Kauai – Exploring the Island (Awesome Beach Edition)
Our first few days in Kauai have been awesome and have zoomed by way too fast. Ever since we arrived and picked up our muscle car – a minivan (not our choice) – we’ve been running around and taking in as much of the island as possible. Since we’ve had such a favorable first impression, balancing everything has not been easy. Don’t forget… It’s not all fun and games; we have to keep our brains focused on work so that we can maintain our NVR life.
With all that in mind, we’ve settled into a nice pattern and are beginning to find our daily groove.
First things first: dumbed-down coffee, work, mountains (and power walkers).
We’re usually up very early to brew a big pot of coconut-caramel-Kauai coffee (save your comments) to fuel us as we tackle some work projects. The enticing surroundings tug relentlessly at our attention though. Our place offers an expansive view of a jagged mountain range, which is fun to watch come to life. Closer to the ground, we eye early-morning power walkers striding along the path next to the golf course just across the way.
We know that the more we stay focused on work, the better off we’ll be later in the day. Even so, we do try to squeeze in a morning exercise session so that we can continue to eat as much shave ice (with ice cream) as we like without breaking through the chairs on which we sit. It’s all the better if the exercise can double as a mini-activity. Hiking is high up on the list and we’ve found an incredible run that takes in some of the areas most stunning vistas. A great way to stay fit and to experience the island.
Next comes the really fun part: exploring the island in search of an awesome beach.
We’re grateful to be location independent professionals (no, we won’t say LIPS) doing work that we are crazy about. We’d be lying, though, if we didn’t admit to getting a bit stir crazy and ready to leave work behind by late morning. So, after accomplishing a lot of to-dos, it’s time to head out for some island adventure.
A couple of days ago, our big goal of the day was setting out to find a beach within walking distance of our rental condo. Not just any beach – we wanted the whole picture perfect shebang. The Ultimate Kauai Guidebook – which is turning out to live up to its name – pointed us towards one such beach entered via an unmarked, hard to find path near some tennis courts down the road. Honestly, you’d never know that the path leads to a beach; it looks like a service walkway.
The crazy path, complete with steps, non-steps and ropes, leads down to a find of a beach called Hideaway. A nice coarse-sanded beach with opportunities for swimming, snorkeling and killer views. We’re not huge beach guys, but this is the kind of place that nearly anyone would enjoy spending a day at. If we thought we could manage it on that treacherous path, we’d cart down a day’s supply of food and fun. On this particular afternoon, we were content with a couple of books and an i-pod.
Some tips for constructing your perfect day.
A day in a wonderful location can be anything you want it to be. If you’re like us, you might tend to get a bit overwhelmed when you arrive at a new place and find yourself trying to figure out where to start. Because of our NVR lifestyle, our perfect day is admittedly a bit different than most (especially that morning part). Even so, we have to take a mindful approach to how we construct a typical day’s activities in a new place. Here are four quick pointers:
- To narrow down the possibilities, focus on things that resonate with you. We talk to far too many travelers who do things just because they think they should. If you don’t like ____ (whatever) then don’t do it just because it’s listed in a guidebook.
- But… Do have a sense of adventure. Challenge yourself to step outside of your comfort zone. Consider the tour recommendation from that person on the plane. Eat poi if you’ve always wanted to try it.
- Allow space for unexpected discoveries and activities. We find that a loose plan is helpful, but we always try to leave room for wildcards.
- Don’t try to cut corners so that you can squeeze everything in. Overbooking is almost always mad-making. An alternative might be to decide to make a return visit to destinations you love.
Check out our freshly minted Kauai photo gallery. We’ve put in a few photos from our favorite running route and from our first awesome beach find. Watch for more to come.
What advice do you have for constructing an awesome day in a new destination?
I always walk around the first day just to get a sense of the city and then my perfect day usually revolves around food, which I plan out for the day leaving some stomach space for street food.
I know you said no comments but coconut-caramel-Kauai coffee sounds amazing!
We like to do the same thing right when we arrive in a new place, which is why it was so tough to arrive here late at night.
And, yep, the coffee is pretty darn good.
Absolutely love Kauai! First couple of visits to Hawaii were to Maui. I like Maui but for quiet, nature, and to relax, there is no better place to go than Kauai. One of the best photos I ever took was there and I would love to go back one day. Granted my trip to Kauai was on my honeymoon where we rented a house on the beach so of course I have great memories of it!
