We just got back from our trip to Kauai. What a week!!! The condo we stayed at was just beautiful. It was on resort property, so we got all the amenities of staying at a hotel (housekeeping, gigantic pool with waterslide), plus 2 bedrooms and a full kitchen! We loved it. We found a park about a mile from the hotel that had a protected reef so the kids could swim and snorkel safely. They had the time of their lives! On our first day, we got to the condo around 2 pm. We decided just to let the kids throw on their swimsuits and head down to the pool and just chill out(we had been up since 3 am California time). By 4:30 or so, everyone was whipped so we decided to go to dinner instead of making it in the condo. We ended up in a little shack called "Bubba's Burger's" It has been there since the 30's, so we tried it. It was one of the best burgers any of us have ever had. Even Carolynn liked it, and we all know how picky Carolynn is :) .... 
Day 2- We got up early and headed over to Snorkel Bob's to get our gear... The best part was watching all the kids trying on their snorkel gear! What a bunch of looney's! Then it was off to the beach. We went to Poipu Beach that first day because the lady at Snorkel Bob's told us it was a family beach...HMMMMM... not so sure about that. Yes, there were no waves because it is protected, BUT it was so rocky to walk out that Pam just flat out said she was not snorkeling... So I hold her and carry her out to Steve (she likes to hang on him when they snorkel, must feel safe) She gets to Steve and sticks her head in the water, then I hear this scream coming out of her snorkel.... FISH!!!! Like she was surprised they were in there... They scared her half to death, so here we go, BACK OUT OF THE WATER....And that is the end of Pam snorkeling for that day. Everyone else had a great time and I believe my children were fish in a prior life... No one wants to get out. Eventually I persuade them, and we are back to the pool....
Day 2- We got up early and headed over to Snorkel Bob's to get our gear... The best part was watching all the kids trying on their snorkel gear! What a bunch of looney's! Then it was off to the beach. We went to Poipu Beach that first day because the lady at Snorkel Bob's told us it was a family beach...HMMMMM... not so sure about that. Yes, there were no waves because it is protected, BUT it was so rocky to walk out that Pam just flat out said she was not snorkeling... So I hold her and carry her out to Steve (she likes to hang on him when they snorkel, must feel safe) She gets to Steve and sticks her head in the water, then I hear this scream coming out of her snorkel.... FISH!!!! Like she was surprised they were in there... They scared her half to death, so here we go, BACK OUT OF THE WATER....And that is the end of Pam snorkeling for that day. Everyone else had a great time and I believe my children were fish in a prior life... No one wants to get out. Eventually I persuade them, and we are back to the pool.... 
Day 3 - Everyone is waking up so early because we are still on California time... Even Carolynn is up by 7!!! Today we went to Lydgate Park, and snorkeled. There are some pretty cool things in that beach. The kids found a shell of a whole lobster and decided it would be fun to chase each other around with it... Then some other little psychotic kid got a hold of it and pulled its legs off one by one, then its tail...That kid is the next Jeffrey Dahmer!!! After all that excitement, everyone is ready to get the salt water off of them and head back to the hotel, BUT before that, we must see the waterfall that they have in the opening credits of Fantasy Island.... I read that you can hike from the top down to the pools below for a dip...How cool is that? So I have Steve and all the kids psyched up for that...BUT I must have read wrong because EVERY sign in sight says "No Climbing" "Stay behind rails", you know silly stuff like that.... Well, everyone is a little frustrated with mom, but all is forgiven when I offer ice cream at Lapperts!!! Then it is off to the hotel. More pool time, and then it is about time for bed, as we are all falling asleep around 7 (still on CA time) 
Day 4 - We are all a little down today realizing this is the halfway point in our vacation... How do they days go by so quickly??? Today is pretty much the same as all the other days, snorkeling then swimming in the pool. Tonight Steve takes me out to dinner, just the two of us. We asked the kids, but they said they wanted pizza instead.... So Steve and I went to Scotty's Barbecue for dinner. WHAT A VIEW!!! And the best Mai Tai's....MMMMM... I took my leftovers of brisket and the 2 GIGANTIC potato skins we had leftover back to the kids, and Jimmy devoured it all!!! I don't know where he stores all of it!?!? 
Day 5 - We are still getting up and having breakfast around 7 - so by 9:30 we decide it is time to leave the pool and go in search of lunch... There is this place in Waimea called "The Shrimp Shack" that we have all been wanting to try, so we're off!!! Waimea is about 1 hour drive from the hotel, but this place is the "Best Coconut Shrimp on the Island" so we go... At 10:30, we are there and we see this teeny tiny little shack...A little skeptical, but what the heck, Then we see the sign... Open from 12-5.....What do we do now? Well, the people who are 16 and under start whining that they must eat now!!! So back to Port Allen to get yet another burger... No one was happy....Then back to the pool.... for dinner there is a Panda Express across the street, so we load up on that, sit in front of the TV that night and pig out together....Day 6 - Today we decide that it might be nice to drive North and see Princeville.... It looks a little cloudy, but we don't mind, even cloudy days are warm days...Here we go.... So Princeville is about 45 minutes North... On our way up there, we see a few sites that look like they would be nice to stay at next time...houses with their own private beach....NICE... Then we get to Princeville - and it is POURING....There is no getting out and looking at anything in this weather, so much for that idea, Let's head south where it is still sunny.... We then decide we might as well get a bite to eat...By now, everyone is sick of burgers, so this little place called "The Polynesian Cafe" looks yummy, so we head there. I wanted to look at the menu before I drag everyone out of the car. We all know my picky eaters, so there has to be chicken strips or something like that on the menu :) I walk in and look at the menu....$23.00 for a CHICKEN SALAD?!?!?!?!?!?! Ok, plan B.... Burger King, here we come......
Day 7 - This is a day of just hanging out by the pool because at 1:45 Steve and I are going on a sunset cruise up the Na Pali Coast....how romantic..... I love going on these. We have taken one on Maui and Oahu... This was by far the best one... And the Mai Tai's MMMMMMMMM... That was a 4 hour trip and it was unbelievable... We got back to the condo and all the munchkins were quietly finishing up their homework (school gave them 3 hours a night to do for independent study) A little TV, and then off to bed...
Day 8 - Our last day :( ... We called the hotel lobby to see if we could get a late check out since our plane doesn't leave until 10pm...No such luck, so we go back to Lydgate Park to snorkel a little more, then back to the hotel because we can use the pool and stuff still they said. We all go swimming for a while, but we just aren't into it since we have to leave. We return our towels, head to Snorkel Bob's to return our gear, then return the rental car and head to the airport....
WHERE DID ALL THE DAYS GO?!?!?!? It seems like we just got here.... Until next time....
