Extremely Sad Day

From dmband.com, "We are deeply saddened that LeRoi Moore, saxophonist and founding member of Dave Matthews Band, died unexpectedly Tuesday afternoon, August 19, 2008, at Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center in Los Angeles from sudden complications stemming from his June ATV accident on his farm near Charlottesville, Virginia. LeRoi had recently returned to his Los Angeles home to begin an intensive physical rehabilitation program."

I've been greatly effected by Dave Matthews Band for over half my life. LeRoi was an integral part of this relationship. I've cried, danced, traveled, and loved to his riffs. He helped craft some of the best songs I've ever heard. His talents are showcased on my favorite song, Pig.

I wish LeRoi's family, the band and all my DMB friends peace in this time of loss. LeRoi will always be loved and greatly missed.

image courtesy dmband.com

Big Island Bad Idea

Our second leg of the honeymoon was schedule for the Big Island. Our hotel was the Outrigger Keauhou Beach Resort in Kailua-Kona. Originally, I was excited to visit Volcano National Park and Mauna Kea Summit. I didn’t see either.

We flew Hawaiian Airlines from Lihue on Kauai to Kona on the Big Island. We connected through Honolulu. They lost our luggage. Apparently, this happens all the time. How could this happen? Its a short flight made 8 times a day. Can’t the luggage guys get their act together? We had to wait a few hours for our luggage to show up on the next flight. This was just the first bite in the sour apple.

As we landed, you could see fog permeating the landscape. We’d heard about the volcanoes affect on the island’s weather, but you can’t understand until you experience this fog. Unfortunately for us, Mauna Loa had been erupting at its greatest rate in many years. The fog was worse than normal. As we waited for our luggage, the sun began to disappear under the fog. We drove down the coast to our hotel and only noticed fog. The landscape is stark and foreign. The volcanic rock resembled pictures I’d seen of the moon. Its an eerie place.

Our hotel was OK, but we couldn’t get a read on the nearby beach. How could you sunbathe with the fog? It just didn’t feel right. Plus, we were tired. We’d had enough adventure and just wanted to sit on the beach. I tried to keep spirits up beat by suggesting dinner at the Kona Brewing Company. The apple still wasn’t getting sweet…

We tried to find the brewery, but it took over an hour. I kept on making the wrong turns. Finally, we found it way back in a industrial park. We couldn’t even eat outside because of mosquitoes. At this point, it was time to throw the apple away.

On the drive home, we called the travel agency. For the first time in my life, I’d used a travel agency. It was the right move for this vacation. I felt too much pressure to plan a honeymoon. They offered trip insurance, and we took it. In hindsight, this was the best decision. An agent worked with us through the night to secure changes to our honeymoon. We thought about going back to Kauai, but we had to sleep on it. We couldn’t book plane tickets until the AM. We woke up around 5AM; I don’t think either of us slept very well. We flipped through our travel books looking for an alternative to Kauai, and we settled on Maui. It seemed to have exactly what we want: sunny sandy beaches. We could start booking plane tickets at 7am, so we called the travel agency right at 7am. Before I knew it, we had our trip re-booked to Maui. We secured a waterfront room in Lahaina and even extend our stay another day! Our flight left in a few hours. Good thing we already packed up our bags between 6am and 7am.

The flight was around 30 minutes direct from Kona. As we touched down into the bright sunshine, I felt a huge weight lift from my shoulders. Literally, the honeymoon was saved. Maybe the Big Island would be a good destination for another vacation, but not this one. I had a good feeling we made the right decision.

Kauai Highlights

Teresa and I spent seven days on Kauai. We stayed at the Sheraton Kauai Resort in Poipu. Its located on the south shore of Kauai which is the sunniest spot on the island. We loved the resort. It seemed like every other day there was a free Mai Thai happy hour facing the ocean. The small beach was perfect for sunbathing and swimming. Our room was even more amazing. Situation oceanfront, we ate each breakfast on our balcony. In the evenings, we watched the sunset with a few drinks. We were completely spoiled.

We choose Kauai for its mix of beach and adventure. Anne, our travel agent, schedule a few activities for us. The first was a snorkeling expedition along the Na Pali Coast. We rode in a small craft from Waimea north to Na Pali. We were treated to close encounters with dolphins and turtles. The captain drove the boat into various sea caves. Of course, we saw jaw dropping views of some of the greatest sea cliffs in the world. Eventually, the boat beached and we snorkeled for around an hour. I’d never snorkeled before; I was amazed by the colorful fish. I couldn’t believe how close you could swim to their schools. The entire expedition was a reminder of the beauty and power of nature. Our second handpicked adventure was a safari. The day began with a kayak ride up the Hule’ia River to Kipu Ranch. The private ranch boasts forests, watering holes, rivers, mountains, grassland and even waterfalls. We hiked through the forest, flung ourselves from a rope swing, tore down a zip-line, jumped off waterfalls, saw pigs and peacocks! The day was non-stop, but my favorite parts were the zip-line and waterfall. During the zip-line, I let myself dangle upside down. At Kipu Falls, I leaped 20 feet from the top to the water as many times as possible.