Great thing about the island is that it isn’t very big. Make the long drive out to the beaches near Na Pali. Go hiking. Have dinner at that restaurant on the beach in Poipu. Kauai is an awesome place to visit – best island in Hawaii!
You’re right, Jeremy – It is pretty perfect island. We appreciate all of these tips in addition to those you had given in a previous post.
That beach definitely does look like a great find! I have to hand it to you guys for scheduling in some work time in the morning. I usually wait until the evening when I’m too tired to think.
I’m completely guilty of trying to fit too much into one day. I don’t plan anything, but I usually just want to keep exploring.
Well, the work pays the bills, so it’s not a tough choice to make. AND to be able to work from here is awesome. As long as we get out for one adventure a day, we’re fine. Tired by the end of the day – but fine.
‘coconut-caramel-Kauai coffee ‘
That just antagonises a comment.LOL You guys are sure having fun.Hawaii is on our ‘to do’ list one day….
While I’m sitting here sipping REAL coffee we brought back from Ethiopia, your comment about travellers doing/seeing places they feel are ‘must do’s’ rather than having a loose plan and going with whatever pops up along the way , does resonate. Sure , with a loose plan, you may miss some things, but you just can’t do it all.
Finally, Jim – someone with the guts to just say it. We are not drinking REAL coffee. We ARE, however, drinking coffee that’s like dessert (which has its own merits).
We’ve bumped into so many stressed tourists who are running around the island like crazy people without any time to recharge before heading back to their “vacation required” lives.
Sound like a great start to a fun adventure. I’ve never been to Kauai but would like to. Have fun.
Jason
Gee I laughed with that response. You guys will have fun wherever you are…love your take on life and travel.
And I often have to resist the urge to grab that rushing tourist, sit them down at a pavement step on a crowded busy street and and say
” Sit a mo. And look around you”.
You often see more by sitting and absorbing life as it happens around you, than rushing off to the next “must photo it ‘ site.
ha! if its got caffeine in it, its fine by me!!
like the tips too. i like to treat my whole trip as a wildcard.
keep living the dream guys!
cheers, jamie
I am still wondering how I have traveled as much as I have without visiting Hawaii. Sounds great!
We used to be that way, too. We never made it to Hawaii and we actually kind of avoided it. We have a whole new take now.
Hawaii is always on my travel agenda – but so far I haven’t managed to get there. But I will and now I know what to do.
I’m still very curios to know what it is y’all do to be LIPS…lol sry I had too. I saw the picture y’all posted on twitter of the muscle car & amazing beach, y’all should have included them.
I can’t comment on the coffee cus I’m not a coffee drinker & have no clue what it is you described up there…lol!
Looks like y’all have settled in nicely. Y’all are going to be there for how long?
Excellent tips. Hawaii is heaven. ahhhh.
Ha! I just realized I’m working my way to become a LIP… lol Wow, you guys seem to have had a great start up at Kauai… and the pictures look great.
On my first day I always walk around to have an idea of my surroundings and the way things “move”. After that I go specific on the things that interest me.
Good way to put that – “the way things move” – I think we will officially steal that term. Thank you.
Yes, come be a LIP with us. Then you, too, can fully own that horrible acronym.
Can’t believe we’ve never been to Hawaii either. It’s on the ever-growing list of destinations we have to go. You guys make it sound spectacular. If we ever get this location independence lifestyle thing down, it will probably be one of the first places we go.
I like the direction you’re going with your blog posts: Opening Story, followed by practical tips. Keep it up!
Well, we get a lot of e-mails from people who love the story side of things, and of course we also hear from people who want tips. So… we’re trying to dig a bit into both sides.
Great post! When I was planning my honeymoon, I agonized over which Hawaiian islands to choose. Ultimately, i chose the Big Island & Maui. But I wish I had had time to go to Kauai too!
I don’t think you can go wrong with any Hawaiian island, BUT Kauai is really turing out to be particularly special for us. Having said that, the lava flow on the Big Island is out of this world, and the Road to Hana on Maui is a show-stopper for sure.
Sounds like a pretty amazing place….my sister is in NY and visited Hawaii in the summer…spending the last few days pouring over pics from the trip and trying to get over the winter depression
In Europe, walking around the city is the way to get a feel of the place so I totally am with you there.
Nice post-I hope to visit when am in States next year.
Kash