One week after surgery, Alan and I were off to Kauai with the girls. Praise God for letting us move forward with this trip despite my surgery! Although my left hand was in a splint, it was still a lot better than the big cast I had prior to the surgery. And although I was under strict orders from my orthopedist that I was not to submerge my injured hand in the water, which meant no swimming in Hawaii for me, I was still feeling incredibly grateful for getting to go on this trip at all.
We spent the first few days of our trip in the Poipu area, staying at the Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa. The resort was absolutely heavenly for the girls, as it had both a lazy river and a water slide. I had a feeling there wouldn’t be any need to leave the property for days. 🙂
For the first day, we never left the pool. I have to admit, it was a bit torturous for me to have that sparkling blue water in front of me and not being able to jump in it, especially since it was scorching hot. At times, I had to go back into our room for some air con relief (first world problems, I know), and read a bit, before rejoining them by the poolside again.
On Day 2, we convinced the girls to go out and explore a bit, beginning with delicious acai bowls for breakfast from a local marketplace!
After the yummy and nourishing breakfast, we drove about 50 minutes Northwest to hike Waimea Canyon, which is considered the “Grand Canyon of the Pacific.” En route, we stopped at a scenic outlook, and played a bit by a mini waterfall.
The actual hike wasn’t as pleasant as we had expected. The terrain was very difficult for the girls, and since Bridgette doesn’t do well in the heat, we had to turn back about half way into the hike.
The minute we got back to the resort, the girls were back in their swim attire and on the lazy river once again…
I signed us up for a luau that evening, and the girls and I got just a little dressed up for the occasion. 🙂 The luau I chose for us was the Luau Kalamaku, purely based on its positive online reviews. We splurged a bit to add the pre-luau train ride and it was well worth it. The train ride through the enormous plantation was very pleasant, and our favorite part was getting to feed the pigs en route!
Following the train ride, we started getting settled into the luau area. The girls watched the traditional Imu ceremony, got a couple of tattoos on their arms at the craft booth, and ordered their favorite Shirley Temple drinks.
The performances at the luau were pretty good, and we ended the evening with Alan and I dancing a bit on stage while the girls made goo-goo eyes at us the whole time. 🙂
The next day, we checked out of the Grand Hyatt to spend the last few days of our vacation in the Princeville area. On our way there, we stopped at Poipu Beach Park for some fun and excitement on the beach.
We stayed at the Westin Princeville, recommended by my friend Ginger. It’s a wonderful property for families, as it’s an all-suite resort. Each suite is quite spacious and has its own kitchenette, washer, and dryer, perfect for people traveling with young children. Right after we checked in, the girls immediately asked to check out the swimming pool and wasted no time to dive right in. 🙂
The pool was nice, but definitely not as kids-friendly as the Grand Hyatt. The slide was a tiny slide in the baby pool, and there was no lazy river. Still, we were happy with the serenity of the property and felt very relaxed being there.
I did have one work commitment while on the trip, and it was a site inspection at the St. Regis Princeville, which is the sister property of the Westin Princeville. There was a shuttle that circulated between the two properties throughout the day, and guests staying at the Westin were welcomed to not only dine at the St. Regis, but also to book spa appointments there. When I told the girls that I was going to tour the wedding venues at the St. Regis, they ofcourse asked to come along. 🙂
We met with the Catering Manager at the St. Regis, Michelle, who gave us a lovely tour of all their wedding venues on site. The girls were so curious, yet respectful, and asked a lot of great questions. After the site visit, Michelle was kind enough to invite us to stay to utilize the guest facilities there. Being in Kauai, the girls had their swimsuits underneath their dresses at all times, so we gladly accepted the offer and spent the entire afternoon by the poolside to enjoy the luxurious service of the St. Regis. What a treat!!
That night, instead of eating out, we bought some fish, bread, and vegetables at the market at Westin and Alan cooked us a delicious dinner at one of the grills around the pool. The girls were famished from swimming all day and ate every last bit of food on the table!
On our final day in Kauai, I signed Alan and the girls up for a full day of exciting adventures. From hiking on muddy terrain to kayaking to ziplining, their adrenaline was kept high as they mastered challenge after challenge. Due to my injured finger, I couldn’t join the fun, but was glad they had a great time.
It was hard to say good bye to this beautiful, lush island but alas, it was time to head home….but not before one final acai bowl! 🙂
Here’s a fun video that Bridgette edited of our trip! I loved all the awesome captures from our GoPro camera!
