Kauai: From good beaches to great ice cream

Above: Photo by Mary Pat Treuthart

It’s only natural for people to dream about Hawaiian vacations, especially this time of year. For some, that kind of vacation might be the holiday of a lifetime. For others, it might mean an annual affair. Whatever, it’s one of the easiest kinds of trips for Inland Northwest residents to make.

All it involves is a short hop to Seattle and then five hours and change to the island of your choice: Oahu, Maui, the Big Island (my favorite) and the island we’re now visiting – Kauai. As for places to stay, just consult TripAdvisor. Something should fit.

However you manage it, once you’re here, the experience is likely to remain with you for life. And if you come in early December, you’re not apt to find the crowds that show up at other times of the year.

Beaches? Kauai has a number of them. From Kee Beach at Haena State Park on the north coast to Keaha Beach Park, which sits at the far western coast. We spent one afternoon walking the sands at Lydgate State Park just outside Wailua.

Restaurants? You can drop a load at one of the resorts in Princeville, such as the St. Regis or the Westin (where we ate twice at the Westin’s Nanea Restaurant and Bar). Or you can eat at any number of street joints, such as Island Taco (which sits on the main drag, Kaumualii Highway, in Waimea) and enjoy fish tacos to die for.

To die for.

For after dinner, you can eat ice cream at, say, at Pink’s Creamery in Hanalei. Even better, at Lappert’s (three locations, in Princeville, in Kapaa and Hanapepe).

One thing you can do for free, besides beach visits, is what we did this afternoon: explore Waimea Canyon. Some refer to it is the “Grand Canyon of the Pacific,” which is a bit of a stretch. But it is an impressive sight, even if all you do is drive to the end and walk to the overlook spots, those not obscured by fog, instead of hiking the many trails.

Free and amazing. That’s what I call a dream