Road to Kauai's North Shore Closed

Kuhio Highway on Kauai, the only road to the north shore, is closed. The road is actually gone, washed into the ocean after a dam broke after weeks of heavy rain. The onrushing water completely leveled an area forest, washed away two houses, and destroyed the road. 7 residents are missing and feared dead. :( :( :(

It's still raining.

I don't know what the arriving and departing visitors to the area are doing - there's been no word.

County crews hope to have a lane open sometime today, but it's still raining and there are fears of a second dam breaking and doing it all over again. Keep an eye on the front page of the advertiser for updates.

Waimanalo Beach Feedback

After writing an ezine article about the best Oahu Beaches I got some reader feedback about one I did not include. Here's what she said.

" ... Waimanalo (Beach). The beach is beautiful, the water is great for swimming (even with keikis), there are trees for shade, there are no crowds, and there is plenty of local flavor. Of course, it may not appeal to all tourists, depending on what they're looking for, but 'Nalo epitomizes Hawaii for me."

keikis = kids
'Nalo = nickname for Waimanalo

Thanks again Lori, I agree with you.

Perfect Picture of Waimanalo Beach

Directions to Waimanalo Beach from the Airport
Take H1 East and exit at the Pali Highway exit, take a left onto the Pali Hwy (61), go through 2 tunnels and at the fourth stoplight after the tunnels, take a right at the sign reading "Waimanalo". After about 10 minutes, you can follow your nose to the beach.

Waikiki as a Family with a Young Child

We stayed in Waikiki for one week at the Resortquest at the Waikiki Banyan. It was me, my husband, and our two (three months from three) year old child.

I can definitely recommend the Resortquest. The location (one-block walk to the beach) and the room (full kitchen, divider between "bedroom" and living room) were top-notch for the price. Plus, on the fifth floor roof they have a pool, a playground, barbeque grills, and a small putting green.

The full kitchen was a lifesaver. Anyone with a small child knows you don't want to be doing three meals a day in a restaurant. We went grocery shopping the first day and had a normal breakfast and dinner each day at the hotel. There were no ... diaper issues, no restaurant issues, and no food issues.

We did a lot of beach and pool play. The beach just one block down is the small section called Kuhio Beach which has a sea wall protecting it from any waves. Joe (the two year old) just loved all of Waikiki Beach and especially that protected section.

We went to the Honolulul Aquarium and that was good for about two hours of entertainment. We did not go to the Honolulu zoo because we've been there before and were not impressed. We spent one evening at a nearby Chuck E. Cheese's (a phone book check showed three on the island). We drove out to the North Shore and checked out the Dole Pineapple Plantation - there is a nice train ride there that our Thomas fan just loved.

Basically, all three of us really enjoyed Waikiki. One warning to you - bring the stroller. Our normally perfectly-behaved child who never goes in the stroller (I generally do not like them and do not use them) turned into an absolute monster on this trip (traveling does that to children, I've heard) and we actually bought an umbrella stroller two days into the trip to contain him.

Best Day at the Beach Shore Excursion

question
We are a family of three (m/f/daughter 10 years old) arriving for just a day on the Pride of America cruise ship (March 22). The excursions offered by the ship seem to not include the "day at the beach" options we've often used on cruises.

Can you offer some ideas for us? Any hotels with day-use fees? Any beach parks with modest facilities (bathrooms/snacks)?

We will be docking at The Big Island, Kona side port, and Kauai - Nawiliwili Harbor.

answer
OK, for Kona, the Hilton Waikoloa has day-use fees - 4 people for $80 the last time I checked. It's a 25 minute or so drive from the port but the hotel is fantastic. They've got water slides, two big pools, a lagoon, and boats and a tram take you around the huge grounds. My favorite hotel. It's first come first serve, maybe calling first will help:

IMO, the best Kona beach is probably Kahaluu Beach - not because of the beach itself, but because the snorkeling and turtle watching are good. This is about a 5 minute drive from the port - or maybe they will have a shuttle. It's likely there will be a shuttle or some option to get there, you probably just won't find out about it till you get on the ship.

If you have time for a Fairwinds trip to Kealakekua Bay, or any trip to Kealakekua Bay (swimming with dolphins kealakekua bay) the snorkeling is the best in probably the world. The only thing is, trips out are best in the morning and will take 3 to 4 hours usually. I know time is limited on shore excursions.

As for Kauai, if you can arrange the Na Pali Coast Zodiac excursion, that's really fun and dolphins are likely.

If you want to stick close by, Kalapaki Beach is really close to Nawiliwili Harbor and has decent activities.

I just found this site: http://www.shoretrips.com/common/search2.asp?rcode=HAW Looks interesting, might help you out.

Good luck making a choice :) and have a great time! Lisa