Just hang loose,

Just have fun,

Sitting on the beach

Lying in the sun.

Don't try to fight it cause it ain't no use!

Cause when you're in Kauai

You just hang loose!

Ok, so that probably means nothing to anyone other than me or my family, but that's what I was thinking the plane ride over.  Since the last time I was there was Christmas in... the 90s with all the Ditgen's.  And my lovely aunt and uncle taught us lil' girls this song.  And finally, almost 20 years later, I was headed there again.  This time alone, for a much shorter time and thankfully without 11 inches of rain.

Friday afternoon I was like a kid waiting to go to Disneyland.  I was ready for some sunshine and time away from work and normal life.  I'd been convinced to rent a car (definitely recommended) and was loaned a guidebook that lead me to the beach you see above.  A complimentary mai-tai, and I was good to go!

I arrived late Friday night...after getting my car and directions to my hotel, off I went...to the wrong hotel.  I pulled up thinking, wow, this place actually looks pretty nice.  And after a bit of a wait in line to check in, I get to the desk agent who promptly tells me that my hotel is another 8 miles down the road... fantastic!  Ha, I finally get to my hotel (its around 8:40 by now), and felt like I'd walked into a completely different world... the Aston Kauai is not what you'd call "luxury", but it was clean and it would do.

I opted for the cheaper garden view, and noted a lovely patch of automobiles out my window.  Huh, didn't know they were in season!  But I was top floor and there were vaulted ceilings, so it redeemed itself slightly.  Well, by the time I got changed and adjusted it was after 9.  I guess Cinderella's coach turns into a pumpkin here at 9 and not 12.  No food was served in the bar, and not much was open close by.  My waiter kindly offered me a salad and I had a gin & tonic (very tropical, I know).

Saturday morning, I found a great cafe on my way to the Waimea Canyon and had a fantastic pancake at the Tip Top cafe.  I left there (after being the lonely single person at a 4-top table) and drove out to the canyon.  

It was a pretty great morning for it, slightly overcast, just warm enough.  And the canyon was beautiful (but a little much when you only have a day in Kauai).  I drove around, flipping through radio stations, trying not to bottom out my little Nissan Versa in the myriad of potholes, enjoying getting out at the few checkpoints and running into uber friendly Hawaiians (well, really just one lady).

And of course, since food is the most important part of a vacation, I HAD to get me some Shave Ice!  After many insights into the "best spot", I took the Kauai guidebook's advice and headed to Jo-Jo's.  What I ordered was a tad odd... not a big fan of chewy cubes or long stringy coconut pieces, but overall, it hit the spot.

On I drove, having to make a stop back at the hotel to grab the right credit card, more cash, and hopefully my camera (which again, I forgot, thus, all the pictures you see were taken by my iPhone, good thing it takes decent shots, right?).

All I wanted was a beach... so I drove north to get to one... I wasn't super thrilled with what I picked, but there was sand and water... so I stayed for awhile and then moved on to find the perfect, secluded beach (the pic at the top). MUCH better! And despite the steep trail, I made it down and back up injury free :)

And doesn't it always stand to reason that the moment you determine you're gonna just lay there on your hotel towel (yes, I snuck it out :) hehe) and you decide you don't want lines on your back... that someone decides to come talk to you?!  So there you  lay, top untied, and you know it won't be easy to retie it with someone watching, so instead, you lay there face-down hoping that you don't accidentally raise up too much and praying that the conversation with this nice gentleman does not last forever. Well, that is exactly what happened to me... but I DID glean great information - George Clooney was currently filming on the island... mmm :)  How else can a tropical island get any better?  Put 2 of former world's sexiest men alive on it (Johnny Depp was filming there as well)!  Sadly, I did not run into anyone famous.

After sun bathing (and of course, you know that as soon as the dude walked away, I retied my top, I was not getting myself into THAT predicament again!), I went to my car to perform a quick change and headed to the Princeville Hotel.  

I walked in, still trying to shake the last remnants of sand onto their super polished floor, and found a comfy chair to watch the sun slowly descend while sipping on a fantastic pineapple mojito. And I left just in time to see the sun set outside. 

At this point, I'm at a cross-roads.  I want to go see Hanalei, but its getting late, I need both dinner and gas (I'd wanted Costco gas, but well, people on the North Shore don't seem to venture south much and didn't know how late Costco was open...grrr).  After some indecision, I decided to head back south - I was NOT going to miss having dinner 2 nights in a row, and it was 7 by the time I was leaving... yikes, I was going to be pushing it - AGAIN!  I stopped at "home" to change, and oh yeah, my phone ran out of juice on my way back - awesome!  So I let it charge for a whole 10 min before heading out the door to head to Duke's (what I had read was a good place for food).  And after some circling around trying to figure out how to get there - the map and the iPhone were not super helpful since it was IN the hotel (the parking attendant was not helpful either).  I was stressing a little getting there, it was getting closer to 9 when food seemed to magically disappear.

Sigh, I found it... and a seat at the bar between a couple dudes (imagine that). And I also found out where all the people around Kauai hide!  I was beginning to think no one was even UP past 9!  Of course, it turned into a later night than I wanted, but I had a great time.

The flight out the next day worked as well (even down to the part where I was given the window seat, and not the middle seat between 2 large people... sitting next to them ok, between, well, I'm not Wan, I don't like that "cozy" feeling).  I wished I'd stayed 1 more day, and that I'd just laid on the beach all day Saturday, but there's always next time right?  (plus, you get strange looks from people when you tell them you're just there for the day ;-))

Aloha!