Wishing you and yours a happy Easter from your friends at Coconut Coast Condo!
Aloha Readers! A friend of Coconut Coast Condo's Facebook page recently asked me about free activities to do on Kauai. I thought this would make a great blog post. So, here is my top 10 free things to do on Kauai: 5. See for Miles from the Historic Kilauea Lighthouse Kilauea Lighthouse was first lighting the way back in 1913. The lighthouse still stands today, and the area serves as a wildlife refuge that has incredible views! You can see Nene (Hawaii's state bird), Spinner Dolphins as well as seasonal Humpback Whales. 3. Hit the Trail Explore one of Kauai's many hiking trails. The first 2 miles of the Kalalau Trail on the Na Pali Coast and the Sleeping Giant Trail both offer spectacular views! 4. Snorkel Kauai has some awesome snorkeling! In fact you don't even have to have snorkel gear to see some colorful, friendly fish. Often, you can just look down into the water and see plenty of sea life. Try Lydgate beach, Ke'e beach and Poipu beach. 6. Walk, Jog, Run, Bike the Kauai Coastal Path This path called Ke Ala Hele Makalae is Hawaiian for "The Path that Goes by the Coast". The paved path runs over 10 miles from just before Lydgate beach all the way through Kapaa and north to past Kealia beach. 7. Enjoy a Hula Show You can see a free hula show at the Coconut Marketplace. The Coconut Marketplace is a open-air beautifully landscaped shopping center located within walking distance of the condo. The hulas shows are every Wednesday at 5pm and Saturday 1pm. 8. Get into Some Culture Also, at the Coconut Marketplace is the Ka U'i O Ka 'Aina Cultural Center. There are museum quality displays and cultural demonstrations. They also offer classes at nominal fees. We stopped in one day and found the volunteer to be very friendly and happy to share her heritage with us. 9. See the Largest Coffee Farm in the United States Take a drive out to Kauai's side and see the largest coffee farm in the US. The Kauai Coffee Company has a visitors center, a gift shop and guided tours of their huge grove. Educational as well as a feast for your eyes and nose! 10. Stargaze Kauai is the perfect place to gaze up at the night sky. Thankfully there isn't a lot of bright city lights to interfere. In fact, from the beach in front of the condo you can look up and see the billions of stars that make up the Milky Way! What better way to spend an evening than walking along the beach and viewing Kauai's incredible night sky. See, some of the best things in life are free! Thanks for reading the Coconut Diaries! As always, feel free to post any comments or questions! Aloha All, In my post last week, I was so happy to share with you that Hawaii Magazine readers voted Plantation Hale as one the best budget resorts on Kauai. One more reason to stay at the Coconut Coast Condo! This week I thought I would share with you some of the other Hawaii Magazine Readers' Choice Awards. More than 50,000 votes were tallied, here's some top picks for Kauai... Best Golf Course: Princeville at Hanalei, Princeville, Best Luau: Smith's Family Garden Luau, Kapaa, Best Helicopter Tour Company: Blue Hawaiian Helicopters Jack Harter Helicopters Safari Helicopters Sunshine Helicopters Best Beach for Stretching Out On the Sand: Hanalei Beach & Bay Poipu Beach Best State Park: Kokee State Park Best Fine Dining Restaurant: Roy's Best Place for Cheap Eats: L & L Hawaiian Barbecue Best Burger Place: Bubba Burger, Hanalei, Kapaa and Poipu Duane's Ono Char Burger, Anahola For more Readers' Choice Awards please check out the April 2013 issue of Hawaii Magazine. Better yet, subscribe to Hawaii Magazine! It's a great mag, full of beautiful photos and informative fun articles that'll keep you in touch with your favorite place...Kauai! Wishing you all a Happy Saint Patrick's Day! Plantation Hale Suites was voted one of the best budget hotels in Hawaii by the readers of "Hawaii" magazine! Isn't that awesome!? We love Plantation Hale, that's why we bought a condo there.
Plantation Hale is a fabulous place to enjoy your next vacation. The grounds are beautiful with lots of colorful tropical flowers and coconut palm trees. There's 3 sparkling clean pools, BBQs and picnic areas. The staff is accommodating and friendly with excellent management. To top it all off, the location can't be beat, within walking distance of Waipouli beach, restaurants and shopping. You can stay at the Coconut Coast Condo at Plantation Hale for just $95 night. No wonder Plantation Hale was voted one of the best budget hotels in Hawaii! For more "Best of the Best" check out Hawaii Magazine's April 2013 issue! Aloha Readers! We bought our Kauai condo with dreams of what it could be. It was a leap of faith as we purchased it sight unseen. Crazy? Maybe! Would you buy this place? The photo makes the bedroom seem so dark. And the spotlight on the bed?! The peach walls and green carpet didn't quite go with the pink and teal striped curtains. It was clear that it needed a renovation not just a little updating. We made an offer on the condo and it was ours. Seeing that photo of the bedroom inspired me. We couldn't wait to get over to Kauai to get started! Because we had just one week on the island, we carefully planned what needed to be done. We picked out flooring and paint at our local Home Depot. The bed frame and mattress was purchased in California. We tried to do as much as we could from home, knowing that our time was limited. Here's what the bedroom looked like when we arrived on Kauai. I remember walking into our condo for the first time. Though it was bare, it had a warm, homey feeling. We pulled back the heavy, funky striped curtains and it was light filled. Opening the windows and feeling the breeze flow through the condo, we knew we'd made the right decision. The previous homeowner was thoughtful. Though, the condo was dated, it was very clean. She was even kind enough to leave some necessities for us...toiletries, soap and paper towels. With sheets and a blanket, we slept that night on the floor. I was so thankful the carpet wasn't dirty! We awoke early. Anticipation and the 2 hour time difference helped. My husband had the old carpet and padding out before dawn! It was looking better already! As the sun was rising, we were painting. The color we chose is Cottage White by Behr. I love that paint brand! It went on nice and covered well. For flooring we chose Allure vinyl plank Bamboo flooring. We were able to pick it up and the local Kauai Home Depot. It claims to be the "Easiest Floor Ever". And it really was! My husband would tell you that the most important thing is to measure well. He put down nearly the entire bedroom floor in just a few hours. I can also say that after a year of being down that the floor looks as good as new. We highly recommend this flooring. All of the above photos were taken on the same day. The last photo shows our little one asleep on the new bed. Day 1 Pulled up and removed old carpet and padding Removed bolted-on old headboard Painted all the walls and trim Took down old curtains and put up new blinds on the window Put down AWESOME new bamboo flooring and assembled new bed frame! Whew! We were tired but, determined to sleep on a bed that second night. The bedroom was a huge transformation. We also renovated the living room and dining area that first trip. It didn't look like the same condo anymore! Writing this post really brought back some great memories. It was super hard work but, so much fun! I would love to do it again! And we will. It's our goal to always keep the condo updated and fresh. We want others to feel that same feeling we had, when we walked in the condo the first time...that we'd made the right decision.
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December 2018
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