A Very Merry 30 in Hawaii

For our drive from the airport to the hotel, we decided to take full advantage of our convertible. We put the top down and drove through the picturesque Tree Tunnel. This consists of a beautiful canopy of over 500 Eucalyptus trees that line Maliuhi Road. This is a stunning gateway to Kauai's South Shore and the towns of Koloa and Poipu, and a beautiful glimpse into the gorgeous ecosystem of flora and fauna that this island holds.

What makes food taste even better? Amazing music and an open view to accompany it. The Seaview Terrace served up some delicious, fresh caught fish, along with live Hawaiian music set to a backdrop of ocean waves crashing onto the beach.

Our stay for the next two nights, the Grand Hyatt, definitely lived up to its "Grand" name. The hotel had its own private beach and so many pools and restaurants that we started to lose count. Somehow, despite being so massive, the place still had a very cozy, intimate vibe, unlike some similar resorts that we've stayed at in the past. The staff was very warm and kind, and they even gave us a bottle of champagne for a special birthday welcome. Our patio opened up to a beautiful lawn with the beach and ocean behind it, making it perfect for enjoying sunsets and sunrises. The room itself was massive and perfect for a relaxing getaway. The star of the resort was definitely the massive pool complex, which included a lazy river, an artificial lagoon with its own little beach next to the natural beach (beach-ception!), a pool slide, multiple hot tubs, an adult-only pool, bars on different levels, cabanas, and pretty much anything else you could ask for. We're not ones to normally talk about swimming pools at a hotel much, but this one definitely takes the cake. One could argue that this is one of the best swimming pool systems in any hotel in the world. We also loved the lounge area, the perfect spot for light complimentary snacks and non-alcoholic beverages after swimming, with gorgeous views and the sounds of the ocean waves. I think our favorite part of this resort though, was being able to wander the grounds during sunset/sunrise and enjoy the stunning views!

We started the day with a beautiful sunrise. While we are normally sunset chasers, this was definitely a sunrise that was worth the early wake up. Seeing the twilight break into the iridescent golden hues as the sun came over the top of the cresting Pacific waves was a sight that we won't forget anytime soon. The dramatic cloud backdrop, since we were there during rainy season, made this particularly stunning. This was followed up with a fantastic couples massage at the hotel's award-winning spa. Nestled in the palm trees with a backdrop of tweeting birds, this soothing massage definitely helped roll back some years spent hunched over my laptop. This was the perfect calm before the adventure storm of the rest of our day. After the massage, we picked up a quick complimentary breakfast from the lounge and then headed off to our helicopter tour.

Words cannot begin to describe this experience so hopefully our photos do it some justice. This is hands-down the coolest helicopter ride we've ever taken. The expert pilots at Hughes will take you over waterfalls and canyons where Jurassic Park, King Kong, and many other Hollywood films were shot. The ride will give you unbelievable views of the dramatic Napali coastline. You'll also get to see the incredible geology created from the lava flows over thousands of years. Since we had gone during the rainy season, there were waterfalls everywhere, flowing off the sides of the canyons. One of the coolest experiences in this already incredible ride was going into the Mount Waialeale crater, known as the "Blue Hole". Here, we were surrounded by waterfalls on all sides. It was exhilarating (read: slightly terrifying) being so close to the walls of the mountain in a helicopter, but we felt very safe in the hands of our expert pilot. The doors-off nature of the entire ride made it even more enthralling, as it really felt like we were flying right over these incredible sights, with nothing between us and nature. 12/10 would recommend to anyone visiting Kauai and very much worth the expense. This is a truly unique experience that shouldn't be missed.

The Maha'ulepu Heritage Trail starts right at the end of the beach connected to the Hyatt and extends all the way along the coastline to Mahaulepu Beach near Kawailoa Bay. While we didn't end up doing the entire trail since we had already had a very full day and were tired, we'd definitely recommend it. It is filled with sweeping vistas of the ocean, with waves crashing against the rugged sea cliffs. If you peer down, you can see tidepools forming along the bases of the ocean walls. A perfect way to digest our Puka Dog and get our appetite ready for dinner!

