I got in late last night and drove to the Castle Mokihana. There’s no A/C here but the ocean breeze and crashing waves and near deserted beachfront more than makes up for it.
This morning, due to jetlag and just general sleep issues, I was out the door at 5:20 AM for a ten mile run along the 56 Kuhio Highway. Sadly, my headlamp flashlight that I carried in my hand has batteries with about as much oomph as I seem to be showing these days, which is to say that moments of brilliance gave way to dimmer manifestations. Still, the sun rose by the turnaround I had set for myself and I was able to jog back with some semblance of visual certainty that I wasn’t about to trip over something in the road.
Still, these signs were an ominous warning that vigilance can’t be taken for granted.
I wandered the beach for a bit, alone, with some me time. Mom was due to arrive on her flight at 12:50 PM so I had some time to kill. There’s something about this beach and this part of the world that I find rejuevenating and soothing and a reminder that there is definitely something to be said for slowing down and appreciating what is all around us … especially when one is surrounded by these kinds of views.
I picked up Mom amidst a gloomy, ominous sky. A storm was rolling in but my weather app said we should have some sun before too long, with rain forecast for the evening. After getting her settled at the hotel, Mom and I then strolled the beach just as the sun broke through the overcast skies. I could finally show mom without reservation why I described this place as perhaps the most beautiful place I’d ever seen. I’ve seen a lot of great places and a lot of beautiful places, but there are certain times and moments that stand out as being amongst the most beautiful. Kauai has more than its share of those kinds of moments.
Taking advantage of the sunshine, we drove out to Wailua Falls, famed for being THE visual cue of Fantasy Island. So after Mom got off her plane this morning, this was the second “de-plane, de plane!” of the day!
As Mom was operating on little sleep and a six hour time shift, we ate an early dinner at the Olympic Café, a recommendation of Jen and Eric Scott who were here with their kids in March. It was massive portions and massively delicious. The rosemary seasoning on Mom’s fish and chips was unexpected and tasty, but I agreed with her that the breading was a bit heavy. My kalua pork sandwich was just about perfect… albeit I could’ve used a bit more BBQ sauce.
We stopped by Safeway to stock up on a few essentials for the next few days… I mean, Chocolate Chocolate Chip Muffins practically begs for Skinny Girl Margaritas, am I right?
All in all, a pretty good first day introduction for Mom to the garden island of Kauai. Tomorrow we’re off to the Fern Grotto. Rumors are still swirling that an unprecedented double hurricanes are headed toward us for the weekend, all of which may throw the marathon into disarray. But as there still hasn’t been any rain today other than a moment or two of spittle, I don’t put too much stock in the weather forecasts until the moments of. It’s why I’m not too worried about the lack of A/C in the hotel – with our screen door open, we have our own insta-weather data by just sticking our heads outside.
Plus, the waves crashing into the seawall not fifty feet from us – it doesn’t suck.