Kauai – May 2023
Hotel: Sheraton Coconut Beach Resort
This adventure was extra special for us… heavy on the “adventure” part. We were traveling for the first time since having our son, Lionel.
Traveling with a 4-month-old is definitely not for the faint hearted. I knew that. But my son was perfect, and a vacation would be no different.
Fast forward to 2 hours in, and I was telling Joe how it sucked that we would have to live in Hawaii for the next few years because there was no way I was getting back on another plane with him as a baby.
We eventually landed after the longest plane ride ever, a.k.a. 5 hours, — and I’ve done 16 hour flights before — and Lionel was magically back to his normal self. Aside from the 4:45 a.m. wake up calls he had all trip due to the time change.
It was a long first day for everyone by the time we grabbed our bags, waited over an hour for the rental car, and got checked into our hotel, but we already had dinner reservations for that night to celebrate my first Mother’s Day. Did I forget to mention that? Such a relaxing experience.
The fish house was located at our hotel, so it was easy to leave the baby sleeping in his stroller for the remainder of the night while we were out. And as if our day couldn’t get any crazier, the chef accidentally put mayonnaise on our chocolate cake instead of a lemon glaze. Yes, mayo… All we could do is laugh and know that the next day could only go up from there.
South Shore: Poipu and Waimea Canyon
After a really early morning wake up call courtesy of Lionel, we headed out to explore the beautiful island of Kauai.
Our first stop was visiting Poipu beach. We walked around and enjoyed the water a bit where there was a small alcove that was blocked off by rocks. Since we had the baby with us, we weren’t planning to stay too long at any beach, but chose to move on to the next stop each time we reached his nap time.
Next, we took off to Pu’u o Kila lookout. The drive is pretty far and through some windy roads until you reach the very top point, and then you’ll walk about a quarter mile in to enjoy the incredible view. The trail does go on for 20 miles or so, but after asking a few people on their return, the initial view is the best to enjoy.
As we headed back down the mountain, we stopped at the Waimea Canyon overlook. (Tip: If you paid for parking at Pu’u o Kila already, the same pass is valid here.) The view is gorgeous, however, there were many turnouts on the way down that we passed that would have had much better views and closer to the waterfall.
After a long day, we headed back to the hotel before dinner, thankful Lionel was back to being perfect. Still not sure whose baby they made me watch on the plane.
North Shore: Tunnels and Hanalei Bay
Before starting our day, we made a detour to visit ‘Opaeka’a Falls. It was located under ten minutes from our hotel and would help nap time line up with the long drive following. It’s viewpoint is located right off the road and doesn’t require any hiking to see.
For the rest of the day, we planned to stop and enjoy all the beaches on the north shore of the island. The farthest, Ke’e beach, now requires a pre-booked parking or shuttle pass, so we wouldn’t be able to visit there.
Instead, we started our day at Tunnels beach. The beach is surrounded by gorgeous greenery and even some caves to its backside. Beware, though, the waves here are so large, swimming is prohibited.
After walking by the water a bit, we headed next to Hanalei Bay. This beach was much larger, and it was also much more crowded. Groups of people spread the length of the shore, while many also enjoyed the water.
We spent some time soaking in the sun and then headed into the little town right outside the beach. Filled with tons of gift shops and places to eat, it was the perfect stop for lunch before we got back to our hotel to put the baby to bed. Remember how early our days start?
Our final full day we spent back in Hanalei enjoying even more of the many restaurants in town and exploring all the gift shops for our souvenirs. And for the afternoon, we enjoyed some time poolside at our resort watching Lionel splash in the water.
Our first trip as a family of three was better than I could imagine and will be memories we have forever.
As for the flight home, Lionel was an angel, so looks like he’s tricked us into thinking we can do this again.
• Everyday Davis • 