For my birthday dinner, Michelle booked us a table at the Tidepool Restaurant, situated in the heart of the Grand Hyatt. The restaurant consists of a series of huts banked on all sides by ponds filled with koi fish. The food itself was really good but passing the time between courses watching the koi fish playing around in the water is what truly made it a unique experience.

One of the best parts about this resort is that it really has bits of everything that you'd want on a vacation all present within the grounds, whether its hiking, swimming in the ocean, basking by the beach or the pool, or eating delicious food at all the different restaurants. After the adrenaline rush of the helicopter tour earlier in the day, it was perfect to be able to go on a hike, settle in the lounge to read, have dinner, and retreat to the comforts of our room and go to bed, all without needing to drive anywhere. Also, the central lobby area has a number of resident parrots. If you have some free time, go introduce yourself to them as they are a blast! One of them loves the Hawaii Five'o theme song, and he did a whole dance for us when we played it on my phone.

There were multiple options for our sailing charter but we picked Holo Holo Charters (https://www.holoholokauaiboattours.com/kauai-boat-tours/napali-snorkel-sail) based off of their sustainability commitments, local roots, boats built in Kauai, and exceptional reviews and reputation. They also had a sunrise snorkeling option which we were particularly excited for, and boy did they deliver! Not only were the captain and crew very kind, informative, and professional, but the views were absolutely stunning and they even provided surprisingly good food, beverages, and local beer onboard. About 45 minutes after setting sail, the captain parked the boat in a cove so we could hop out for snorkeling. Pro tip: stay in the water until after most people have got themselves back on board. Use a noodle to make it easier. Trust me on this one, because once all the people had hopped out, the aquatic life really started to come out from hiding and we got to a see a sea turtle swimming amidst a school of fish. Back on board, we continued up the stunning Nāpali Coast where we were accompanied part of the way by a pod of dolphins. And then, to top it all off and complete the whole trinity, we got to see a pair of whales swimming off into the distance! This was all set along the majestic backdrop of the Waimea Canyon walls. On the way back, the captain let down the sails and we picked up some real speed to fly along the waves. All in all, an absolutely tremendous experience. From air to sea, Kauai provides for any type of adventure you could be looking for.

We found out that the original chef from Japanese Grandma's Cafe set up his own food truck on the eastern side of the island, so we headed there for dinner. It was a great setup with string lights beautifully decorating a well-covered eating area in front of the food truck itself. And the sushi was MINDBLOWING! I've had many omakase experiences on the mainland that paled in comparison to the sushi quality being provided here, and for a very reasonable price at that! Highly recommend going here for a full meal or just as a snack, you will not be disappointed. Also, that miso soup particularly hits the spot after a long day of adventuring, but probably also at any time.

About 15 minutes further north along the eastern coast was our stay for the night at the Aston Islander! While it may perhaps not have the grandiosity of the Grand Hyatt, it still offers stunning views of the ocean and was just what we needed for one night. By staying here, we could access the eastern coast easily the next morning before our flight the next day. And before we left, we got to enjoy a beautiful sunrise walk along the Waipouli Beach adjacent to the hotel.

Our first stop of the day was at the Kīlauea Lighthouse. The birds had already been up and about long before we were, and from this beautiful lookout, we got to not only see the picturesque lighthouse but a variety of the unique avian wildlife that calls Kauai home, including the Laysan Albatross, the Hawaiian Goose, the Red-Footed Booby, and many more! The Hawaiian Goose, also known as Nene, even have their own road crossings so be careful while driving. They are adorable and will be more than happy to stop for you to take a photo.

Next, we picked up some breakfast burritos at the Saenz Ohana Breakfast food truck, which was super popular amongst the locals. We took this down to the Hanalei Beach to enjoy our brunch while watching tourists and locals alike on their surfboards take on the waves gently crashing into the shoreline. On our way there, we also noticed the Aloha Juice Bar and picked up some delicious, fresh-squeezed fruit smoothies to pair with our burritos. The fruit in Hawaii is outstanding in general, and this was one of the best smoothies I've ever had.