!) that we saw the feral chickens that roam the entire Island of Kauai.  They are beautiful birds and quite used to people!

 Na Pali Coastline - Our first look 

Whatever you do...do not stop and turn around and go back after you see the Waimea Canyon.  Keep on going North!  You will pass a few turnouts and eventually you will come to Kalalau Lookout.  

You MUST stop at this Lookout area!  There is nice paved parking area with restroom facilities.  The walk to the lookout is a short easy walk away.  The payoff is HUGE!

After a short walk this is the view that awaits you!

View from Kalalau Lookout

View from Kalalau Lookout

View from Kalalau Lookout

This is the beginning of the Na Pali Coast.  To see the Na Pali Coast from afar you need to either take a boat trip or a helicopter ride.  If you prefer to stay on land, this is one of the best places to see the rugged coastline.  It was so amazing to see the contrast of the dark rocks and deep blue waters.  It is worth the drive to the lookout and the short walk.

There are a couple places that you can view the area here.  If you continue on to your right after looking at the main area, you will come to a dirt path that will take you to a slightly different view.  This path will also take you to Mt. Waialeale if you continue to hike from here.  Mt. Waialeale is a shield volcano and is the second highest point on the island of Kauai. It is also one of the rainiest spots on earth with an annual rainfall of more than 452 inches!  

If you take a look over the edge of the cliff here....you are met with just an amazing view!

View from Kalalau Lookout Area

The North Shore

By the time we left the Kalalau Lookout area it was about mid-morning.  This meant that we still had plenty of day left to explore.  The next area we wanted to visit was the North Shore area.  Now I know you are saying....."But you are on the North Shore at the Na Pali Coastline, why not just drive around the coast?"  Well....the mountains that you see in the photos above get in the way!  So in order to get to the other side of the North Coast you must drive South on Waimea Canyon Road and then drive around the East Coast of the island and back up to the North Shore. Luckily Kauai is a small island so the trip only takes about 1.5 to 2 hours depending on stops and believe it or not...traffic.  


Kilauea Lighthouse

Kilauea Lighthouse

So we grabbed a quick sandwich in Waimea and keept on driving.  Our first stop was at the Kilauea Lighthouse.  It's a short drive off the main highway to get to the Lighthouse.  There is also a wildlife preserve here but it happened to be closed the day that we were there.

We were still able to get a great view of the lighthouse.  There is a paved parking area here and while parking was a bit crowded, we had no problem finding a space.  A short walk too you to a great vantage point to see the lighthouse.  

This looked like it could be a scene out of New England!  This is an area where there is dolphin and whale activity but we didn't see anything during our short visit.

This is definitely worth a stop whether you stay  a short time or plan a visit to the lighthouse and wildlife preserve.



Hanalei Bay

Hanalei Bay

Hanalei Bay was our next stop.  This is the largest bay on the North Shore of Kauai.  It has almost 2 miles of shore surrounded by mountains.  It is the location used to shoot the movie South Pacific.

Beach at Hanalei Bay

The clouds had moved in a little by the time we arrived but you could definitely see what a great beach this is.  There was a pier that you could walk out on and have some great views of paddle boarders, surfers, swimmers and all the beach activities going on!

Paddleboarders at Hanalei Bay

Hanalei Bay

Parking at the beach was a little tough.  There are a few parking areas but it is a very popular area so plan on walking a bit to get to the beach areas. 

After a brief stop. we continued our drive around the North Shore.  We drove as far as Haena.  Stopping along the way to take a look at some of the sea caves that were near the road.

Sea Cave 

Haena is the end of the road because those same mountains that got in the way before....get in the way again!  So there is nothing to do but turn around and head back to the East.

Opaekaa Falls

Opaekaa Falls

After a quick stop along the way for some traditional Hawaiian Shave Ice, we continued on to Opaekaa Falls.  This is a very easy access waterfall.  There is a paved parking lot right in front of the falls and very short walk takes you to the lookout area.  You can walk around a bit and get different views.  You can also see why they call Kauai "The Garden Isle"!  Everything was so lush and green....a very welcome sight after all the snow in Northeast Ohio this winter!

View across from Opaekaa Falls

Make sure you take time to walk across the street from the falls also.  The view is almost as beautiful in that direction!  It's a very short walk with a huge payoff.

