I have taken two trips to Hawaii, in 1984 and 2013. Unlike Florida vacations, time spent in Hawaii should never end. The weather is perfect, the food delicious, and the scenery is beyond comparison. On both of our trips to Hawaii we spent most of our time on Kauai, the Garden Isle, with brief visits to Oahu. On both trips Megan, Harold and I stayed at the same resort, renting an ocean view condo. The first trip she was three years old, and second trip she was 33 years old. If I wait 30 years til my next visit I will be 95 years old before I return. I wonder if the Kaha Lani will still be standing in 2043? https://www.castleresorts.com/kauai/kaha-lani-resort/ It was a nice resort and withstood the test of time between visits. My memories of it did not deceive me.
When we went to Hawaii in 1984 we were joined by my parents. It was wonderful for Harold and me to have built in babysitters staying right in the condo with us. Harold and I would go out in the evenings, often to Coco Palms Resort located just down the road from the Kaha Lani. I still have some green palm tree drink stirrers that came in the exotic tropical drinks served in the bar. Every night we would bring 2 or 3 home with us to add to our collection. Alas the Coco Palms is no more. It was destroyed by a hurricane in the early 90’s and recently the property was auctioned off and will be developed into something entirely different. But the memory of the Coco Palms will remain as it was featured in many Hollywood films, most notably “Blue Hawaii” starring Elvis Presley. I can’t recommend a visit to the Coco Palms because it no longer exists anywhere but on celluloid and in my memory. https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/news/inside-the-abandoned-coco-palms-hotel-in-hawaii-once-a-hollywood-fave/ar-AALB05d Harold and I also snuck away for a weekend on Oahu and did the mandatory drive around the island to view the magnificent winter waves. We also attended a Don Ho luau at one of the beach front hotels. A real tourist trap if ever there was one, but I am still glad we did it. https://factsverse.com/the-tragic-life-death-of-don-ho-hawaiis-superstar/ In general we avoided the touristy things while there. One of my most pleasant memories is a day I spent by myself going on a trail ride into the jungle from a stable at a local farm on Kauai. We rode into the hills. I can still remember the kindly roan horse I rode and the wet humid smells of the jungle. What a pleasant experience to recall so vividly thirty-eight years after the fact.
We had no need for babysitters on our second trip in 2013. Megan was living in Taiwan and she flew into Honolulu to meet us. After a couple of days relaxing at Waikiki we flew to Lihue on Kauai. We spent a week exploring the Garden Isle, as Kauai is known. I went snorkeling after practicing my breathing in the kitchen sink (Megan had to take a photo of that). On Christmas Day we had dinner at a fancy hotel (see Megan’s picture above) and I formed an attachment to rambutan (see picture below), a delightful tropical fruit that tastes a little like a lichee. Unfortunately, I can only rarely find it on the east coast and thus my opportunities to indulge are limited. Our second trip to Kauai seemed to focus on food. Christmas Eve that year we went to an old plantation restaurant where we ate on the veranda and had the best meal ever on Kauai. https://www.merrimanshawaii.com/poipu/ Megan and I would drive around during the day finding roadside food trucks and juice bars. I consumed a lifetime supply of guava juice at the side of the road on Kauai. We also discovered a nice pizza joint not too far from the condo and after a two hour wait (the lines were long) we would bring pizzas home to the condo and eat on the lanai watching the waves crash in front of us. Megan and her Dad went for a helicopter ride, but I passed since I had taken one in 1984. It was beautiful but my heart was in my throat the entire time and I vowed never again would I voluntarily get in a helicopter. Megan’s feeling after the experience was similar to mine. She had white knuckles the entire time. One of the splendors of Kauai is Waimea Canyon, called the Grand Canyon of the Pacific. It is pretty spectacular, but the helicopter ride can be a little daunting when flying close to the sides of the canyon wall. It is a place that can be visited by car, and I recommend seeing it that way. https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/dsp/parks/kauai/waimea-canyon-state-park/ It is so hard to describe how incredibly beautiful Kauai is so I think I will rely on the old saying that a picture is worth a thousand words and close out this tribute to a special place with some pictures of very special memories.
I hope I have another trip to Hawaii left on the shelf. It is a wonderful place to discover on your own, without tour guides or organized activities. Everyone should take the opportunity to vacation there at least once if they can possibly afford to do so. It is not a cheap place to visit, but it is a once in a lifetime experience for everyone.
Memories - A Second Chance at Happiness 