Me and My Beard: Day Fifty Five

Dear Readers,
      Kauai is an awesome place to visit. I think I could possibly even retire there, if it wasn't so expensive. We have been there twice and enjoyed every minute of it. Except for the last couple days of our honeymoon when I got food poisoning. That was pretty bad. It wasn't the islands fault I had some bad fish. Other than that, absolutely loved it. Just like the other two islands, lots of hiking, swimming, eating and relaxing. Just driving to and from different activities is part of the fun. Really enjoyable and scenic drives. Especially driving to the north side of the island in Hanalei. Both times we went, we stayed at a condo on the south side of the island in Poipu. I have to thank Raina's dad, Mark, for the condo. He was able to hook us up with the condo on an absolutely beautiful part of the island. The condo is waterfront. You can sit on the balcony watching the waves crash into the rocks and if you are lucky, some sea turtles swimming around too. Great place to sit and read a book and relax. Then, if you get tired of swimming in the salt water, there is a pool at the condo. Everything in one location. And a fantastic golf course two minutes away. Don't worry, I didn't golf while on the honeymoon. Just during the first trip. The courses are breathtaking and are really fun to play. Scenic driving in a golf cart. Everywhere you drive is scenic.
      Poipu is a smaller town off the main highway. You take a road through rows of trees on either side, making it almost like a tree tunnel. In Poipu there is a burger joint called Bubba's Burgers. Really good food, including a double chili cheeseburger. They serve it open face, completely covered in greasy delicious chili. It was a heart attack waiting to happen. There is also a crazy lady with a shrimp truck, just up the road from the condo. She is loud and wild, and she has awesome shrimp. Garlic shrimp and the spicy shrimp are our favorites. She also lets you sign her truck when you order from her. The sun had worn off our signing from the first trip, so Raina and I signed again on our honeymoon. In Waimea, to the west, is the best shrimp tacos I have ever eaten. Aptly named the Shrimp Plantation, the tacos are large enough for two to fill me up. Delicious shrimp with delicious salsa and a side of chips. For barbeque, there is Scotty's. Raina and I shared the barbeque platter for two. Brisket, pork, chicken, ribs, baked beans and corn. Succulent. So many places to choose from for good food. Lots of delicious fish. Fresh too. Literally caught locally that morning. Doesn't get much fresher than that.
      There is a ton of hiking to do as well. Raina and I did quite a few hikes, but there are so many more we wanted to do. Waterfalls only accessible by hiking. Cool views only accessible by hiking. Beaches only accessible by hiking. Plus, it is a great workout in the process. One hike was to a waterfall perfect for jumping off of into a pool below. That was fun. Took a little bit to get my nerve up, but both Raina and I did it. To think, we used to jump off rocks all the time when we were younger at Lake Powell. It took a lot more nerve this time around. Another symptom of getting older I guess. Take less risks.
      On the first trip, we took a boat tour to the Na Pali Coast. It is only accessible by boat or on foot. On foot means an eleven mile hike though. So we chose the boat tour. The Na Pali coast offers so many awesome views. It is like nothing I have seen before. Sprawling cliffs and valleys. Just an awesome view of God's majestic creation. I would like to hike it someday. Just means we have to plan another trip to Kauai. I'm not complaining, and I am pretty sure Raina wouldn't either. There are so many hidden waterfalls and beaches and scenic views, it would take weeks upon weeks to try and see them all. All in all, I think Kauai is going to be that place we vacation to multiple times. We both love it there and hope to get back there soon.

This Day In History: 1836
Texan colonel William Travis sends a desperate plea for help for the besieged defenders of the Alamo, ending the message with the famous last words, "Victory of Death." He got death, but also immortality in the slogan "Remember the Alamo," which quickly became the rallying cry for the Texas revolution.

Born This Day: 1885
Chester Nimitz - U.S. Navy admiral who led the Pacific Fleet to victories against the Japanese fleet in World War II.

"If you can't get rid of the skeleton in your closet, you'd best teach it to dance."

- George Bernard Shaw