Kauai
Contents
CHILLIN OUT MAXIN RELAXIN ON KAUAI
WE LIKE ALL HAWAIIAN ISLANDS, OK?
When people ask what our favorite Hawaiian island is, it’s so hard to choose. I mean, I vomited my way through Maui but what I saw was great. Oahu is amazing and you can never go wrong. And the Big Island, particularly walking on lava, is bloody incredible. So yeah, they all rule. And yeah, it’s impossible to choose the “best” one, I think whatever one you happen to be on at the time is the best one.
Anyways, it’s been a minute since we were able to visit Kauai, and buy a minute I mean five or six years or something, so I’m strictly going off memory but it was awesome and that’s all you need to know. And, of course the following:
(Oh, and a side note: We are supposed to go back to Kauai in a few months…we’ll see if the bloody quarantine is lifted by then.)
- We loved snorkeling in Poipu. Honestly, all the snorkeling we did in Kauai was cool because it just feels so rural and spread out. But in Poipu I saw my first lobster in the wild, and Caitlin didn’t even try and eat it.
- We ate a couple times at the world-famous (or at least Hawaii-famous) Duane’s Ono-Char Burgers, which a quick Google search shows is permanently closed. WHY?! It was delicious and a fun Hawaiian-feeling place to have a feed.
- THE FREAKIN AMAZING NAPALI COAST! Seriously, hiking the Napali Coast was not just the highlight of our trip but one of the great experiences of my life. Since Google is a thing, I ain’t gonna do a tour guide or nothin, but suffice it to say it’s bloody amazing. The views are so incredible from almost everywhere. The hike gets muddy and slippery and a bit sketchy in parts, but it’s the best hike I think I’ve ever done. Plus, there’s a secret beach pretty close to the start which is super cool. And at the top of the hike, there’s a pretty big waterfall called Hanakapiai which is pretty stunning. Even though it was a bit dreary when we got there, I took a dip underneath it. Was it freezing? Oh yes. Was it emasculating? Certainly. Was it worth it? Too much bro, too much. And even cooler (Ok maybe not cooler, but still cool), there was a little pack of tiny black wild mountain goats grazing on the hillside. Just incredible all around. I think it was a mostly all-day thing, and parking sucked really bad. I hear you have to get there way early to get decent parking, but c’mon, we were on vacation, I ain’t waking up early for a bloody parking spot. The verdict: Go!
- We went to the blowhole, which is pretty much just that: A place in the lava rocks where water shoots out like a whale’s blowhole. It’s real name is the Spouting Horn but whatever. It’s kinda cool, and if you’re in the area, probably worth checking out. Since we were in the area, there was no harm and no foul. But I probably wouldn’t go toooooooo far out of my way to see it.
- Kauai’s Grand Canyon is amazing. Seriously. It’s easy to access and we just kinda walked around the staircases around it, but it’s so lush and beautiful and yeah, pretty dang grand. I mean, at the time I hadn’t seen the real Grand Canyon, but the Kauai one is pretty phenomenal. Plus, when we went to Kauai, Caitlin wasn’t pregnant and puking (she was at the Grand Canyon), so that was a plus.
- One thing I thought was cool and crazy is that Kauai has such well-defined “sides.” It goes from lush and tropical and jungle to total desert. It’s pretty cool to drive and just see it switch.
So…what did we miss? Hit us on Facebook or Instagram or YouTube and tell us how we’re the worst travelers ever and missed the best parts of Kauai, or drop us a line at [email protected].
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GEAR
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I kinda repeat this section on every blog post, but seriously, this is all stuff we have and use, nothing filler. Below are some of the items we took:
ESSENTIAL BABY GEAR FOR THE LIGHT-PACKING WORLD TRAVELERS:
Now I’m gonna dad out on this section, and I do not apologize. Some of this stuff would have meant nothing to me pre-child and now it changes my life daily. So buckle up it’s gonna get dad-ish in here.
OH MY GOODNESS THE DOONA STROLLER CARSEAT: Yes, it’s expensive, but if you travel (and even if you don’t) this is a MUST! It’s a car seat that pops into a stroller immediately. I never have to lug my baby around in a car seat. On the plane, you roll it to her seat, pop it into car seat mode, and strap it to the seat (FAA approved size). In Japan we made it a car seat on trains and stuff where things were crowded then a stroller when we got off. Seriously and truly the best baby thing we own. It makes it so you don’t have to take two pieces of gear, which is rad.
Ergobaby Carrier: So nice to just plop baby in and carry her around Japan (or the house). She loves it, we love it, win win win.
Lots and Lots of Diapers: I already mentioned this but we just lined our bags with diapers rather than take them in their bulky packaging.
