Kauai - Poipu & Koloa

Today started off different than we expected. I made breakfast sandwiches for the family then Mike and I drove back to Princeville. Yesterday afternoon while I was trying to nap before the luau, I had a freak out moment. I was thinking about what purse I should wear with my dress to the luau and I realized I left my purse in the nightstand of our first rental condo. I tucked it into a nightstand drawer so I would not lose it and I left it. It’s been hanging out there with another family for three days! Yikes!!! I called the property manager and she said the next guests would be checking out today at 10:00 am so she thought it was best if I just waited until they left to go retrieve it so they would not be tempted to look in it. Mike and I drove back there and it was just where I left it, totally undisturbed. I’m so glad I remembered before we left this island. 

On the way back from Princeville we stopped at a chocolate factory. What a disappointment that was. We looked around for a few minutes and bought a small bag of chocolate covered macadamia nuts then drove back to Kapa’a. We stopped by the store for more drinks and headed home. 

We collected the boys and headed out to the south shore today. We visited Koloa and Poipu. We stopped by Spouting Horn Park and watched the spouting horn. It made such a loud noise before it blew. It was cool to see. They had the best souvenirs there. One of the vendors was very friendly and talked with us forever. He was Mike in about 20 years. We asked him for lunch tips. He suggested we check out Brennecke’s Restaurant because of its ambiance.

As we drove there were passed a bunch of houses for sale that were right on the ocean. They were smaller houses so we guessed they were about $1.5 million. We later learned they were $4 million. It was $1.5 million for the vacant lots. We won’t be buying anything here anytime soon.

Brennecke’s was in a great location. We sat up high looking out to the ocean near the Poipu Beach Park. The boys and I got some fruity drinks. Mike, Stephen and I all ordered the fish tacos. The fish was Ono which was a mild white fish. We’ve eaten a lot of fresh fish here and it’s all been great…and we hate fish at home! Kyle ordered nachos minus everything that came on them except for the cheese. Then he peeled off all the cheese and ate a $14 plate of tortilla chips. That kid. The food was good. Not as good as some we’ve had but the view and the service were perfect.

After lunch we went snorkeling at Poipu Beach Park. This was the BEST snorkeling we’ve experienced in Kauai. There were hundreds of different species of fish swimming all around us. We shot video on the GoPro but I don’t know if it will do it justice. I should have brought my phone in the water with me to capture some photos because the fish were so bright and beautiful. We felt like we were snorkeling in some rich person’s fish tank. It was awesome! This is a must visit spot for anyone coming to Kauai. 

We swam out to the small island near the beach because we were told that there may be seals out there napping. We did not see any. We also did not see any turtles here but we were not disappointed. When we were exhausted from snorkeling, the boys played on the playground equipment. Is it playing when they are wrestling and beating each other up while on the equipment? I think it is so that’s what I’m calling it. 

We then headed to Koloa Mill for some sweet treats. This ice cream shop has it all. They have a whole case of baked goods, racks of candy, lots of different coffee, shave ice and a bunch of unique ice cream flavors. We all opted for ice cream. Kyle, Mike and I got two scoops. We’ll see how that works out for my lactose intolerant family members later. The ice cream was delicious. Apparently, the waffle cones were so good that Stephen got a second cone since he only got one scoop of ice cream. 

We then drove back to Kapa’a. I got to drive this time so Mike could look at the scenery. There is one spot between Kapa’a and Poipu where you drive through a long tunnel where the trees have grown together so it’s like a canopy. There are so many huge trees here. We were told this part of the island does not get as much rain so it may be dry. These people don’t know dry. Everything was so green and the trees and bushes have so many different colored flowers in bloom on them. It’s a sight like we’ve never seen before. Kyle has enjoyed climbing in the trees at every opportunity to pick flowers for me. He drives me nuts but he is also so sweet. A lot like his dad! 😊 

We got home and watched movies. I made ravioli for dinner. We’re still trying to get through all the food we bought at Costco but there is no way that will happen. Tomorrow is our last full day in Kauai. I’m sad our vacation is nearing the end. 

Best thing about today: Stephen – “Snorkeling and seeing tens of thousands of fish”, Kyle – “Eating ice cream from Koloa Mill”, Mike – “Definitely snorkeling and seeing all the cool fish”, Amber – “The best snorkeling of our trip so far at Poipu Beach Park”