Here We Go . . . Kauai Time!

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November 2011 - This is actually our second trip to Hawaii. Why I didn’t blog the first trip is beyond me. The only thing I can think of is that we were too busy relaxing and enjoying the islands. Our last Hawaii trip was in May 2009 to Maui and the south shore of Kauai. Needless to say, we are in a very different place in our lives this time around - Landon John Broihier, at eight months old, joins us on his first official Broihier vacation.



Secretly, part of our motivation in moving to Santa Monica, CA was to try to get to Hawaii more. That’s how much we liked it the first time around. The flight is definitely more manageable coming from LA (last time we flew from NYC). However, this time we looked a little more like a traveling circus as we checked in with a bag each, a stroller, two laptops, a diaper backpack and a REI baby carrier . Landon has already flown almost a dozen times, so the flight wasn’t too bad, especially since we flew direct and left around 6:00 PM. He slept most of the way, and we were able to trade off holding him between the two of us.



We bought a package on Orbitz that included our flight, hotel & car rental. We picked up our rental at the airport and drove about 30 minutes to the north shore in Princeville. The St. Regis Princeville Resortis the farthest resort out, about a ten minute drive from “downtown” Princeville, which consists of one shopping center (with maybe a dozen stores in it). If you want remote, this is the place for you. With it being so late, we couldn’t yet see the picturesque scenery surrounding us. We knew it was there though - it’s why we had chosen to come back to Kauai.



Our check-in process was less than smooth - a mess up on Orbitz part (I think we’ll stick with reliable Expedia next time.), but we finally got into our room, and all three of us crashed for the night.



The next morning we woke up and explored the hotel. Although it was recently updated, it still has an older feel to it, which we decided is maybe due to it’s lack of color in the interior. With over two hundred fifty rooms it looks massive from it’s direct access to the beach and has a beautiful pool. So far, the service has been amazing as well. We were actually able to switch rooms so that we could get easy access and a view of the ocean. The skyline is just what I remembered - lush, romantic, and mysterious (like right out of our favorite TV show, LOST).



The sun seemed to be hiding from us, so we skipped our usual plan of heading to the water first thing. Instead, we headed into town, skipping over Princeville and going west to Hanalei, which is a more bustling town (and also the backdrop for the musical film South Pacific!). It’s quite adorable with lots of mom & pop shops & restaurants. We sat down at Hanalei Cafe-Bar-Deli that was serving Happy Hour deals. Sean enjoyed his first Steinlager and I tried a delicious guava daiquiri. Landon had his first taste of pineapple from our appetizer plate - he loved it!



Our night finished quickly with a quick exploration of the town, some apple pie & chai latte desert, and groceries for our room. Landon was definitely thrown off a little by the two hour time change. Not as reluctant to go to sleep, we had to slide his crib into the bathroom, so we could enjoy the rest of our evening together. Oh, how life changes so quickly. We crawled into bed and rented Super 8, a movie I highly do NOT recommend. Here’s to the rest of our vacation week . . . stay tuned.

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