We didn't stay here long...maybe 20 - 30 min but it was a stop I would definitely recommend.

Wailua Falls

Wailua Falls

Our last stop of the day before heading back to the resort was Wailua Falls.  This is the falls that was shown during the opening of the TV show Fantasy Island for those of you old enough remember that show!  It was a bit of a drive to the falls and parking was a little difficult but again this is an easy access waterfall.  

The only problem is that what you can see from the viewing area is a side view the falls.  There is also a high barrier here so if you are short (like me!) you will have a hard time getting pictures of the entire stretch of the falls.  Luckily my husband is taller than I am so we were able to capture the moment!  I have a feeling that a helicopter ride may give you a better view of these falls.  But for the few minutes it took...it was worth the stop.

Back to the Resort 

Our Surroundings and Room

Once we finished up with our drive it was late afternoon.  We had reservations at Dondero's  for dinner but we had a little time to look around the resort before we had to get ready.  We hadn't had much time to see where we were staying in the daylight!

Lobby View

When you first walk into the lobby of the Grand Hyatt Kauai...this is the beautiful view that greets you through their "picture window".  Let me tell you....I never got tired of seeing this view!

Seaview Terrace

The Seaview Terrace lies just beyond the picture window.  They served breakfast and coffee in the morning and snacks and drinks in the evening.  There was live music each night in this area.  It was a very relaxing way to end your day.  It was also quite popular so be sure to arrive early if you want a seat!

Our room was fantastic. It had plenty of room for the three of us.  It actually offered one King bed and one Queen which was perfect for the three of us traveling together. It is a little more than a regular two queen room but worth the difference!

The bathroom was large with plenty of room to move around.  It had a separate water closet so multiple people could get ready at one time.  The hair products and lotions were all from their spa and were Coco-Mango scented.  They were heavenly!!  You will want to take some home with you.  Products are available to purchase in the spa!

The bathroom also had a "surprise".  I don't want to ruin it for anyone but I will say just make sure you check out the "cleaning action" of the toilet!

View from our Lanai

We finally got to see the view from our Lanai in all it's glory.  We had a Partial Ocean View room but we found it to be perfect for us! We spent much of our downtime relaxing on the lanai and just watching the waves roll into shore.  We didn't see too many whales in Kauai. I'm not sure why that was...there were a few...but not nearly as many as we ended up seeing on the Big Island.

Our Lanai

Dondero's



Just before we were ready to head down to dinner it started to rain and the winds picked up quite a bit.  We were able to walk around a bit and explore on our way to dinner.  

Outdoor Seating at Dondero's 

We made it to Dondero's in plenty of time for our reservation.  The restaurant didn't seem overly crowded but we had to wait in the waiting area.  The menu is Italian.  The food was good (not great) and service was slow and not very attentive.  I would rate it a 3 out of 5 stars.  The outdoor seating looked amazing and very romantic.  Unfortunately the weather kept us from dining outside this particular evening.




By the time we finished dinner we were ready to relax for the evening.  We stopped and listened to the live music in the lobby for awhile and then headed to bed.  Tomorrow is another day and once again we have some big plans!!

Coming Next: Journey to Hawaii 2015 - Day 2  Polihale State Park and More

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More Budget ideas for Colorado - Exploring the Western Side of the State.

"Go West Young Man"

So we had been to Denver/Colorado Springs many times and decided that we wanted to venture a little further west in the state to see what we could find.  What we did find was very interesting!  

We decided to drive from Denver to Grand Junction, Colorado where we stayed for a few days while we explored the Western Colorado/Eastern Utah areas.  It is almost a 4 hour drive to get to Grand Junction and the terrain makes several changes as you go west.  

Rocky Mountains

When you think of Colorado (or at least when I do) images of the Rocky Mountains probably come to mind.  The mountains, while visible from Denver along the skyline of the city, are actually about an hour and a half drive west of the city itself.  Of course if you are an avid skier you know this fact well!  So the first hour and a half of our drive took us directly into the mountains.  I-70 is dotted with numerous well known skiing venues such as Copper Mountain and Vail.  Even if you are traveling during the off season, it is fun to make a stop and look around these famous venues.  

