Kauai, Hawaii- A Babymoon Story
Hello again! I feel like I have been completely suppressed and out of my "blog" game the last few months! The last post I wrote about (My Boston Marathon Story) was in the midst of my TERRIBLE morning sickness! You guessed it- I'm Pregnant! my husband and I are expecting our little boy in the next few weeks, and we could not be more excited! I cannot believe I am in my due date month already. It just feels like this pregnancy has flown by. From working full time, to the many doctor's appointments/ultrasounds/blood draws/ to being a wife etc. life has been nothing short of thrilling these last few months. After four months of morning sickness, and an uptick in writing for work I was nothing short of burnt out on the computer! Sometimes just looking at the screen would make me feel ill. I have missed blogging lately, and am feeling so refreshed and can't wait to get back writing again!!
We took a Babymoon to Hawaii in May, where we announced the gender of our little guy to friends and family on the beach... it was truly an amazing trip. So amazing, I wanted to highlight our travels there in case anyone is going to Kauai anytime soon! It was the perfect place for a relaxing getaway, and a much different style trip than we are used to taking. Instead of beating the streets all day long, we actually lounged and took it easy! Well, there was one day where we did an 11 mile treacherous hike into a waterfall along the Napali Coast, but when in Rome right? I wanted to just highlight a few of the "must sees" when you go to Kauai, as well as amazing restaurants to enjoy!
HOTEL AND LOCATION ON THE ISLAND
There are so many different places to stay on the island, and where we stayed isn't the ONLY and BEST (so don't get me wrong) but I HIGHLY recommend staying at the Grand Hyatt Resort & Spa in Poipu. Having traveled all over the country alongside of other countries for a variety of reasons, this hotel tops them ALL. It was amazing. From the entrance, restaurants, and views, to the many pools, beachside access, and amazing rooms this was a huge highlight for us. If you are looking to stay in the south it is much drier and hotter than in the north. A trip up north was easy, but we wanted as many rays as possible so we opted to stay on the south side of the island. When we went up North we went to hike the Napali Coast, and lucked out with no rain during our hike. After the hike it was a complete downpour, which reminded me why its called the wettest island in Hawaii.
FOOD
Our first meal was actually at our hotel, and the restaurant was called "Tidepools." I honestly was not expecting greatness from a hotel restaurant, because most of the time they are not all that great. This was one of the BEST meals we had while we were on our trip, and the restaurant sat right on the water, which made it even more amazing. We went back again on my birthday dinner one of the last nights, so they got our business twice! I will highlight a few other really good eateries around the island that we enjoyed below.
Breakfast In Poipu:
1. Anuenue Cafe- one of the best breakfast joints with an amazing pulled pork eggs Benedict that my husband Levi enjoyed a few mornings during our stay.
2. Little Fish Coffee- This was a cute little stand in Poipu that served up breakfast Sandwiches, Smoothies, and Coffee. While I don't drink coffee, and can't tell you how good it is (the smoothies and bagels were amazing).
3. Kalapaki Joes's- This was a breakfast, lunch, and dinner place that was more or less a grill. We had their banana pancakes which were "okay" but the environment was worth going to. We later went back to watch a UFC fight there, and the energy was electric and contagious. A fun environment for sure.
OTHER GOOD EATS:
What can I say, if you go to the island you cannot leave without getting yourself some authentic Hawaiian shaved ice! We hit up JoJo's down south in Waimea, but there are honestly SO many and you really cannot go wrong. We hit a lot of good restaurants for both lunch and dinner so check out some of our favorites:
1. Keoki's paradise
2. La Spezia
3. Brennecke's Beach Broiler
4. Java Kai
5. Dondero's
6. Pink's Ice cream
7. Lappert's Ice Cream
8. Kalypso
9. Tropical Dreams Shaved Ice
10. The Fresh Shave
11. Koloa Mill Ice Cream
TO DO:
As I said above, we really spent a lot of time lounging and relaxing. At the time of our trip I was 15 weeks pregnant, and still battling a little morning sickness. It had really gotten a lot better so I was really excited to eat real food again and function like a normal human being. God blessed me with a smooth week with little to no sickness until the last day, so I was so thankful! Some of our favorite activities from the island life were:
1. POOL and BEACH hopping
2. Waimea Canyon
3. Wailua Falls
4. Napali Coast Hike into the iconic Hanakapi Falls Trail
5. Golf for Levi at the Poipu Bay Golf Course
6. Snorkeling at Poipu Beach
7. Just exploring the island and getting to know the locals :)
When looking back at our time in Kauai, it was so relaxing and so needed. If you are debating whether or not to take a Babymoon with your significant other when you find yourself pregnant, just do it. It was SO worth it for our relationship, and a great way to bond and have alone time on a vacation before baby. Kauai is seriously one of the most beautiful islands, and I would highly recommend it to anyone who has never been there..
Stay tuned for some new posts:
My favorite Baby Items
Important and popular pregnancy topics
Freezer Meals
See you soon!
xoxo Lauren Nicole
