We are back from the island and, let me tell you, I did NOT want to leave! We went to the Hawaiian island of Kauai and it was nothing short of paradise. I have been to Oahu and Maui before but Kauai definitely takes the cake for being my favorite island. It has the perfect mix of beautiful beaches, hiking trails, mountains, waterfalls, snorkeling and...you get the idea. Bobby and I concluded that this was probably our favorite vacation that we have taken together and that's saying a lot! (I may or may not have cried when we left......I know).
We flew to Kauai on my birthday (4/23), the day after our half-marathon (you better believe my legs were cramping and stiff after a 5 hour plane ride) and arrived there just around 11:00 AM local time so we still had a whole day to explore after arriving. Our awesome friends Jessy & Jenn Holmberg live on the east side of Kauai in the town of Kapa'a and were gracious enough to let us stay at their house for 9 days. We are SO thankful to them for making our vacation so wonderful!
their island home & island rides.
It was so nice having personal tour guides to take us around and show us some of their favorite spots. Jenn's son Wyatt was kind enough to let us take his car a few days to explore on our own. There were some days when we left the house at 8 am and didn't get back til 8 pm because there is just so much to do and see!
Our island ride! Driving this around helped us not look so much like kooks blend in more with the locals since we weren't driving a bar-coded, shiny red rental car.
Believe it or not, as much as I thought I would not want to run on our vacation, turns out I started to miss it (weird?). Also, when there is a paved running path that goes for miles along the tropical ocean it's hard to resist. I will say though that I have a new respect for people who run the Kauai and Kona Marathons. Running in the heat and humidity is rough.
we took their dog Silas with us on our runs and he was so happy!
Since we got there on my birthday, I of course wanted to head straight to the beach and soak up some Hawaiian sun! It was nice having our friends with us because Jenn was happy to lay on the beach with me while Jessy and Bobby surfed their brains out. That way, everyone was happy :).
After a few hours in the sun, we ate at Duke's Restaurant for dinner and enjoyed a beautiful sunset over the water as a great way to end the day. The next morning, Bobby surprised me with a couple's beachside massage! My sore muscles were LOVIN it! Bobby is always so thoughtful of me and, come to find out, had this planned for weeks in advance. What can I say? He's the best!
After that, we cruised the island for a while and settled at Moloa'a Beach for a nap.
I was pleasantly surprised at how uncrowded the beaches felt. We were 2 of 5 people on this beach.
...then we played on the swing!
couldn't resist.
Even after 2 days on the island I was already scheming about ways that Bobby and I could live here. It's THAT awesome...and it's no secret that I've always been a huge fan of the island life and dream about it often. I love the atmosphere and vibe of Kauai and the simplicity of life. I love that there are fresh fruit stands on the corners selling mangoes, pineapple, papaya and fresh coconuts (I am obsessed with coconut water!) and the abundant sunshine and tropical rain, making it impossible not to smile everyday. mmm....I'll just keep dreamin!
Stay tuned the rest of the week for more of our Kauai adventure :)
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