We hadn't yet had just a simple beach day so we decided that was what today would be. We slept in a bit (not much) after our late night return and the morning started out rainy.
We began with a visit to the Saturday morning Hanalei farmers market. This one is private, rather than one of the sunshine markets, so they had prepared foods and crafts in addition to the fruits and veggies. We grabbed a papaya from the stall where folks were getting them by the armful and walked a bit. It started to sprinkle do we ducked into a booth with baked goods. That lead us to sampling the cinnamon macadamia nut roll and then buying. Super yummy. It started to rain a bit harder so we headed back to the car. I had really wanted to try the goat cheese but his line was outrageous. We had considered taking his farm tour, too.
The one thing we've learned about the rain is that it passes quick and even if it's rainy here, it might not be rainy right over there. So we headed for our first beach. Josh wanted to head back to Secret Beach but I talked him into trying out some new ones.
We headed into Princeville and drove all the way back towards the St Regis. Right before you enter the SR gate there is a tiny public parking lot on the right. 9 cars fit. There was one spot. Perfect. We took a foot path next to the lot that lead us to a crazy steep set of stairs and ropes that I had to use to get down the incline. I'm not sure why we keep wearing flip flops but we do... As we got to the bottom we could start to see the water and beach through the trees. Beautiful. We quickly descended upon Hideaways Beach. Our new favorite. The beach was completely secluded and perfect. Quite a few of the people there were snorkeling and one of the locals was spear fishing. There was a surf break way out do a group of local chic surfers were there. It was pretty perfect until a kayak tour showed up. They weren't loud but it went from a handful of people to two handfuls of people. The nice thing about limited parking and hard to hike trails is that there are few people - unless you get there by kayak tour. Regardless this was a magical beach and we could have stayed all day, the sand was extremely soft and again Josh had his shade.
At lunchtime we packed up and made the hike to get lunch and hit another beach. We visited the deli at the super overpriced Foodlabd grocery store. The deli is actually decently priced. We got a huge Hawaiian pork sandwich to share and some sesame poke (ahi Tuna). The sandwich, chips and fruit would have been enough in the heat.
We grabbed our food and headed back into Princeville. This time to the Sealodge condos. I was pretty interested to head here. The beach is supposed to be remote and pretty but more importantly we came close to staying at Sealodge. One of the condos was our first choice but it was booked our week. After seeing both I look both options. Sealodge would have been double maybe, but definitely bigger. The condos are along the cliffs and I've heard get amazing views, breezes and sounds of the ocean. However, Princeville to us felt a lot like a Florida retirement community. Golf courses, walking paths, lots of condos.
Ok. So the beach. The path is behind Building A but when we got there all the signs said permit only. We went back a few buildings and found the visitor parking spots. Not very far at all. We walked down behind Building A following the signs that kept warning us of how dangerous this trail was. Awesome. The trail was much longer than others to get to the beach but not as steep. I'd say it is the prettiest beach hike. You jump a few boulders to cross a stream and then walk close to the cliff to get around to the beach. The beach is highly secluded. When we got there we were maybe one of two couples. The most people I ever saw there at one time were 8 or 10. A lot of people seem to be exploring beaches like us.
As for the beach itself we'd say it was ok. Not as pretty as Hideaways or Secret Beach but the hike and seclusion give it points. I did like the big lava rocks on the sand by the water that I turned into a backrest for my reading.
A friendly reminder to put on lots of sunscreen everywhere. I did a great job except I forgot the backs of my hands and my feet. We thought I was getting bitten by something until we realized. Oh my.
By mid afternoon we had had enough sun and decided to forego our third beach of the day. We visited a surf shop in Hanalei and were suckered into buying our son a new bathing suit and rash guard. These kids are spoiled...
We had some down time at the house just to relax in the porch which was much needed before dinner. Josh attempted to relax in the hammock but we decided it must be installed to narrowly.
Dinner reservations were made at Mediterranean Gourmet, 15 minutes north in Haena. The food is definitely Mediterranean. Lebanese. I wouldn't write home about the food but the setting was pretty amazing. It's on the ocean and is all glass windows that were open. There was a heavy breeze. They seem to have entertainment most nights. That night, a lady singing and playing guitar was performing from 6:30 to 8:30 doing soft acoustic music. She was quite good. You can't see the sunset directly but you can see the beautiful reflections in the sky. They also have a bar that opens to the restaurant where in sure you could still see the views and hear the music. They also turn the lights down and have candles on the tables so it's a fairly romantic spot, just not my foodie pick.
After dinner we called it a night as usual.
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