Balch Family Blog

Saturday June 8, 2013
We had to get up at 3:00 am and leave our house at 3:30 to catch our 6:00 am flight to LAX where we transferred planes and then we were on our way to Lihue Airport on the island of Kauai. After we arrived and picked up our Dodge Caravan we headed over to Lydgate State Park. We checked out the beach and sights for a little bit before going to Chicken In A Barrel for lunch. It was very tasty. We headed north towards our timeshare that was located in Princeville. There is one major road the runs along the outside of the island. It took about 35 minutes from where we stopped in Kapaa for lunch. We checked into Bali Hai and got our first lei and delicious local juice. We headed to the grocery store next where we picked up some essentials (breakfast and lunch food). We ate frozen pizza for dinner on Mum and Dad’s balcony. We each had a 2 bedroom timeshare with a full kitchen.

Sunday June 9, 2013
With the change in time zones, sleeping in was not an option. Heather woke up early and went for a jog around the area. We went to the Information breakfast at Bali Hai. We tasted malasadas (Hawaiian donuts) for the first time and they were a hit with everyone! We packed our lunch and snacks and headed off to Hanalei Bay. We rented a boogie-board for the week and hung at the beach most off the day. The boys loved splashing in the water and we all had fun. When we were done with the beach we went back to the resort and played at the gorgeous pool and spa. We enjoyed fish and chips at Kalypso Island Bar & Grill.

Monday June 10, 2013
Our family headed out for a walk down to the cliffs that overlook the ocean first thing in the morning. It rained off and on during our walk. The sun rays breaking through the clouds were breathtaking. We scheduled a Luau for today, and the boys wanted Hawaiian style shirts to wear. We were on a mission and we were successful! We headed back to Lydgate beach and did some snorkeling in the pools that are created there by rocks. It was shallow enough to walk throughout and you really saw some beautiful fish. On our way back to get ready for the Luau, we stopped to grab some lunch from a food truck. The shuttle took us to the Kilohana Plantation. There were a ton of vendors showcasing their art. The food and drink hit the spot and we enjoyed the show.

Tuesday June 11, 2013
We enjoyed coffee and cinnamon rolls at the Princeville Market for breakfast. The Kilauea Lighthouse and Opaekaa Falls were our first two sightseeing stops for the day. We enjoyed a picnic lunch outside and under the shade of a huge tree. The roosters were all around and we even recorded one and then played it back for him. The boys were quite amused! After lunch we headed to Anini beach, where, with the help of a local resident, we found a beautiful beach right off the road. The boys and Heather got to see two sea cucumbers and jump into the ocean off a giant rock. Heather made a spaghetti dinner for everyone and then we went out for ice cream and shaved ice. We relaxed in the spa before heading to bed.

Wednesday June 12, 2013
We called this day Waimea Wednesday! It took us over two hours to drive from the north side of the island, down the east coast, around the south side and then up the west coast. There is a small section in the northwest part of Kauai (NaPali Coast) that doesn’t have any roads. We stopped at several lookouts along the road and the canyon is majestic and regal. While not as big as the Grand Canyon, the ocean views and green foliage makes it stunning! We took the road to the Kokee Museum and out to the last overlook. We headed back towards the coast and had lunch at the Island Taco. Carsten was in a shrimp mood so we went across the street at got his lunch from the Shrimp Station. After our tummies were full of tacos and macaroons, we headed further south to the Salt Pond. This was a great little bay that had huge rocks to block the waves, but the ground was rough on our feet since it wasn’t sand, but rather seashells and rocks. On our way back home we went to see the Spouting Horn. Beautiful area and it had a great little market. The evening was spent back at the resort where we enjoyed leftovers for dinner.

Thursday June 13, 2013
We headed to the end of the rode to check out some caves and beaches. Parking was limited so we skipped the wet caves and found parking near the dry cave. It was huge! Set in the side of a mountain that was covered with plants and roots. Our plan was to go to Tunnels Beach next. There were several warning signs about the huge waves so we had to hike down the beach for quite a while before finding a place to hang out. This was a great area for seeing fish. You didn’t even need to snorkel. The water was clear and the fish were colorful. The boys collected shells with their Gran. Our afternoon adventure was a kayak trip down the Hanalei River around to the Blue Lagoon for snorkeling. It rained several times, always short bursts, during the kayak adventure. Mark and Camden were together, and Heather and Carsten were together. Heather got a serious arm workout and Carsten enjoyed the ride! We cleaned up and went to Bouchons for dinner. The Mahi-Mahi was amazing in the coconut cream sauce.

Friday June 14, 2013
The morning was quiet. Heather and Carsten went to the pool and were joined by Camden later. There was a jewelry making activity that Heather enjoyed. Had a quick lunch in our place and headed to Port Allen to get on our catamaran to see the NaPali Coast. It was called a Sunset/Sight-See Dinner Cruise. What we got was a thrill ride that is probably reminiscent of the 3 hour tour on Gilligan’s Island. The waves were huge, and it was rough! The first part of it was very enjoyable, but as we turned to go to the north side, it became so rough that both Mark and his mom were seasick. There were positives to the trip including seeing sea turtles, dolphins, and the beautiful NaPali Coast.

Saturday June 15, 2013
For our last day, we headed to Queens Bath first. It was a hike down a trail, which was slippery in some spots. There was a beautiful waterfall along the way. The view was stunning from the trail out over the rocks to the ocean. Mark and his parents went on to explore, while Heather and the boys heeded the warning and turned back. Hanalei Bay was our choice to return to for our last day. Unfortunately, it was a rainy day and the rain was cold. After a couple of hours, we decided the spa might be a better choice. After resting and cleaning up we went back to the Princeville Marketplace for dinner at Frederico’s. Yes, we got Mexican food in Hawaii, and it was yummy! The return flight home was delayed, leaving us to sleep at the airport until about 2:45 am, where we got our flight. We had a 5 hour layover in LA, and finally made it home by 6:30 pm Sunday night.

Hawaii was fantastic! So much so, that Mark and I have started looking for jobs and real estate. Don’t get me wrong, I could leave next week, but I think we will be in Arizona for a while longer!

You can see over 500 photos from our vacation on our gallery webpage