In keeping with our travel plans, we decided to rent a condo on the beach in Ponce Inlet, Florida for the entire month of May.  May was our choice because we were hoping it would be fairly quiet with most kids still in school, the weather would not be too hot but rainy season had not started yet, and “Noseeums” could be at a minimum.  We were right.  It was a great month.

We stayed at Atlantica Condominium on the second floor with a wonderful view of the ocean and beach.

Jim’s birthday is in May and I submitted an application to the Volusia Turtle Patrol for him to volunteer while we were visiting.  This takes care of another one of the things on his bucket list.  He rode on Tuesday mornings and had to mark several nests during his tour of duty.

I was able to walk almost every morning and found a trail next to a nature reserve.  Early in the morning, there were always wild rabbits along the trail which is not a bad way to start a day.  I also saw a wide array of wildflowers and took these pictures.

Jim was nursing a bad foot from Plantar Fasciitis so his walking was limited, but he did manage to bike quite a bit while we were there.  We were only a little over two miles away from the Ponce Inlet Lighthouse and the Marine Science Center. We went to the Science Center one afternoon just in time to see them feed the live seahorses, sting rays and octopus which was really fun.  I actually got to feed the sting rays which was interesting.  You hold a piece of fish in between your fingers with your hand flat in the water.  Their mouths are on the bottom so they swim over your hand and suck the food from your hand which sounds like a bathtub draining and felt like a vacuum cleaner.

Octopus

MG feeding the Sting Ray

While we were there we managed to scope out several restaurants including Carribean Jack’s, Hidden Treasures, Hidden Treasures at Rose Bay, Aunt Catfish, Panhead Pizza, Sunsetter, San Diego Grill, Crabby Joe’s, Monterey Grill, Tiki Bar at Outriggers and more.  Some of these became favorites that deserved a second and third visit.

There were some wonderful sunrises as well as a moon rise as well, check them out:

Sunrises from our condo unit.

Moon rise with reflection in water

We came across another critter on the beach early in the morning that we were not familiar with, it is called a “Black Heron” and they feed on Ghost Crabs that are usually just above the tide line.  Here’s what he looks like:

Ain’t retirement great!

After 6 days of touring the island and going on  different tours we decided that we needed a day to just chill out before our long plane ride home.  After our morning exercises, we headed to the pool for water aerobics and then we sat in the sun drying off before heading to lunch at Brennecke’s , a place we enjoyed on the second day of our trip.  It is right by the resort so we could walk.  Back to the resort for lounging around.

Here are pictures of some of the Hawaiian vegetation we saw around Kauai.

Courtyard at resort where most of the above flowers were located

Pool area at sunset

Our last dinner was outside at sunset.

A hui hou kakou   ( Until we meet again)

We were up early this morning because today is the day we head to the Na Pali Coast.  If you wanted to go by land you would have to hike through some very difficult terrain so we opted for a catamaran with a captain, crew and food.

Our first surprise of the morning was that our captain is a woman. Kelly moved to Hawaii about 20 years ago and never went back.  She has sailed yachts for owners all over the world and she and her crew of 2 treated us like millionaires.

In the Winter, the seas are fairly rough so snorkeling near the Na Pali shore is very difficult so our captain decided to take us South for a distance to a cove that had sea turtles and some fish.  Jim and Carol used the slide to get into the water while I stayed onboard to take the pictures. 

Then back on board for breakfast and head north.  The boat traveling at 16 knots in rough water made for a bumpy trip.  We had three people get sea sick on the way there.  The sights, however were awesome.  We saw dolphin and Pacific Humpback whales all day. Jim got great pictures including one whale breaching, which is hard to find.  On the way back in from the coast,  we saw a place with several whales so the captain stopped and put a hydrophone into the water so we could hear the whale’s “song”.  It was so incredible!

 The Na Pali Coast is so different than you would expect.  It’s majestic looking but I totally understand why they picked this island to use in Jurassic Park.  It looks like a place where dinosaurs would live.

We were all tired by the end of the trip and decided sitting by the “quiet pool” at the resort was next on the agenda and then a simple dinner somewhere quiet.  We  faded pretty quickly after that and went to bed early.

The day started with a wonderful sight.  Check this out.

 This is a monk seal resting on the beach in front of the resort.  The printed sign tells you that it happens all the time.  They just plop themselves on the beach to rest with no concern for their safety.  The volunteer knew this particular seal and her history.  She has a scar where she was attacked by a shark and some propeller scars as well.  She had a pup last July after being pregnant for 11 months.  Ain’t life wonderful!

Then off to the heliport for our bird’s eye view of Kauai.  The entire experience was well managed and you felt very safe from beginning to end.  Carol and I actually had the good fortune to be seated in the front with the pilot so we saw what he saw.  The take-off was a little breathtaking from our upfront seats but not scary at all.  This island is beautiful with lush vegetation and high mountain peaks making up most of the land mass.  We flew over the place where they filmed the river scene in Indiana Jones movie and what has been come to be known as Jurassic Valley from the movie Jurassic Park. 

