Summer Fun on Kauai

Fishing, swimming, watching the turtles and monk seals, and snacking are among some of our favorite activities on Kauai's south shore.  This summer we have decided to make time to go fishing about once a week as it is something we both really love to do.  So here is a snapshot of some of our adventures so far:

I caught this nice 10" kumu fish at the Kukui'ula Boat harbor.  In between fishing we were able to marvel at Spouting Horn off in the distance.  Plus we saw this cute guy:

He's a real Hawaiian Monk Seal just taking a nice snooze on the beach.  And here's the next thing I caught.....

.....a baby moray eel!  Watch out for these as they have razor sharp teeth.  We threw him back in the ocean.

After all of that "hard work", we had some lunch at Keoki's Paradise and celebrated with a nice, big slice of Hula Pie (ice cream, chocolate, macadamia nuts, and whipped cream). Mmmmm!

On another fishing day at Poipu Beach, we saw this sea turtle, and then yet on another day we saw this turtle:

It seems that the turtle population is really making a come back on Kauai.  I don't remember seeing this many turtles actually "on" the beach.

Here's a nice shot of the famous Poipu Beach on a clear and sunny day. Of course you will see plenty...

...chickens and roosters!  We always bring some extra snacks to feed the birds:

Here is Joe playing around with the little sparrows.  They are so used to people that they will take the food right out of your hand!

And, mama hen is giving us the "stink eye".  "Where's my snack, you guys???"  Speaking of snacks, here is one of Joe's all time favorites:

Shave ice from the Deli at Brennecke's...also known as snow cones...but where's the snow in Hawaii?

 And here is Brennecke's restaurant.  Get the Kama'aina pupu platter...it's so ONO!!!

Here I am preparing to take a dip in the ocean.  We are lucky to live Kauai :-)

Here's Joe getting a reel set up for some visiting friends at Kekaha Beach.  The sand and waves there are amazing!!!

Just look at that pristine beach!!!!

Aloha and Mahalo from Joe and Marionette :-)

Virtual Tour of Kauai #1

Yesterday my good friend Tashi and I took an entire day to "play tourist" and visit the South Shore of Kauai. We brought our cameras along to capture the beauty that Kauai is famous for. This is the first installment of my "Virtual Tours" of the Garden Isle.

We started off at the Moir Gardens which are located at the Kiahuna Plantation. This garden features quite a collection of orchids, water lillies, cacti, succulents, and other tropical trees and plants. It is a very colorful and relaxing garden to stroll. It's history dates back to the 1930s when Alexandra Moir first started to plant her fantastic cactus collection. She was the wife of the manager of Kauai's first sugar plantation.

After a relaxing lunch at Brennecke's Beach Broiler (Tashi had the prime rib sandwich and I had their fish tacos made with fresh Ahi. Yum!!!) we headed over to Shipwreck's Beach. The beach was so beautiful! Lots of golden sand, blue skies, and turquoise water! We wanted to dive right in, and many people do...right off of the cliff! For the rest of us, there is a nice trail that you can follow up to the cliff for breathtaking views of the ocean. Overhead there were some very graceful tropic birds playfully flying.

Well, after all of that hiking, we were a bit thirsty, so we headed off to the Grand Hyatt Kauai to get some more water. We saw a few tropical birds and a beautiful, white swan swimming in the koi pond! We took a few more photos of the garden flowers and then decided to call it a day. As we left the Hyatt, one of Tashi's friends who works there, gave us each an orchid lei! This is the magic of Hawaii!