Beyond the Rockies

Once you get past the Rocky Mountains, the terrain changes dramatically.  Yes there are still mountains but they are a totally different type.  They are folded mountains and look totally different.  You will also notice that the distance between towns gets much further!  You can travel past many exits that have little to no services before you actually get to Grand Junction.  Towns are small, scenery is not quite as interesting as the Rockies in my opinion although there is a nice river that flows along I-70 for some time. 

 There are a couple scenic routes that branch off of I-70 as you get close to Grand Junction.  They are well marked along the roadway.  I would highly recommend that if you chose to take the detour onto the scenic by-way that you do it when you know there is enough light left in the day.  The roads are winding, long, add quite a bit of time to the drive, and are a little frightening after dark!  Also, there isn't a whole lot of scenic anything that you can see once the sun goes down.  The only thing we saw were the headlights gleaming off the eyes of the wildlife that came near the roadway after dark!  My opinion of the scenic drive may be skewed by this fact....so check it out if you are in the area and have a desire to do so!

Grand Junction

Once you arrive in Grand Junction you will be happy to see civilization again.  This is a fairly large city (huge compared to the ones you have seen for the past several hours) with real services, restaurants, hotels and even a Sam's Club!  The downtown area is really cool and a must see if you are in town.  It's very "old fashioned" looking and has numerous shops that are just fun to walk by or to stop in and browse.  

Just outside of town to the west is a beautiful canyon.  The area is called Colorado National Monument and has many different types of terrains within it's boundaries.  There is a canyon, towering monoliths,  and even a plateau.  There is a $10.00 fee/vehicle to enter the "park" and a paved roadway with pull off areas where you can stop and take photos.  There are 12 trails throughout the monument area if you would like to hike.  Again I would caution that you should start out (even if you are just driving through) before it is dark.  It took us about an hour and a half with stops to get through the area.  Here is a link to the website for further information http://alltrails.com/parks/us/colorado/colorado-national-monument

Eastern Utah 

When we were scoping out our trip to the western part of Colorado, we discovered that Grand Junction is only about an hour and 40 min drive from Arches National Park.  This was definitely on our bucket list to visit and Grand Junction made a great place to establish our base as there are few lodging options once you get near Arches.  You will also notice a big change in terrain once again as you get into Utah.

Arches National Park ($5.00/individual $10.00/vehicle)

This is is a MUST DO if you can find a way to get to this park!  It is so different than anything you will see elsewhere.  Yes there are red rocks in other places but the arches here are absolutely stunning!  The park itself isn't really close to anything (as most National Parks tend to be) so finding a base is an important thing.  Moab, UT is the closest town and there are services there.  You can also 

Once you get to the park, there is a paved roadway that will take you through the park as well as several trails that you can take to get up close and personal with the arches.  These trails range in difficulty.  We only had the day so we chose a few of the easy trails and it was well worth the time spent.  

Parking is limited at popular trailheads so you may want to check out alternative transportation such as bikes, shuttles, etc.  There are several ATV rental facilities in Moab if you would like to rent a vehicle and take it on the trails.  Remember to hold onto your pass as it is good for 7 days!

It really is an amazing park and words just don't do it justice.  Take a look at some of the photos of the area!

Canyonlands National Park  ($5.00/individual $10.00/vehicle)

Canyonlands National Park is only a few miles from Arches.  As good as Arches is....that's how bad we found Canyonlands to be.  I have to say this is my least favorite National Park that I have visited in my travels (followed closely by Great Basin National Park).  I feel badly saying that I didn't care for this park, but I have talked to others that have visited Arches and Canyonlands and have had the same reaction.  It is quite possible that Arches is so stunning that anything would pale in comparison but the park just seemed underwhelming to me.

However, the parks are so close in proximity and if you want to see as many National Parks as you can, go ahead and make a stop.  I would not plan on a large amount of time to view this.  If you have a short time and can only choose one......go to Arches and skip Canyonlands.

In Summary:

My last few blogs have given you many options for visiting various areas of Colorado that will not break your budget.  Other than the cost to travel to the state itself, there are many things to do that are so economical.  Very few places that I have visited offer so many different things to do and see at such a great price.  I would recommend taking a look at Colorado and see all there is to do!

Coming Next:  What's New at Disney?

