Kauai - The Na Poli Coast

This is the reason we chose the island of Kauai - the north shore. It is this beautiful expanse of cliffs, valleys, and secret beaches. We knew we wanted to see these breathtaking views of nothing but deep blue ocean. There is a 22 mile hike you can take to a secret beach. BUT, you have to carry all your camping gear and food and purify water after you find a source. That is outside of our skill sets. So, we chose a shorter, but still spectacular 8 mile hike. After 2 miles of beautiful north shore to a little beach, we headed inland for 2 more miles through the jungle until we reached a fantastic waterfall. Then we reversed our hike to head home. Let's just say it was a good workout. And it was worth every step.

The start of our hike

Looking back at Ke'e Beach

We were torn between wanting to stop to take tons of pictures and wanting to keep hiking at a fast pass so we wouldn't get passed by other hikers...

I could die here.

Starting back down towards the beach

  

The beach 2 miles into the hike. During the summer months there is a lot more beach. During the winter months, the tides come up to those rocks.

Heading back towards the waterfalls

A small freshwater pool on our way to the big pool. Swimming in this little pool was one of the best times of my life!

Finally here at the waterfall, 4 miles in. This pool was extremely cold and those kids on the rock are crazy.

Back at the small beach, 6 miles in, it's late afternoon and this beach is covered in shade.

Last 2 miles of the hike. Late afternoon sun shining over the Na Poli coast.

Less than a quarter mile until we are finished...and we are hurting pretty bad!

Kauai - Part 3

One of our most favorite days in Kauai (let's get real - everyday was as equally fantastic as the day before), was when we went to a beach on the North side of Kauai called Lumahai Beach. One the way up to Lumahai, we encountered this small breakfast/lunch place called Tutu's Soup Hale. It got phenomenal reviews on TripAdvisor, so we decided to check it out. And we were not disappointed!

When we first arrived, there were only 2 people working. Just the owners, no waiters. We took the owners advise and ordered something sweet and something savory. Chase ordered the Hawaiian bread french toast with coconut icing and I ordered scrambled eggs with cheese, tomato, and avocado over an everything bagel. They warned us it would take awhile because it was just the two of them cooking and if we were in a hurry, we ought to come back. 

Everything about this place was unique. Before we took our seats on the porch, the owner gave me a battered copy of a "Origin of Names" book. So we looked up our names and read about what the "universe" said our personalities are like based on our names. Not always accurate, but entertaining none the less. We also had a beautiful view of the mountains. We didn't order coffee, but other patrons did, and it was delivered to their table in a french press.

When our meals came, well let's just say they didn't disappoint. In fact, the Hawaiian sweet bread french toast with coconut icing was literally the most delicious thing we have ever had. It was absolutely fantastic. And it was HUGE! We both ate generous portions, and we couldn't finish it (of course, we were working on my breakfast too). We even requested more coconut icing - although I am positive it was absolutely awful for us. Also - notice the huge hunk of butter in the picture. Yea...that got used to. We figured we would burn it off on our 8 mile hike..right???

After leaving Tutu's completely full...too full. We headed up to our destination - Lumahai Beach. It was a cloudy day and slightly rainy, but we thought it would clear up. It never did, but it ended up being one of the best adventures anyway. Because it was slightly rainy and cold, there was hardly anyone at the beach. We took advantage of this by being brave and jumping into the stream the flowed from the beach into a river. It was the most beautiful and clear freshwater! We also took full advantage of this rope swing.

We crossed this shallow area (dividing the stream from the ocean) and climbed upon the lava rock. Because we were going to get wet (and it was rainy anyway), we just brought our bathing suits and sandals. Unfortunately no cameras!

But here is a picture of the lava rock we traversed. It seems much much larger when you are walking around on it. We did lots of climbing. Also, this is only about 20% of it. We went around the corner so we were completely obscured from view and continued our adventure.

                                                                                                                                         Property of  Pono Photo

We found small tide pools within the lava rock of warmer water. They are home to small fish. We sat on the very closest edges of the lava rock so that the huge ocean waves hitting the land would just drench us. We couldn't believe the forcefulness of the ocean. It is so incredibly powerful. It we had fallen, we definitely would have drown. 

Chase walked a little farther than me on the other side to explore this huge pool made my lava rock. I didn't want to go because it was literally teeming with black crabs. And I just couldn't handle that. He had to cross this lower area of rock and then do some climbing to see this little pool. Right after he had finished walking on this lower area of rock, a huge wave came in and completely covered it with several feet of icy water. The tide pulling the water back to the ocean was incredibly strong. But the potential danger of it all was really making it exciting!

