First Full Day in Kauai! by Kristen & Kenny

After quite a few days of long/steep hikes (with each of us carrying a kid – albeit Kenny a much heavier one), we needed a reset day to relax and recover. We woke up for our first morning in Kauai to the sound of chickens running around and a beautiful view of mountains in the background. We checked out a local spot for acai bowls and then stocked up on more snacks for Quin. It turned out to be a rainy morning – which is fairly typical on Kauai – so we ended up staying in for a bit before eventually heading down to the pool. On the positive side, Quin had a blast running in and out of the living room the balcony about 100 times and we caught two rainbows. After a morning swim we paused for nap time and lunch and then decided to head out to the beach in the afternoon. Hanelei Bay was really close to where we were staying and a friend tipped us off that there is a pier you can jump off of, so we headed that way. After a few days on the Big Island where a lot of the beaches were covered in volcanic rock, it was a nice change to relax on a sandy beach where we could let Quin run around more. Plus the scenery at the bay was incredible – the water was super blue and there was a beautiful backdrop of huge green mountains.  We did eventually walk down to the pier and Kenny did several back flips and fulls off of the edge. The water was a little shallower than ideal – so try it at your own risk.  After swimming and jumping we took a quick walk (1/2 mile) into the town of Hanalei where all of the shops and restaurants are to grab dinner. Then it was off to get Quin ready for bed! Somehow on our relaxing day we still ended up walking over 7 miles, but at least it wasn’t up hill!  Onward to Waimea Canyon tomorrow!

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