Kauai Coconut Diaries: Day 3 (and a half)

Our final (full) day was spent exploring the south and west sides of the island.  The five of us (for the last time) piled into the rental car, buckled up, and embarked on our daylong drive.

Little Fish Coffee

In the charming town of Hanapepe, we made a pit stop for morning coffees at this cute cafe find.

With our caffeine levels restored and our personalities a bit more buzzed, it was back onto the road for us.

The cemetery.  Since we were in town, my grandparents felt a visit necessary.  

It was especially sad to see my grandpa hobbling up and down the aisles looking for his friends.  I'm glad, however, to have met those who've made my grandparents so happy in the past.

Kauai Coconut Diaries: Day 2

Day two of my family's vacation in Kauai was kicked off with Kauai Backcountry Tubing Adventures through the irrigation system of the former Lihue Plantation.

Kauai Backcountry Adventures

Bright and early, my mom, brother, and I, all piled into vans and headed off for three full hours of tubing fun.

Mount Waialeale

During the (extremely bumpy) ride over to the tubing site, we took a little pit stop at a scenic overlook of Mount Waialeale, the rainiest place on Earth.

"Does anyone know what Mount Waialeale is famous for?" asks our friendly, smiley tour guide, Lexie.
"The wettest place on Earth!" I answer without a moment's thought.
"No!" she laughs.  "That's the ocean.  Mount Waialeale is the rainiest place on Earth."

Then, a short nature walk.

And then finally, finally, after much talk of dos and don'ts, we got into the tubes.

"Does anyone have a question for me before we get into the tubes?" asks Lexie.
"How cold is the water?" a tuber shouts from the back of the pack.
She's all smiles as she replies through laughs, "Brisk and refreshing!"
We laugh in response.
"Life-changing!"

Kauai Coconut Diaries: Day 1

Hey everyone!  So I've been in Kauai these past couple of days, but due to some technical difficulties with the blog, I've only had the opportunity to post now.

My family arrived on the island after a very brief flight over from Honolulu.  From Lihue Airport, the five of us piled into a rental car and began our journey through the Garden Isle.  This first day was mainly spent sightseeing and driving through history as my Grandpa Harry, Kauai born and raised, showed the family where he grew up as a boy.

First stop?

Tip Top Motel & Cafe

When my grandpa was a teenager, he delivered farm produce from his father's farm, making the drive from Kalihikai to Waimea.

"Especially watermelon!" my grandpa declares.  "My father's watermelon was famous on the island of Kauai."

A regular stop on his delivery runs was Tip Top Motel & Cafe, owned by a close family friend.  According to my Grandpa Harry, the place had a big patio and good food.  He often spent the night there and always made sure to fill up on the ono grinds.

"Eat, drink, be happy, sleep," grandpa tells me.

I ordered a Hawaii favorite: The Loco Moco (a bed of rice, a juicy hamburger patty, two eggs, and warm gravy to top it all off).

Driving . . . the main scenery?  Greenery.

After our bellies were warm and content, we piled back into the car to visit my grandma's cousin, Uncle Bobby.

We conversed briefly as we exchanged gifts, smiles, and memories.  Uncle Bobby, a kindly, generous man, also shared some of his original art pieces with us.  A former golfer, Uncle Bobby explains he decided to put down the golf club and instead pick up a paintbrush with his old age.

"How often do you go to art class?" my mom asks.
"I don't go to art class," Uncle Bobby smiles.  "I'm self taught."

We were all rather impressed.

The ladies, (grandma, mom, and me), decided to go for a bit of shopping.  The boys?  They decided to take a nap in the car.