I found this on the internet as well.

After exploring the lava rock, Chase and I played in the waves at Lumahai Beach. Since it was rainy and windy, the waves were super high and strong. This beach already came with a high surf warning and was not indicated for swimming, but we were already living on the dangerous side. I was seriously afraid for our lives when we ventured too far out into the waves because they were so powerful. The final straw was when I got pounded so hard from a wave, it knocked my swimsuit *almost* completely off and held me underwater for several seconds and dragged me 30 feet. I couldn't control my body at all, I was completely at the mercy of the wave. My better judgment kicked in (finally), and we called it a day.

We finished the day with a delicious dinner at The Eastside. Highlight was the fries with the garlic aioli sauce.

Chase and I will remember this private adventure for the rest of our lives!

Kauai- Part 2

On our second full day in Kauai - Chase and I decided to visit a beach on the western shore of Kauai called Polihale Beach. This beach is the longest bit of shoreline in all the Hawaiian Islands at 7 miles long. It is so vast and incredible.

Chase and I drove our rental car to this beach - but often 4 wheel drive is recommended. It took us over an hour. Once we got to the western side of Kauai, we entered this ridiculously bumpy dirt road. I forget how many miles of dirt road we had to drive on to get back to Polihale Beach, but it took about 30-45 min. I think they keep the road like that to keep traffic to the beach down. We literally could only drive 10 mph...and were constantly worried about the fiasco that would occur if our car were to break down. But that didn't stop us!

When we arrived at Polihale - it was incredibly beautiful! A huge sandy beach that seemed to never end! But what we weren't prepared for was the ridiculously strong winds. We saw several locals that had driven there cars on the beach and put up huge tents to block themselves from the wind. They just sat on lawn chairs and enjoyed the view of the water. Chase and I attempted to lay down on our towels on the beach, but the wind whipped little sand particles at us and it seriously stung. So we didn't last long. Oh if only it wasn't so windy!! It was so beautiful!

 View of Kauai's North Shore coast line from Polihale Beach

Look at those waves!

We did stop and take a dip in the Queen's Pool, which is a shallow expanse of water that is incredibly calm due to the rocks and corral reef that stop the waves from getting in.

Queen's Pool

Later that night, Chase and I went to a delicious dinner at Duke's Canoe Club. Right next to our hotel. They had a terrific salad bar!

Look at my handsome husband... I am one lucky woman!

After dinner we were roaming around the shops and came across this kooky basket weaver. He was looking for his weed. He engaged us in conversation to discuss his coconut leaf basket that he weaved himself. It even came with a fish and a rose! He said he was contracted on a Nick Nolte movie and his name is in the credits. Now he lays tile, but he still hasn't lost his talent! We bought this for $10.

Kauai - Part 1

Chase and I just spent a week in Hawaii on the island of Kauai. It was fantastic for so many reasons. First, it's not the most popular island, but arguably the most beautiful. It rains quite often (the highest point gets 460 inches of rain a year), making it incredibly green with lush plant life all around. There isn't really a hopping night life, which was great because it cut down on the loud partiers who normally accompany a vacation. We got to explore this island with minimal crowds and quiet nights. It was just like we imagined it would be when we booked the trip. We wanted a raw look at one of the most beautiful places in the world.

We arrived in Kauai at 2pm Hawaii time on Saturday. It was cloudy with a little bit of light rain here and there and super windy, but we didn't let this deter us. We knew to expect this at times. We headed to the grocery store to stock up on a few items for the room. We drove around the local area to be acquainted with it, then headed back to the hotel. We ate dinner that night at a restaurant called "Bull's Shed." It was a little old school (lots of elderly there for the salad buffet), but to it's credit, it did have a fantastic view of the ocean. It was right over the water with windows all across the back side for a panoramic view of the ocean. We watched the stormy waves crash into the rocks below until the view was completely obscured by darkness.

The next day we woke up SUPER EARLY. I mean like 5:30am. Earlier than I wake up for work. Thank you, jet lag. We grabbed some champagne and orange juice and snuck it down to the beach to watch the sunrise.

Our hotel, the Kauai Marriott, is right in front of Kalapaki Beach which sets inside a bay, making the water much calmer. We watched cruise ships come in and out almost everyday.