Pacifier/Toy Clip: As clean as Japan is, we didn’t want to be picking up binkies and toys off the bathroom floor, so we would clip them to baby or her stroller or whatever and they never fell or got lost, plus she could always reach them.
Stroller Cover: Super basic, but it kept baby out of the elements and let her sleep. Caitlin was also able to use it as a nursing cover.
Baby Changing Pad: Even though Japan has HEAPS of changing tables and is very family friendly, I don’t trust those tables…I’ve seen what babies do to them. So we would put down a pad just to be sanitary and safe.
Baby Cloud Suit Peg Leg Thing: This isn’t actually the one we took, but we got this one piece fleece suit thing (with clouds on it, so we called it her cloud suit). We got one a size big on purpose so we could just put it on over her outfit when it got cold. Plus, it made her look like a pegleg which was fun.
SwaddleMe Swaddles: We’ve loved these since the dad baby was born, and they help her sleep sooooo much better.
BELOW IS STUFF WE TAKE EVERYWHERE
Caitlin’s Stupid Awesome Space Saver Day Pack Thing: I told her she had way too much junk when she bought this, but I digress: You win, Caitlin, and if you only read this blog you’d see me say this. Oh well. This bag was SUPER cheap, amazing to take on day trips, and folds up into practically nothing. Seriously, just do it now.
Amazon Prime: C’mon, it’s 2020. Get free 2-day shipping (which was necessary since we always found something we needed at the last minute) and lots of good music and TV/movies which make road trips more enjoyable. Try it free and you won’t be disappointed. Plus, pretty much everything below will ship to you free in 2 days in the USA.
AUKEY Powerbank External Portable Charger: This thing has saved us many times. It’s nice to have around the house, but it’s nicer to have during a long flight or a 12 hour day at Machu Picchu. It has 2 USB inputs and charges our iPhones really fast. It’s a bit bulky, but we get 2-3 charges from it each time. SO worth having.
Anker External Portable Charger: Yes, we take 2 portable chargers on our trip. This one isn’t as long-lasting, but it’s much smaller and lighter. It’s a bit annoying charging 2 every night, but really worth it to have charged phones the entire day.
My Pants: Ever since my days braving the brutal Wellington rain in a suit, I HATE having wet pants. These Columbia pants were perfect to put on over my jeans if I needed, which I only did a couple times. Never got even a drop under them. Well worth it.
My Bag: As I said above, we travel LIGHT. Especially with cheap airlines like Ryanair, where things are expensive, having a versatile bag is a must. This bag is not incredibly nice, but it has a lifetime warranty and it can cinch down to unbelievably small sizes. It’s made it through 6 continents with no problems yet.
Ponchos: Another must for pretty much whenever. Just get something waterproof that won’t blow off immediately.
Towels: These ones are awesome because they fold up small and dry incredibly quick. We got an off brand, our friend Loinz has an original Packtowl which he raves about. Your call.
Space Saver Bags: These have proved invaluable on our travels. It’s amazing how small clothing can shrink down to in one of these! Highly recommended.
Outlet Plugs: Of course, when traveling overseas you need a plug
adapter. We’ve had these exact ones for at least 5 years. We’ve taken them to 6 continents and they’re still going strong. And, they’re super cheap and have everything you need all in one, so you don’t have to bring a bunch of different parts. Highly recommended.
Aux Cable: You probably already have a million of these. Most cars we’ve rented have a USB that connected directly to the music, so we could charge our phones and blast tunes at the same time. The longer cable is nice so if someone is in the backseat they can still charge and control the music or navigate or browse Instagram or whatever)
Carry On Luggage Bag: This is the first time we’ve taken a carry-on bag, but we needed it for diapers. We usually fly Delta so we got one that was within their measurements.
MacBook Air: OK this is probably pushing it for necessities, but I do have to work on the road and it’s perfect to take with us. Small, lightweight, powerful, and mine has a pink cover for good measure.
MISCELLANEOUS
Caitlin and I are on T-Mobile, which is awesome because we can text and use data for free. This meant navigation was all free (didn’t have to rent a GPS) and we could find attractions on the go, as well as me managing the business from afar without searching for Wi-Fi. So good!
If you don’t have TSA Global Entry, I highly recommend it. Not only do you get through TSA lines quickly and without removing shoes, belts, and liquids, but you also get to come back through customs much faster. It probably saved us at least 1-2 hours this trip.
One of the best travel tips I’ve ever had is to save clothes you’re going to throw away or donate and wear them on trips. Along the way, toss or donate them. Not only does it feel amazing having an empty pack on the way home, but on a strict airline like Ryanair, you’ll avoid heavy baggage fees. I ditched everything I took except what I wore home and it was awesome…except when Caitlin put her clothes into my bag without me knowing.