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An Inexpensive Day Trip from Denver or Colorado Springs: Rocky Mountain National Park

When my husband and I travel to Colorado we usually are based in Colorado Springs because of his business travel.  However in order to get to and from Colorado Springs you most likely will be flying into Denver.  While Denver is a great city and offers lots of shopping, dining and nightlife options, the reason that I like staying in Denver for at least a couple nights of our stay is it's closer proximity to one of my favorite places to visit:

Rocky Mountain National Park ($20.00/vehicle)

Rocky Mountain National park is one of my favorite National Parks.  If you have followed me at all you know that I love traveling to the National Parks.  They are all unique in their landscapes and offerings but few of them pull me back for multiple visits.  This is one park that I just can't get enough of so I have to visit any time I am in the area!  

We have visited in multiple seasons but the park is best viewed when the roadway is open all the way through.  Make sure you check the official website at  http://www.nps.gov/romo/index.htm for road closures.  Timing of the opening of the roadway varies by year depending on snowfall so always be sure to check before you head out there!

When we travel from Denver, my favorite route is to start in Estes Park and take the roadway straight through to the western Side of the Park and Grand Lake.  There are many quaint local places to dine in Grand Lake and the town has a western small town feel.  There are also shops and it's great to take a walk around and check out the town.  I usually try to hit Grand Lake for lunch and then head on back through the park and out again at Estes Park before nightfall.  There are no lodging accommodations in the park itself. There are options both in Grand Lake and Estes Park.  Planning ahead is essential especially in the peak tourist season.

All of the seasons are beautiful in the park.  Fall is one of my favorite times.  The changing leaves are beautiful and animals are plentiful as mating season begins.  

Whether you simply drive through the park and enjoy the scenery or hike and get closer to nature, this is a great way to spend a day and not break your budget!

Estes Park - The Stanley Hotel 

You can not drive to Rocky Mountain National Park and go through Estes Park without noticing the beautiful hotel that dominates the city.  This is the Stanley Hotel.  We drove past this hotel many times on our way to the park on various visits and every time I would tell my husband the same thing.  "I REALLY want to stay there someday!"  I mean who could not be drawn in by the architecture and the beautiful setting for the hotel?  Well one October as a late birthday gift my husband had me book the hotel for a night!   

As I was booking the hotel, I started reading about the Hotel's history.  If you are unaware of the history, in a nutshell it is listed as one of America's most haunted hotels and is the inspiration of Stephen King's "The Shining"!  

While this intrigued me it didn't deter me from booking a reservation here.  The hotel rates are rather steep so this is a splurge and is NOT a budget friendly stay.  It is however a once in a lifetime stay so was worth the extra money to us.  Here are a few things to keep in mind when booking your room.  Room 217 is the room that Stephen King stayed in when he got the inspiration for The Shining.  There is a ghost that has been seen in that room...Mrs. Wilson...who is said to take special care of the guests who stay in that room.  If you stay on the Fourth Floor, you may hear the ghosts of children laughing.  All the rooms have had some out of the ordinary experience so you never know what you might encounter.

We didn't know what room we were going to be given but


when we arrived we ended up with a room on the Fourth Floor!  I wasn't sure if this was good or bad!  The accommodations themselves are decent....definitely not what you would expect for the cost but you are paying for the ambiance and history of the hotel.  

Now the ironic part of our stay was that it was Halloween weekend!  We didn't even think about it when I booked the room.  Well as you might imagine there were several people who came to the Stanley looking for ghosts that weekend.  We did not see any ghosts nor did we have any really strange experiences, although the furniture in the hallway was moved during the night.  They even have one TV station that plays The Shining 24/7!

We had a wonderful Sunday Brunch in the morning complete with Mimosa's and Champagne.  It was a really cool place to stay and a "must do" if you are a Stephen King fan or a ghost hunter!

 Colorado - Full of Fun Inexpensive Things to Do!

So whether it is Colorado Springs or Rocky Mountain National Park, there are some major attractions in Colorado that are inexpensive and provide a lot of entertainment value for the entire family.  Some states may have inexpensive attractions but they don't hold your attention or some may have expensive attractions that limit what a family can do....Colorado is really a great place to visit where you can get a lot of bang for your buck!

Coming up Next:  More Budget ideas for Colorado - Exploring the Western Side of the State.

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