Destinations

Friday, November 7, 2025

We spent our last couple of days doing exactly what a vacation should include: hanging out by the beach and pool, driving around the island while searching out places to eat and stop. We tried to book a Nā Pali Coast tour, but ocean conditions weren’t great and the available options were limited. We decided to save that for a future visit.

On the way to the airport, I had the familiar feeling that once we arrived in Hawaii, the next thing we’d know it would be time to go home. Vacations always seem to work that way.

Even though I’ve been to Hawaii many times, I never once felt a sense of “been there, done that” on this trip. In Waikiki, we stayed at the Royal Hawaiian. It’s a very nice hotel, and the staff was top notch. I’d always wanted to stay there, and it didn’t disappoint.

Kauai felt pretty much the same as I remembered, but Waikiki has changed. I used to love Waikiki—back when I was in my twenties and happy going out until all hours of the night. Somewhere along the way, both Waikiki and I changed. As one of our Uber drivers put it, “Waikiki is nothing but a city with a beach. Kauai is still an island.” I have to agree.

As we boarded our flight back to Los Angeles, I couldn’t help but feel a little sad that we couldn’t stay longer.

Wednesday, November 5, 2025

I did a few work related things in the morning and then drove to Lihue for saimin at Hamura Saimin. We’d eaten there on our last trip. It’s mostly a local spot, but there’s always a slow but steady trickle of tourists finding their way in.

After that we swung by Safeway. I wanted to grab some poke for the room, and honestly, I just like seeing what is available locally. I am always amazed at how expensive food is in Hawaii.

Once we got back to the hotel, I headed straight to the beach and rented a cabana. I’ll never get over how you can pay a resort fee and still have to pay extra just to sit on the beach at a beachfront resort. It’s ridiculous, but here we are.

The weather was partly cloudy — warm, tropical, and comfortable without being unbearably hot. I enjoy listening to the ocean while watching people frolic in the sand.  Every once in a while, I dipped into the ocean or pool. Continue reading →

We’d toured Allerton once before — the Best of Both Worlds tour — and loved it. This time, I was curious about their Sunset Tour, you visit the Allerton House and have dinner.   Sure enough, we ended up with the same guide who is very funny with a contagious laugh and knows his botanicals.

Quick refresher: Robert Allerton was born in 1873 into an absurd amount of money. He wanted to be an artist, wandered Europe for a while, eventually gave up, and on a whim stopped in Kauai. Weeks later, he bought the 62 acres that are now the Allerton Gardens. He created these outdoor “rooms,” built structures, and threw extravagant parties. I could never find much info about those parties online, but our guide said former estate workers told him that when the parties started, the staff basically vanished from sight. That tells you enough. Continue reading →

Monday, November 3, 2025 (Part 2)

After a quick break, we headed out to explore on foot. This was my first time staying in Poipu, and I’d heard there was a spot where sea turtles swim ashore to sleep at night. Sophon pulled it up on Google Maps — not right in front of our hotel, but close enough to walk.

As we got near, I was surprised to see a roped-off area with about twenty turtles resting on the sand. They were huge. A biologist was on-site answering questions, and I had plenty: Why this beach? Do they ever come up at the beach next to ours? Are these the same turtles every night?

She explained that this particular stretch of beach has a gentle slope and is naturally protected by rocks, making it a safe place for the turtles to sleep. They come ashore in the early evening and return to the water just before sunrise — they simply can’t rest as deeply in the ocean. It’s not the same group every night; this is one of only three places in the world where this behavior happens, and the mix of turtles changes daily, though they do see some individuals return a few times a week. Continue reading →

Monday, November 3, 2025

Early in my career, I spent six weeks traveling between Kauai and Maui. I couldn’t have asked for a better project — I fell in love with Kauai’s natural beauty and immediately understood why so many Hollywood productions were filmed here. Even now, simply driving around the island is one of my favorite things to do.

We drove from Poipu up to Kapaʻa, about 45 minutes. Passing through Wailua, I noticed the Coco Palms was still fenced off. It’s the iconic hotel where Elvis filmed the wedding scene in Blue Hawaii. Hurricane Iniki destroyed it in 1992, and ever since, there’s been endless talk of redeveloping it. Sadly, it still sits there today — fenced off, decayed, and frozen in time.

We had breakfast at Kountry Kitchen, one of my longtime favorites. Sophon went all in with the pork loco moco — shredded pork over rice, topped with an egg and smothered in gravy. I stuck with my usual Eggs Benedict. From there, we continued up to Hanalei Bay, stopping along the way to take in the views. When my parents retired, I used my miles to bring them to Kauai, and they absolutely loved it. I always think about how special that trip was. Continue reading →