After the sunset, we grabbed breakfast at Kukui's...the pool side restaurant at the Marriott. We went there at least 5 times. We took advantage of the beautiful beach and laid out for a bit after breakfast. Chase was torn that UNC was playing in the elite 8, and really wanted to see the game. Luckily he was able to stream most of it on his iPhone!

We loved being on beaches all week long. We figured we can lay out at in pool in Arizona literally year round. So why not take advantage of the beach while we have it??

Before this trip, we had done a lot of research. We knew we wanted to explore this beautiful island. We had to see as much as possible! In the afternoon we headed down to Poipu, which is on the south side of the island and nearly always sunny. Shipwreck Beach was our destination.

The road to Poipu

Shipwreck Beach

The treacherous black rocks

We arrived here and immediately tried to spot a section of beach without the black rocks. Not much success there. We decided to embrace their presence. The waves crashing into the shore were pretty rough. Even so, Chase and I love playing in some big waves, so we carefully stepped onto the hot, black rocks and made our way to the ocean. We realized how unstable those little rocks are, especially with the powerful waves crashing into them. Luckily, we made it to the ocean injury-free to enjoy some awesome waves.

Over to our left is a huge rock. More like a cliff. We saw people climbing in the woodsy area and then surfacing right at the cliff's edge. We wondered if anyone ever jumped...and we didn't have to wonder long. Soon enough a brave dude came and jumped off the cliff at the egging on of his buddies. He seemed to be fine - so Chase and I decided we would at least climb the cliff and go "look.

The Cliff

Looking down off the cliff

That's when Chase suggested that we jump. In fact, he suggested that HE would jump first! Wow! And I spent our whole relationship thinking this guy was afraid of heights! We put our belongings behind a tree, next thing I know, Chase walks up to the edge of the cliff and just goes for it - without even thinking! I was beyond impressed. Then realized it was my turn. I just went for it, no thinking involved. Let me tell you - it FEELS way farther than it looks. In reality, it was about a 35ft drop. It was fantastic hitting the crystal blue water.

Swimming back to shore was another story. We have to swim diagonally away from the cliff back to shore to avoid hitting some major rocks. It was exhausting and the water was still really deep (which creeps me out). Not to mention Chase was swimming way faster than me. Little did we know that the most treacherous part about this whole adventure would be climbing out of the water by way of the black rocks. We had done this once before, it this was a few hours later, and the waves had picked up. We stumbled on the black rocks, attempting to "get set" on all fours whenever a wave crashed in. This worked earlier, but because the waves were so much stronger, every time one came crashing in, we were completely knocked off balance and sent crashing into the rocks. I felt myself panic real quick that it was extremely possible that one or both of us could end up very injured. Especially since we were exhausted from the swim.

Thankfully, we made it out with only a few bumps and bruising (mainly Chase's left thigh took a bad beating). Some other dudes that jumped off the cliff after us came out bleeding. Wussies!

These guys jumped after us - but it took them forever..they were so nervous.

Puff Pastry Rolls = an experiment.

I wanted to make a special dinner for my honey - just because he is so great. Also, I was inspired by Pinterest. This is a rare occurrence for me, as I am not a "pinterest crazy." But, motivation actually struck! So here it is:

Started off with a refreshing drink. And so simple:

White wine + fresca + ball jar = so good.

I saw a recipe on pinterest for pizza rolls. I used the same principle, but traded out the pizza crust for puff pastry, and threw in some more sophisticated flavors.

Step 1: Gather all the ingredients

I used mozzerella cheese (half fat-free, half part skim), arugula, prosciutto, fresh basil, roasted red peppers, and some goat cheese (not pictured.) Meanwhile, I let the puff pastry thaw.

Step 2: Throw it all on the puff pastry

Step 3: Roll it all up and slice it (I also used an egg wash)

At this point in the game, I was a little nervous. The rolls seemed so unstable and about to fall apart. I was sure this was a "Pinterest Fail." However, never underestimate the power of Puff Pastry.

Step 4: Bake at 375 degrees for 20 or so minutes until they look like this:

Ta-daaaaa! This is the most Marla-ish thing I've ever made. I dedicate these to my mom, Marla, who can make the most delicious looking hors d'oeuvres ever!

Breckenridge

We went to Breckenridge, Colorado to celebrate Melinda's 60th birthday with friends and family, and also to snowboard! Chase has been snowboarding since he was young, and he is very talented. I took a lesson and still consider myself a novice.

The mountains are so beautiful!

Chase getting heel side

All the MacFarlands before Melinda's birthday dinner

The whole crowd!