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thesixweekseeker · 8 years ago

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Kauai: The Garden Isle (North Shore)

(January 2017)

So we left the fabulous South Shore for the North Shore, and when everyone said we would love that area even more … they were right. It is a completely different vibe up there and beyond chill and laid back (not that Poipu was a raging all-night party, but still).

For our hotel up there, we chose Hanalei Bay Resort (HBR as the locals call it). It’s a beautiful property and the place to be if you’re a tennis player - I think there were at least 10 different courts on the property. They have a great pool with a swim up bar (bar only open on weekends) and the coolest part was the hot tub with a sand bottom. It was a weird funky feeling, and definitely a great idea for an early evening chill session. For an added bonus, HBR shares the same private beach and epic views as The St. Regis, which is a 10-minute beach path walk away. See below for the beach views and the view from our brunch there - view alone is worth the brunch price.

As much as I loved the HBR property and the proximity to The St. Regis amenities, my only complaint was the rooms. They are definitely very dated and the musty smell does match the décor. However, once you sit on your patio and look all around you, all of that matters less and less. The picture below is my completely unfiltered view from our patio there.

Unfortunately the Bali Hai at HBR was still closed, but we heard it was a fantastic restaurant and it’s supposed to open later in 2017. The lounge on the property, Happy Talk Lounge, was good and had a cool bar scene. I also have to give a little shout out to the owner/manager at Happy Talk because he is my hero. On the night we launched The Six Week (woot woot), it was late and raining and we were just going to quickly grab some dinner at the restaurant. However, the Grateful Dead (or two of its members) were randomly playing at the lounge that night, so the kitchen was closed off and the place was packed. That was a little pickle since there are ZERO restaurants on the island that deliver food (I was laughed at when I asked the delivery question), we literally had no food in our room and we had no car/available taxis to take us to town. Luckily, the manager prevented a hanger breakdown by offering the band’s remaining food for the night. That’s right, I was eating the Grateful Dead’s leftovers– no shame in my game. The best part ... all of that food was surprisingly Six Week approved. Insert happy dance.

So let’s back up since I left you hanging in the last blog post. As I mentioned, I was feeling ultra-confident in my surfing skills down in Poipu, and since the weather was perfect (again) we decided to venture into Hanalei Bay to shred the gnar. I caught an awesome long wave (first wave of the day) and was feeling so proud until a little punk of a wave came up out of nowhere. It proceeded to knock me over with my surfboard coming up to say a friendly little hello to my jaw and teeth. I immediately felt the tooth go from full to snaggle and that was it for my surfing that week. Big fist pump to my friend Mark who hooked me up with Dr. Shawn Murphy on the island and he got my chompers back to where they needed to be (ish). The Pacific Ocean has now bruised my jaw and ego, and took my first cell phone, but I’m going to win this battle.

Since I wasn’t cleared to surf, I decided to spend a few days on the paddleboard. The Six Week had officially started so I needed to hit my exercise commitments for those days - and what better ab exercise than this! I found Kayak Hanalei that was located right in town but also right by the Hanalei River – perfect if you don’t have gear and want to take a taxi into town. Look for Dock Dynasty (clever) and two entertaining young surfers, Reef and Devin, and they will hook you right up. One day I did the 2-hour paddle down under the Hanalei Bridge to the Hanalei Wildlife Refuge and on day two I added the extra hour trip out to the beach. Both paddles were amazing but if you can do the 3-hour paddle to see the wildlife refuge and the beach, I definitely would. There were times where I just had to sit down on my board and take it all in. There weren’t a lot of people on the river, it’s completely still and the scenery is just breathtaking.

When you get back from paddling, there are a lot of great food truck choices right by Kayak Hanalei. Since I couldn’t really chew for about 24 hours (scary flashbacks of my mouth surgery creeping up here) I was lucky to stumble upon Wishing Well and their fabulous Acai bowls. They have been around since 1983 and have the best version that I’ve tasted so far: Acai, bananas, organic almond butter, bee pollen, coconut flakes and chia seeds. I vote extra almond butter, hold the papaya – but regardless, you’re Six Week approved and feeling fab with their awesome little food truck experience.

Luckily, once I was feeling better, we tackled some chewing-allowed dining options on the island. My three top favorites were Dolphin Sushi, Bar Acuda and Hanalei Bread Co. By accident, we stumbled upon the best plan for Dolphin Sushi. They open for dinner at 5:30 and there is/will be a line before then that will make the entire dining room full right away. So, if you get hangry and impatient like your Seeker does, beat the system and go to the bar around 4:30. There is a very high energy bartender who will guide you with what to eat and drink, so grab some apps and cocktails and put your dinner order in for 5:30pm sharp. You will avoid the mass rush order and everyone is jelly when yours comes out first – winning.

We were told by practically everyone we asked (locals, tourists and people back home) that Bar Acuda was the best restaurant on the island. Usually with all of the hype I get disappointed, but I will agree with them, best on the island. Everything we had was fantastic (Beef skewers, Scallops, Octopus, Endive Salad, Ahi, olives – legit all fantastic) and the service was extremely fast. No Hawaiian time there. One of my favorite things was the North Shore Honeycomb (goat cheese, honeycomb and apple). They have this listed as an app, but we got it as a dessert and I would recommend saving it for the end. It was super rich, Six Week approved (ish) and the perfect way to finish our last meal on the island.

Well…not quite our last meal. It turns out we made another taxi friend on the island, Kohlohe from Sue’s Taxi, and he was kind enough to drive us back into Hanalei from Princeville on the morning of our flight. We needed to hit up our favorite local spot, Hanalei Bread Co, for one last breakfast meal (because the four meals we had there prior apparently weren’t enough). Since avocados are in season (and are about 3x the size) and their bread is fresh and phenomenal, we again went with the avocado toast + poached egg. I promise, that’s worth the 20-minute detour.

They also introduced us to Laird’s Superfood Creamer which is a quick/healthy add to your coffee without the GMOs, additives, and all of the other usual culprits. It adds a fabulous sweet taste from the coconut oil, and since I’m fully on the BulletProof coffee train, this gave me my fix. For all of my Six Weekers who travel and love their caffeine, I would highly recommend buying a pack. Don’t let yourself fall victim to the hotel or airport packets of creamer – you deserve more.

After we had our last meal, we made our way back to Lihue Airport to wrap up an amazing 10 days in Kauai. Though I HATED to leave, Maui has been a pretty stellar consolation prize so far. I fully plan to go back to Kauai, buy a tiny house, and spend at least a significant chunk of my time living in Hanalei Bay. But as we know, my plans change on the daily and this little global road trip of mine has just begun….

If you have any questions on this blog and/or The Six week, please email me at: [email protected].

Mahalo

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