MG & Carol in front seats of Helicopter

 We left the adventure with a DVD of the entire experience that we would be happy to share if you are interested.

We spent the rest of the day exploring the east and north sides of the island all the way up to the lighthouse at Kilauea.  (Good luck with the pronunciation).  Here are the pictures we took along the way.

Wailua Falls

Drinking Coconut milk from coconut bought from vendor along the road.

Kilauea Lighthouse on north side of Kauai

Opaeka’a Falls

Everyone said it wouldn’t last but it just kept raining all day.  We had planned to go to the Farm Market at the Community College and we actually went there.  What we found were most of the non-fruit and vegetable vendors got rained out, and only those whose product was not ruined by the water stayed.  Then the drenching started and everyone else left, including us.  Being the seasoned travelers we are, we were undaunted by a little water and started to consider what plan B would be.  First, to Walmart for a rain jacket of some kind.  They were basically sold out, because there has been a lot of rain here lately.  We considered a movie and then we remembered the estate where the luau was held, had a historic home with shops, a restaurant, and the rum factory office.  Plan B became obvious!

The Kilohana Plantation was built in 1935 as the most expensive home built on Kauai by the sugar baron Gaylord Wilcox.  It was designed by Mark Potter known for his custom Hilton Head homes and included custom furniture from Gump’s in San Francisco.  The gardens were filled with rare tropical plants and it was something to behold. 

Today, the home is a visitor destination.  The outside patio has been converted into a lovely restaurant, open enough to enjoy al fresco dining and sheltered enough to keep you dry when it rains.  The living room has been converted into the Mahiko lounge with the richly crafted panels and intricate screen doors leading to the porch.  The front hall is magnificent with two huge wooded urns of the most beautiful wood I have ever seen.

 While we waited for our table, we wondered through the downstairs portion of the house including the dining room.

Lunch was delicious and then we explored the upstairs filled with shops upstairs in the master bedroom, guest room, and children’s bedrooms filled with artwork from local artisans and beautiful jewelry.  Carol and I were good and resisted all temptation. 

Then we walked through the drizzle to the Koloa Rum Company store where we discovered a rum tasting being offered and the next available time was later in the day.  We signed up and headed to Macy’s to find that illusive rain jacket. 

When our turn came for the rum tasting were found out that rum is made from fermented sugar and the Koloa Rum Company still uses cane sugar while other companies use sugar from the sugar beet.  Being a sugar plantation, they had plenty available to them, but realized with limited supply available they would need to do something for the future and decided to grow their own on the plantation.  All the rums made at the factory have won ribbons at the largest rum show in Miami because they only use the middle brew with no impurities.  Supposedly, the impurities are where the hangover comes from.

We tasted our four one-quarter shots of rum and rum cake with fudge rum sauce and realized it was time to get cleaned up for our dinner reservation.

Keioki’s Paradise was just that.  A large building off the ocean but created with the pools and multi-levels, similar to the garden area of our resort.

We all had monchong fish prepared baked with the chef’s special sauce (not the same as a big mac) over rice with broccoli.  It was just what we wanted to end the day. 

Tomorrow is our big helicopter tour, so make sure you check back to see how it goes.  Keep your fingers crossed for the weather.

The landscaping at this resort is unlike anything we have seen anywhere else. There are seven four-story buildings outlining the campus and a garden area in the center made to look all natural with waterfalls, ponds, rocks and native plants. Check out the Kodak picture taken from outside our building.

After our initial walk around the resort and immediate area and breakfast, we attended the aqua aerobics class in the main pool. We have found that this is a great way to start the day and we usually attend the classes wherever we go. Here, however, instead of having one of those 20 something “hard-bodies” who usually teach, we had “Auntie” who looked to be a 60 something, shorter than me “fluffy-body”. When we first saw her, I didn’t have hopes of much of a workout especially since I remembered seeing her on the beach earlier teaching Tai Chai which is more about balance than aerobics. Boy, was I wrong! Auntie had me breathing heavy, while she was doing all the same exercises on dry land and talking at the same time, and, as you know, it’s harder without the water.

After our workout, we walked down to a restaurant near the resort called Brennecke’s. It is a two-story building overlooking the beach with t-shirts and deli on the first floor and a great view form the top floor. Carol noticed a coconut beer on the menu and had to try it. She said it was good and the sip I tasted confirmed her  decision.  Jim and Carol had pulled pork with Guava Plum BBQ sauce and I had Ahi tuna tacos with garlic fries.  I made each of them have at least one waffle fry as self-defense for the garlic.

We finished our meal with dessert of Pina Colada cake drenched in Kona rum with mango ice cream and candied macadamia nuts. To die for!

Then off to the grocery store for supplies and a stop at the local fruit stand for a fresh pineapple cut before your very eyes by a pro. She also introduced us to Rambutan which is a prickly looking red thing that tastes like a cross between a grape and a pear.

We could have done more damage there but we had big plans for the evening and had to get back to get cleaned up. We had reservations to the Luau Kalamaku which included a short train ride around the plantation, luau and fabulous show.

By 9 pm we were exhausted. I guess those roosters crowing at 4 am have an impact on your energy level.