05 Feb Week 12: Beaches and wildlife
We’re making good use of having a rental car! We went to nearby Mola’a beach on Tuesday for a bit of lap swimming and dodging rain beneath the ironwoods. We kept the trip short so we could go check out Kilauea Lighthouse (only open Thurs – Sat) — then to the local vintage resale store! I found some pretty decent deals – snagging a lightweight sweater, Hawaiian blouse, and tank top for $12. Aaron found 5 frankincense charcoals for $3.50! Afterwards we hit our favorite happy hour spot – the Bistro for their $3 taps and $5 special of the day: Local goat cheese wrapped in prosciutto and drizzled with local honey, sprinkled with pecans and dried cherries. YUM!
Today we collaborated on a Farmily Costco trip – using Marco and Texas Tim’s memberships — we filled the GMC Acadia with 8 of us (myself, mom, Aaron, Sammie Jo, Marco, Luna, Texas Tim) for a day on the south side of the island. We left early so we could hit Shipwreck Beach near Poipu, which is right next to a cliff-lined coastline with hiking trails. The beach sand was so soft and the waves were gentle enough for floating in the crystal clear water. Orion met us down there for the beach time so it was a FULL crew of farmers hanging out!
We hiked a ways up the coast to see the other coves and tiny bays within the next half mile of shore. The hike was sandy but on top of some serious cliffs. On our way back we took the forested trail, and startled a large white barn owl from it’s perch. It stopped a branch over to stare us down – then flew away before I could snap more than a single photo!
Once back at the beach, Aaron busted out the boogie board and I took a quick lap with goggles. I saw a bunch of shiny yellow fish near the middle of the beach where rocks were covering the shallow sand. Luna and I sat on a large driftwood log staring at the ocean and I saw a dolphin pod cross in front of us, their fins bobbing up and down as at least 10-20 of them swam along. While staring hard for the dolphin sightings, I saw a whale jump way in the distance – yet unmistakeable: A large black form suddenly erupting from the ocean, followed by a huge splash!
Right before we left, Orion, Texas Tim, Sammie Jo, Marco, and Aaron went to jump off the famed cliff. I was nearly dry and had enough saltwater for the day so I opted to film the whole thing from the beach! The video shows: Orion nailing a back flip, followed by Texas Tim, Sammie Jo, Marco, and last but best butt-jump: Aaron.
After the beach, we hit a nearby hole-in-the-wall burrito stand for lunch, called Da Crack. I had garlic shrimp and Aaron had breaded marlin – on some loaded burrito bowls. Just the fuel we needed to make it through a quick stop at Costco!
Amazing wildlife and beach day on Kauai!
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