Our days were jammed packed. We’d sleep like rocks and eat like hippos. I have to mention a few favorite meals and beer. The best tasting beer was the Kona Brewing Company Wailua Wheat. It is a refreshing and light wheat with hints of Lilikoi. Grabbing lunch on the go didn’t mean compromising taste. My first favorite lunch was in Poipu at Puka Dog. I first saw these Hawaiian Hot Dogs on No Reservations. I had to have them for myself. A Hawaiian Hot Dog is either a Polish Sausage or Veggie Dog shoved into a cocoon of a bun. You choose from an array of sweet relishes such as the Kauai Special with Mango or Polihale Sunset with Papya. I really loved the Polihale Sunset. My second favorite lunch was in Hanalei at Tropical Taco. You can’t go wrong with a huge and tasty burrito. We had three spectacular dinners and all for different reasons. One night, we order pizza and enjoyed our balcony. We listened to our own music and marveled at the beauty and power of the ocean. Our best tastying dinner was in Hanalei at Postcards Cafe. The cafe is a small and inviting converted cottage with an excellent seafood and natural menu. We rolled in without a reservation and covered in sand. We were a bit dressed down, but the servers didn’t seem to mind. We shared Thai Summer Rolls. For dinner, I enjoyed a delicious Wasabi Crusted Ahi and Teresa ate the Francesca. Unbelievable. Our dinner with the best view was back on the South Shore. We managed to secure a perfect bar seat at The Beach House. The restaurant is completely open-air with great views of the ocean and shore. We ate only appetizers and enjoyed a few Wailua Wheats. The atmosphere was top notch.

Teresa and I found our own adventure and beaches; we hiked the beginning of the Kalalau Trail from Ke’e Beach to Hanakapi’ai Beach on Kauai’s North Shore. Its only a few miles but is a strenous walk through thick forest and wild rock formations. I have much respect for those that attempt the full 11 miles. Hanakapi’ai Beach is a stunning reward for your efforts. A fresh water stream meets the raging surf to form a beautiful spot. After finishing the hike, I was glad to relax on the calmer Ke’e Beach and enjoy the sunset. We even got up close and personal with an endangered Kauai Monk Seal.

One adventure didn’t involve a single beach. We drove Waimea Canyon and visited Waimea and Koke’e State Parks. The drive is steep and winding from Kauai’s West Shore into the Canyon. Both Teresa and I became car sick. We didn’t let our stomachs spoil the impeccable views of Waimea Canyon and the Kalalau Valley.

One of my favorite spots on Kauai was a beach. At the very end of the road on Kauai’s West Shore is Polihale State Park. The rental car took a beating on the long dirt road to the end of the park. It features 17 miles of white sandy beach making it the longest on Kauai. The beach faces west directly into the Pacific; the currents here are strong. I attempted to body surf but quickly changed my mind. As you sunbathe on the beach, the imposing Na Pali Coast keeps close watch. At one point, only four other people shared this entire space with Teresa and I. We’d stay until sunset, but didn’t have a clear enough day to see the sun lower on the water. However, the experience wasn’t disappointing with clouds. Each moment in the park, I felt miles away from anything, completely content and relaxed. I don’t think there is a better spot on Kauai.

We Made It To Kauai

It was a long trip from Portland to Kauai via Denver. Yea, the flight pattern wasn’t perfect, but our luggage wasn’t lost and the flights were smooth. I can’t complain as I sit here in Paradise.

Late yesterday afternoon, we finally settled into our room. We were upgraded to Oceanfront! Our first exploration was a walk down the oceanfront to Poipu Beach. The sand is very soft and slightly red. Most of the shoreline is covered in dark black rocks. These colors contrast greatly with the deep blue water and green landscape. It is striking.

A portion of the beach was roped off for sea turtles and monk seals. Teresa says, its the VIP section of the beach. Would you believe it, but one of each was relaxing in the sand! The rope only left us five feet from both the seal and the turtle. The monk seal reminded me of our over-sized cat (just his mannerisms). The turtle moved his head slightly, but appeared to be catching a long nap.

We ate a decent meal at Brenneckes. I enjoyed tasting some Kona Brewing Beers. The Golden is particularly tasty. We walked back toward our hotel at sunset. What a perfect time for a stroll. I think we shall have a few good weeks in these islands. It is so pretty here.

Getting Excited About Hawaii

This coming Saturday, Teresa and I are leaving for Hawaii. We are finally going on a honeymoon 254 days after getting married! We decided on Hawaii to try and keep it simple. We’ll be within the US, but we’ll be visiting an exotic location with an uncountable amount of activities. After picking Hawaii, you next have to decide upon which island or islands. We settled on Kauai and Hawaii (The Big Island). Kauai is the “Garden Isle.” Its known for beautiful beaches and outdoor adventure. We’ll get to attempt some amazing hikes and also sit in the sand! The Big Island is much the same. Let’s Go describes this island as, “a vastly untouched natural enigma.” Its going to be sweet. Watch here for updates and new photos.