Living Life Large… in Kauai
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Last month I went to see my extended family in Ohio and I got to see both my grandpa (dad’s dad) and grandma (mom’s mom) while I was there. When speaking with my grandpa, he was telling me that I reminded him of Aunt Peg. Aunt Peg lived in Pittsburgh on the Pennsylvania railroad . On Friday’s she would take the “red-eye” train out to New York City for the weekend then ride back to Pittsburgh and head straight back to work. She also visited most of the west via train and had great photos to share with everyone when she returned. Grandpa mentioned that Aunt Peg lived life large just as I was doing. We discussed my upcoming travel plans and that I was headed to Kauai, Hawaii in a few weeks. So, I decided that today was the perfect day to share some of those adventures in memory of my Grandpa who passed away today.
A little bit of background for you first. There are eight main Hawaiian islands, seven of which are permanently inhabited. However there are four main islands that people visit when they head to Hawaii: Oahu (Honolulu is located here, along with Waikiki Beach and Pearl Harbor), Maui (has the beautiful Road to Hana and Haleakela National Park), The Big Island of Hawaii (has Volcanoes National Park), and Kauai (nicknamed The Garden Island and much more lush and untouched).
Considering that Kauai is nicknamed the Garden Island, there should be no surprise that it is an adventurer’s paradise. Here are the details of our time in Kauai.
Where we stayed….
First up was our hotel accommodations. We stayed at the Courtyard Marriott Coconut Beach. The hotel was not a big deal to us as we were planning to spend a lot of time exploring the island. However, it was a very nice hotel and it was paid for entirely with hotel points. If you are looking to do something similar, consider this Marriott credit card from Chase. Currently, they will give you 3 free award nights if you spend $3000 in the first three months of having the card. The initial bonus is always changing, but definitely worth looking into. *As a reminder, I would never advocate going into credit card debt. But if you are spending the money anyway and paying your balance each month, might as well let this work in your advantage and get some free travel.*
The hotel was on the east side of the island so I watched the sunrise each morning over the ocean which was an extra treat.
What we did…
The main reason we took the trip to Kauai was the hiking – which was pretty incredible. This is coming from someone who has done a lot of cool hikes. We ended up doing at least one hike each day. If you would like more details on my top 3 hikes in Kauai, check out this link.
Another really awesome thing that we did was take a helicopter tour. This was my second time in a helicopter, but my first time on a helicopter tour. It was a really incredible experience.
Besides the hiking and helicopter tour, we did a few other fun things in Kauai…
Before you head out on your trip to Kauai yourself, make sure you have the best suitcase and follow these packing tips. Kauai was so magical. Is it on your list?
Currently reading: Moscow Rules by Daniel Silva
Currently listening to: Chop Wood Carry Water: How to Fall in Love with the Process of Becoming Great by Joshua Medcalf
Andrea Cannon is a pharmacist, triathlete, gratitude practicer, and avid traveler. For both business and pleasure, she has taken more than 250 flights yearly for the past 3 years. In addition to being a travel hacking enthusiast, Andrea enjoys hiking and spending time with her husband (Austin) and dog (Dex). You can connect with her via her blog www.beaUTAHfulworld.com or on Instagram @andreafcannon .