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Waimea Canyon, Kauai

03/07/2014 by Jamie 12 Comments

While visiting Kauai we spent about half a day exploring the different lookout points of Waimea Canyon. There were such beautiful views of mountains and ocean! The only downside (for me) was getting a little car sick on the winding elevation climb to about 5,000 feet. My husband had a BLAST weaving our compact rental car up the sharp curves. Those two things might have been connected…

This gal was selling fresh fruit and drinks near the lookout. It only took a few minutes to get her attention away from the phone to fetch us some fresh cut pineapple (which was yummy and comparably priced to buying fresh cut fruit at the grocery store in Hawaii).

Because he saw this sign he thought he had SEEN THE NENE and told all his friends at school how he saw nene, turtles, and sharks. (We did actually see a flock of nene birds near our cabin, but since they are endangered we kept our distance).

He was so excited to be at the top of the mountain, but kept asking where the snow was.
Other Kauai posts:

Barking Sands, Kauai (PMRF)

28/06/2014 by Jamie 40 Comments

We recently spent 3 days and 3 nights at a beachfront cottage at Barking Sands, Kauai. It’s on the Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF) which is about 45 minutes from the Lihue airport. It was $110/night for the 2 bedroom cottage with full kitchen, dining room, living room, flat screen TV, and…. FREE WIFI in each cabin! The cottages are available to active duty, retired reserves, and contractors of the U.S. Military.

Here’s the view from the front of our cabin (1130). There is a grill and an outdoor shower to wash the sand away before going inside. The cabins are a short walk to the beach and it was virtually empty every time we went. Swimming isn’t recommended at most beaches on this side of the island because of the strong currents, but we had fun splashing around at the edge and chasing crabs.

After imagining my son waking up in the middle of the night and stumbling sleepily to the ocean, we spent awhile looking for a piece of driftwood to jam the sliding glass door (in addition to the normal lock). Then we realized there was another safety lock at the top of the sliding glass door, which made me feel so much better!

I really thought the free wifi was a nice touch. Most hotels have slow, crappy internet that you often have to pay for, but here at the beach cottages all spread out across a few acres you get free wifi.

The bathroom was very clean and had sealed towels and toiletries just like a hotel. Guests that stay at the cottages are responsible for cleaning the place before they go. Cleaning supplies are provided: broom, vacuum, garbage bags, etc.

The restaurant on Barking Sands is called Shenanigans and has a great view. There is also a small NEX for groceries and other items you might need.

There are a surprising amount of chickens and other birds around Kauai. Some of the birds are endangered and need to be left alone, but my son had fun chasing chickens around the cottage!

While you are on Kauai you don’t want to miss seeing the Waimea Canyon and other lookout points on the drive up there. You can see my full post on Waimea Canyon here.

Overall we had a wonderful time and it was WAY cheaper to stay at a cottage at Barking Sands than most of the popular hotels on Kauai. You can find more details here.

We love going on family adventures together, but it can be hard to fly with littles ones sometimes. Check out my tips for airplane travel with kids in these posts:

A Successful Flight (Minus the Swearing)

8 Tips for Airplane Travel with Kids

Family Adventure in Kauai

25/06/2014 by Jamie 5 Comments

On Monday we got back from a weekend adventure to Kauai! The little man had a blast and this was our first family vacation that was actually fun for the whole family. The 45 minute flight was fun and easy, although I was pretty sure I was going to die on that rickety, turboprop plane.

I have lots of photos from Waimea Canyon State Park and our amazing little cabin on the beach at Barking Sands, but I’ll post those later, because today IS MY BIRTHDAY and I have to go do whatever I want all day…

Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve, Oahu

14/06/2014 by Jamie 5 Comments

My boys went on a Father/Son adventure to Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve! After a 10 minute video of the history and rules, they were off on the tram for the 1/4 mile trip to the bay. The entrance fee is $7.50, but it’s FREE for Military, local residents, and children under 13 years old. Closed on Tuesdays.

This kid loves the beach.

It’s $2 for all day tram usage, worth it if you have a lot of stuff to haul the 1/4 mile from the parking lot.

Don’t forget your sunglasses or you will have to squint like this.

They saw “lots of fishies” and a sea turtle “THIS BIG!”