We woke up to rain yet again.
I HATE April Fools.
I'm about over this crap. If I wanted rain, I could have stayed in Kodiak.
But the saving grace of the rain here is that it's still 80 degrees out and if we aren't afraid of getting a little really really wet, we aren't stopping for anything.
Everyone start singing in your best Mickey Mouse voice: "Nothing can stop us NOW!!!"
We drove around the Southern and Eastern coasts to as far north as we had been as of yet (relatively North-East on the island). We figured, what better day to tour a famous waterfall than on a stupidly flash flood warning rainy day?
And it paid off. The Wailua waterfall was roaring. 
Wailua Falls 
Don't even consider it, Hei Hei
Our next stop on our rainy day Kauai tour was just down the road a ways to the next waterfall, Opeaka'a Falls. This one was a little bit further away, but still easy to access (just drive right up). It's amazing how these are just part of the topography here.
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| Opeaka'a Falls |
We were going to continue North to the Hanalei area, but then all our emergency broadcast system alarms went off warning us of flash floods and imminent bridge closings in Hanalei.
Ooookay then. Maybe not.
We turned around and headed back down South. We stopped at Tiki Tacos, a tiny hole in the wall with probably the best kalua pork tacos I've ever eaten in my life. The seating inside was limited (as in, there was none), so we huddled at a table under an awning during the downpour. Fun fact: the restaurant comes with a loaded Super Soaker, kept outside to shoot any Hei Heis pestering you for your lunch.
And right next door (well like a block away) is a new shaved ice place! This one (Wailua Shaved Ice) is immediately our favorite. Why? Many reasons.
1. Fresh fruit juice or concentrate instead of flavored syrup. This works so well - it soaks in the ice, doesn't sink to the bottom, and somehow doesn't melt the ice!
2. Fresh fruit on top. Yes.
3. Macadamia nut ice cream underneath. Always.
Camden's was a sight to be seen. He got the frozen hot chocolate, literally shaved ice soaked with chocolate milk (I think), chocolate syrup and TONS of whipped cream on top. Yes. Please.
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| Mine: pineapple and strawberry with strawberry extract and papaya on top. |
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| Frozen hot chocolate! |
The rain wasn't letting up, and at this point we basically said "to hell with it." We ended our waterfall and food tour and headed to the beach! Rain be damned. We went back to our favorite beach - it's our best bet with all the options that we've found. Ample parking, bathrooms, a huge stretch of curved sandy beach, palm trees, good boogie boarding waves but no undertow, and even a great reef for snorkeling. Plus, it's right in front of the Sheraton so we can pretend we are part of a really fancy resort.
The rain kept EVERYONE away, so we had the beach almost exclusively to OURSELVES.
Worth it. Let's do it.
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| Cam snorkeling with Dad |
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| All alone on one of the busiest beaches of Kauai. Magic |
We wrapped it up after a couple of hours to pick up dinner and bring it back to the house to meet Brad's parents.
Tonight's restaurant was Chicken in a Barrel, what I was told is a "must eat" while in Kauai. We went to the Waimea location (which is on the West shore and nearest our house). It's a really fun sports bar location on a gorgeous plantation, complete with little cottages behind the restaurant on a large garden lawn that is probably 400 yards from the ocean.
Picture. Perfect.
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| My dudes! |
We took dinner (barrel smoked chicken and sweet potato fries) home to our cottage at Barking Sands.
The best thing about our cottage isn't the fact we have an entire house to ourselve, or the chickens, or the expansive lawn out the back yard, or the Hawaiian ocean shore 50 yards from the back door.
It's the fact that the house is on the westernmost point of the island (that's accessible by road), and all it is is a quick barefoot walk from the house to the beach to witness the most spectacular Hawaiian sunsets imaginable.
And as luck would have it, the rain finally, finally, stopped. And the skies came alive, and our first official Hawaiian sunset was absolutely magical.
And this is how to end a Hawaiian day, my friends.
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