Kayaking in the pouring rain – an absolutely epic adventure!
Finishing out our final two days on the beautiful island of Kauai, we drove to Wailua, where we chose a kayaking excursion. When we left the resort, which was about 20 minutes away, it was beautiful and sunny, and the forecast called for sunny skies all day long. Still, trying to always be prepared, we brought all of our rain gear – and pretty happy that we did! As you’ll see in the photos, in Hawaii, the weather can be completely different just one town away.
Research and go with the best…
KayakKauai.com was our company of choice, and Tyler was our guide. He and Daddy Starbucks hit it off right away, as he’s also an SIU Alumni, from Carbondale, IL. He was so thrilled to share photos of his baby daughter, Emma Lou, who was “fresh” (he was so proud)!
We kayaked miles down the Wailua River where we eventually pulled the boats out of the water and hiked two miles to the gorgeous Sacred Falls. While the adventure checked off another bucket list item, we couldn’t have been wetter if we had taken a shower!! There was mud everywhere and I felt like a kid again!
In fact, a hiker in another group slipped in the squishy mud and almost fell off the cliffside. Our guide literally saved her from falling to the creek bed below. He said later that he was so grateful to have worn the shoes that he had on, and that he rarely wears that particular pair.
Sunnier Days ahead
After our grand (and very wet) adventure, we headed back to the resort where the sun was, in fact, shining bright. We spent the rest of the day relaxing and enjoying the gorgeous Hyatt Club lounge.
Oh how we hate to say goodbye.
On our last and final day on the Garden Isle, Daddy Starbucks and I woke up super early to catch our final Kauai sunrise, and then met the kids for breakfast at the Club Lounge. After breakfast, we decided to walk the grounds one last time and leave our leis on the “Remembering Stone,” before catching a 9am Aquaponics seminar, where the resort demonstrated how they grow all their own greens for the resort restaurants. We were captivated and intrigued, and desperately wanted to learn more about this amazing science back in Tennessee.
Hula Dancers in the Airport!!
At 11am, it was time to head to the Kauai Airport, for a fast flight to Maui (after a brief layover in Honolulu). Lihue Airport, in Kauai, is unquestionably the most laid back airport on earth. Very calm staff, no lines, and hula dancers in the lobby. In some ways, it felt like taking off and landing in a remote island airport.
Island number three
We were beyond blessed to visit three Hawaiian Islands in just two weeks. Maui was very different from what we had seen in the Islands thus far. It wasn’t the hectic city life of Honolulu, and it wasn’t the lush green mountains and spires of Kauai. I guess I’d say it was a perfect balance of the two! More on that to come…. as this was our very first day on what is known as “perfect paradise.”
How we actually got to Hawaii.
We were able to spend two full weeks in Hawaii because of credit card points. You see, everything that we spend in our household gets charged on one of several credit cards. Then we immediately pay that credit card bill in full (sometimes several times per week). We NEVER carry a balance and we are very mindful to never charge more than we can pay off. If you are interested in our step-by-step plan for accumulating points, you can check that out HERE.
Getting settled in for our Maui adventure.
We arrived at the Hyatt Regency Resort & Spa, in the town of Lahaina. We spent the evening exploring the resort, and getting settled in our rooms. The hotel was completely sold out for the next two nights, and there were people everywhere. Because of this, our rooms were partial ocean view (not something to grumble about for sure), but it felt hectic and we missed the luxury of the Grand Hyatt in Kauai. Any disappointment we may have felt that evening, compounded by the pouring rain, was soon about to change. Please come back for the rest of the story… ☺️
Let’s Get to the Point!
Again, if you would like to learn more about how we travel the world for little to no money by using points, feel free to reach out to me HERE, or sign up for my newsletter on the right side of my blog. As well, please follow along on my social media channels, on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
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It does look like an epic adventure! I love kayaking no matter the weather! Thanks for the info!
Tricia, agreed! Kayaking is oh so fun!! I forgot to mention that it was a bit chilly, and we were caked in mud, but it was so much fun!!
Thanks for the insight! We love Kauai too!
Barbara, you’re so welcome! Thanks for stopping by!
This looks beautiful and so much fun! I would love to travel here one day
Leeandra, you would not be disappointed! It was a beautiful place for sure! Next time, we’re hoping for a bright sunny day!
WOw looks like you had an amazing trip! I love Maui!!
We sure did Holly! Can’t wait to go back!
This sounds like an unforgettable adventure! Thanks for sharing.
Angella, you’re welcome. And thanks for coming along on our adventure! Blessings!
You’re getting wet anyway, right? Lol. These pictures look great, and it sounds like a fun adventure. We live at the Jersey Shore and love kayaking.
Exactly!! But we were REALLY wet!! Ha! And yes, kayaking is awesome!
Can’t wait til we finally get to Hawaii…
Marianne – you’re gonna LOVE it!
It looks like a beautiful place! Thanks for sharing!
Cathy, you’re welcome! Thanks for stopping by!
This looks like such a wonderful trip! I would love to go anywhere in Hawaii and do all the outdoorsy stuff, especially since I’ve been trapped inside my apartment for over 6 weeks.
Eva, AGREED! We’re all so ready to travel. And Hawaii wouldn’t be a bad place! Ha!
What a fantastic adventure. I am sure it was hard to come home . I love all the photos.
Heather, we totally wanted to move there!! And thank you for your kind words!
Love all the insight, can’t wait for our trip
Thank you Sandi. You’ll find a lot of great videos on YouTube too. That’s one of the ways that we decided on what to do! Planning is almost as fun as going – ALMOST!
Hawaii is wonderful! Hmm I think I may have some unused miles accumulated!
Debbie, start planning how you’ll use those miles – we should all have plenty!
It’s nice to hear that you were able to visit 3 islands in 2 weeks. We want to visit Hawaii and haven’t figured out how much time we need to spend there and whether or not it’s realistic to fit in everything that we want to see/do.
Sara, three islands were a bit adventurous, but we didn’t know when we’d get back. Going forward, I’d spend at least five days on each island. We did four days on three islands, plus travel days. The flights are really short (some are 30 minutes), so island hopping is completely doable! When we return, we’re spending 7 days on the Big Island (because we haven’t been) and then 5 on Kauai (our favorite).
Hawaii is a dream I would love to go to Kauai and have some adventures!
It was a dream come true! Start planning now and you’ll make it happen!!
I want to go to Hawaii so bad!! I love your post! I’m totally jealous!
Thank you Erica! It’s completely doable for anyone, which was such a great surprise! Check out my cornerstone post on a step-by-step plan to start accumulating points. It was such an epic adventure!
That looked like fun! I have been tubing in the rain. It did not matter to me!
Wet anyway, right? It was, indeed, an epic adventure!
I would love this! I LOVE the rain, and adding the adventure is even better!
Kendra, completely agreed! The rain was a bit chilly, but it was so much fun!!
I’m having so much fun reading your posts. I’m currently planning our April trip to Hawaii!
Thank you Charlene! It’s so nice to revisit our wonderful adventure! You will have an absolute fabulous time in Hawaii!
What an amazing adventure! I’ve never kayaked but I’d love too. Kayaking in Hawaii would be amazing.
Cindy, the combination is fantastic, for sure!
What a fun little adventure! And what a great way to make the best of it too!
Lisa, thank you. It was both thrilling and terrifying all at the same time!!