So along with the sunshine outside, D put together a breakfast made up of fruit from the sunshine market. The rambutan (red spikey guys) and the longans (grape-looking round things on the other side of the plate) both have a similar texture to a peeled grape, but with one large seed in the middle, and both with a far sweeter and tropical flavor. The rambutans were slightly softer, and had a sort of mango-grape flavor, whereas the longans were firmer and tasted more like a tangerine/grape mix. Both were lovely fruit, and the oranges were incredibly juicy and far more flavorful than anything we get on the mainland.
Breakfast plate
While D and G got themselves ready to head out for the day, I poked around the garden just outside our condo, taking photos of a patient lizard.
Since discovering the extra storage in our closet, we decided we should stock up on a few nice beach supplies which we could use and then leave in the room for our next visit. To that end, we headed into Lihue to visit Costco. There we picked up a few beach chairs and a cooler bag, along with a couple of kitchen items we wanted to replace and a couple odds and ends in the clothing department. We were on the lookout for beach towels and water shoes for D, however Costco didn't have any in stock. I made a mental note of the huge selection of sushi grade ahi and large packs of poke they had in the meat department at really incredible prices. The volume was too high for us to pick it up that day, but on future trips I think we should consider a stop at Costco in the beginning of the trip so we can do more economical meals at the condo.
(Poke is like a seafood salad dish, similar to a ceviche, made of raw fish chunks mixed with a dressing and other herbs/onions/sesame seeds/etc... There are several kinds which are made with a mayo or ailoi based dressing, which I can't have, however Costco lists all the ingredients of their pokes, and they had two or three which were entirely eggless. I was tempted to buy one, however I really don't want to buy raw fish unless we're eating it immediately, or have a cooler ready for transport)
(Poke is like a seafood salad dish, similar to a ceviche, made of raw fish chunks mixed with a dressing and other herbs/onions/sesame seeds/etc... There are several kinds which are made with a mayo or ailoi based dressing, which I can't have, however Costco lists all the ingredients of their pokes, and they had two or three which were entirely eggless. I was tempted to buy one, however I really don't want to buy raw fish unless we're eating it immediately, or have a cooler ready for transport)
After a quick trip to Sports Authority across the street (which finally had water shoes in D's size, however did not have decent beach towels) we felt like it was a good time to grab lunch. We decided to head to the large plantation across the highway called Gaylord's. This is actually the same location where we had attended a luau on our last visit, but we had skipped the meal part in favor of eating at Duke's, so this would be our first time enjoying a meal at the plantation.
The restaurant is in a separate building from the luau location, so we were surprised by the lovely view from the outdoor seating.
(you'll notice just on the horizon that clouds were already forming on the canyon side of the island... thus showcasing that even on a clear-blue-sky day elsewhere, you can't really guess the weather at the canyon unless you are AT the canyon)
Our waiter at Gaylord's was a California transplant, and it turns out he grew up in Santa Cruz around the time D lived there, and had graduated high school just two years prior to D. They shared a lot of stories about Santa Cruz over the course of our meal.
My lunch: grilled Mahi Mahi over jasmine rice and a coconut/wasabi cream sauce
I love the various interpretations of Christmas Trees that we found around the island.
After a lovely and satisfying lunch, we headed back to Kapa'a for a little more shopping. D and I investigated the option of renting bikes while G went down the block to get herself a shave ice. We gathered up the rental information from a few places, made a note of who would be open for the holiday and who would be closed, and decided to head back to the room to unload the car.
G spent some time in the pool while D and I unpacked the items and straightened up the room a bit. Our dinner reservation was a late one (8:15) so we took our time and snacked a bit in the room, and enjoyed a glass of wine to toast the New Year a little early
It is hard to see the etching in the glasses, but each glass says "Aloha Kauai" below a tropical image
I also wandered outside to get a picture of the sun setting on 2015
After cleaning up from the pool and hot tub, we all headed down to Lihue for our dinner at Dukes. Traffic was pretty clear and we arrived early, so we walked up and down the path by the beach while we waited for our table.
G and I on the beach side of Duke's
Inside of Duke's, they put a Christmas tree at the top of their fountain/coy pond
Mai Tais are served in grumpy-faced glasses here
My dinner: simply grilled lobster and broccoli... plus a salad from their immense salad bar
Our dinner was fantastic. Our waiter not only double checked all the ingredients for my dinner, but he also alerted the kitchen staff to my allergies to avoid cross-contamination AND he told his manager about my allergies just to make sure everything was checked and double-checked by staff before coming to my table. After dinner we headed back to the condo to ring in the New Year.
On the way back to the condo we passed the airport and I grabbed a quick snapshot of their Christmas light display while we were stopped at the light.
G's bare feet on the beach on New Years... not really possible in the Pacific Northwest!
After lighting off the sparklers on the beach and watching a few other people light of fountains, etc... I felt myself nodding off and realized I would not last all the way to midnight. Inside the condo, I climbed into bed and drifted off to sleep while D and G stayed up to watch TV. At midnight G opened the bedroom door and yelled "Happy New Year!" I believe I mumbled "yeah... Happy New Year" back, or maybe I dreamed it. I don't know, I was tired.
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