Happy happy JULY friends!
Holy cow.
It’s July.
I didn’t see it coming!!
Today, Erika and I are both recapping the FOURTH part of our Hawaiian vacation!
If you missed the other stuff, let’s recap:
First up, Erika and I kicked off Season 2 of our podcast The Bestie Breakdown by BREAKING DOWN HAWAII! If you want to hear us chat about this trip in its entirety (both the land and the sea), make sure you listen HERE.
After that, I shared PART ONE where I went into a little more detail and showed you pics from our time in Ko Olina including both our character breakfast and luau at Disney’s Aulani Resort.
Next up, in PART TWO, we boarded Norwegian Cruise Line’s Pride of America and set sail on a seven night Hawaiian island cruise. I shared details from the day we boarded along with whale watching in Maui at our first port.
After that, in PART THREE, we shared our two days on the big island of Hawaii where we enjoyed a lot of activity and sightseeing in Hilo followed by the perfect resort day in Kona.
Today, we’re sharing our two very lovely days in beautiful Kauai…and I took like 9 pictures. In two days. Total fail. Agh!
Okay, so I have a few things to say…
First, when we planned this Kauai day, we talked to so many people and did a TON of research, but decided that we would make it a resort day instead of doing one of the many amazing activities. We knew we had one more HUGE day ahead of us, so it would probably be smart to rest up and relax before finishing off the trip with an epic day PLUS almost every excursion we attempted to book wouldn’t allow Britt and/or Madeley to participate due to their ages and well, that didn’t seem fair/like fun, so we opted on a resort day at the beach instead.
Secondly, it ended up being a HUGE blessing because we arrived in Kauai on March 12, 2020…and even though Hawaii didn’t feel affected quite yet, the rest of the US was undergoing HUGE changes due to COVID. There was so much on my plate that day including the fact that Erika and I were on a cruise ship (could we get off, would we be quarantined there with our families?!), Clare and her family were in Europe and couldn’t get home PLUS, it was spring break so we had approximately 4 billion clients out in the world traveling that we had to help get back to the United States. Top it off with an office manager back at home trying her best to help every client and assist us who was having a baby in four days. Yes. Four days.
So, all of that to say, I took like 9 pictures. Kauai, I need to go back and visit you again one day. I want to stay a long time because what little I saw, I loved.
These four woke up without a care in the world. Our ship had sailed from Hawaii to Kauai over night and the views from our cabin were STUNNING! This was by far the most gorgeous port on the itinerary!
If you look closely, you can see our ship back there in the top right corner. We docked right there and were in walking distance of the Marriott hotel which is where we had day passes for the next two days. Our kids were in heaven!
We have friends who stay at this resort for two weeks every summer and now, I can totally see why! It’s huge and has all the amenities you would need for a lovely vacation.
See our ship? The beach and cove were perfect for eight kids to run wild, splash and explore!
Smith was living his best life!
Girl pic!!!
After a full day at the beach, we cleaned up and enjoyed dinner as a framily!
They’ve already grown so much!! What happened to our babies since last year?!
The next morning we woke up still in Kauai for a half day and it was…
…our 16th wedding anniversary 🙂 . We headed back to the beach for the morning, but had to be back on board the ship by 1:00 to disembark and head back to Oahu.
Beach babe.
The cruise takes you on a scenic tour around Kauai as you head out. We watched for hours! It was so beautiful!!!
That night, we ended with a romantic anniversary dinner…for twelve 😉 .
So, needless to say, I don’t have a ton of pics, but don’t worry…for our fifth and final part, we have the ultimate day at Pearl Harbor, so you’ll see lots of pics then!
That wraps up PART 4! We’ll share some more pics later on this summer, but don’t forget to catch Erika’s post today too!
Have a great day, friends! xo
Elspeth says
Looks so fun! I can’t imagine traveling while all this was going on in the country!
http://www.elspethsdaybyday.com
Lauren says
That hotel is where my husband and I stayed on our honeymoon!! I completely understand your reasoning for laying low at the hotel instead of exploring those two days. I can’t imagine what all you guys were going through while trying to keep positive in front of the kids. That being said, you have to go back to Kauai!! There’s so much to see and do there.
I wrote a blog.post about our honeymoon here if you want to check it out:
http://www.allaboutthatmommylife.com/2020/04/blast-from-past-our-honeymoon.html?m=1#more
We hiked to some waterfalls, hiked around Waiemea Canyon, went snorkeling, paddle boarding in the cove (where your ship docked!), and then also had some chill beach days.
Reading your post today brought back all the happy memories ??
Juliette says
Hi Shay! I would love to see you do a post on work-life balance. I feel like you are so good at being present and focused with the kids but working when you need to! And it’s amazing that you truly enjoy both parenting and work. (I feel lucky like that too!)
It’s not ideal when work comes up on vacation, but it sounds like you handled it so well. How do you structure time for work emergencies while you’re with kids! I would love to read more from you, or maybe a breakdown from you and Erika!
PS-love love love Thirty Chic Days-thanks for the recommendation. So fun to read and makes me want to book a flight to PARIS!
Mix and Match Mama says
Awwwwww! I’m so happy you’re reading Thirty Chic Days too!!!!! And you’re so sweet to compliment me on the summer work stuff…I am just about to do a post on our routine here soon, but believe me when I say…I often fail miserably. It’s hard!!
Kristin says
Agreed on the work/life balance post or maybe podcast idea for you and Erika? As a mom of three littles, who works remote I would be all ears for all the tips and tricks ?
Charon says
I LOVE KAUAI! You really should go back one day and explore it, if possible. I was fortunate enough to go to Kauai for a month one summer while I was in high school (my Mom and I traveled there). I would describe it as the least commercialized island with so much to see and do! Loved your Hawaii recap!
JoAnn says
My cousin lives in Kauai and Dustin and I went to visit in 2011 and stayed at that Marriott! It’s just BEAUTIFUL!!! We can’t wait to take the kids back someday when they’re a little older and don’t worry…you’ll be planning that trip for us too ?????
Lisa D says
Ah Hawaii! I’ve been 20 plus times to the Islands and each visit is different and so wonderful! Husband and I will go to Maui next April and I can’t wait!
Sheaffer Sims says
Madeley and Britt look so itty bitty!!!!!
Abby says
I visited Kauai two years ago, and I have been dreaming about going back ever since. It is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been, and ranks high on my list of favorite places. The island is absolutely beautiful, and I hope you all are able to visit again.
Stephanie says
Understandable, but it’s a shame that you could not actually explore Kauai. It is one of the most beautiful places, so lush, so remote to the point that if there is 1 or 2 people on a beach, the locals will move on to the next beach. The Napali coast is to die for. We have been to other Hawaiian islands and this island is in a league of its own. Very much hope you can get back. It is TRUE Hawaii!
Ellen Darling says
We are in Kauai right now staying at the Grand Hyatt with an ocean view! It’s incredible!
Mix and Match Mama says
Oh my goodness! Have the BEST time!!!!!
Kathy Wood says
We went to HI a few years ago. That’s the the resort that we stayed at for the week while is Kauai. The view! The pool! We watched the ships come in. We woke up to the roosters. Loved it! Did you get to go see the Fantasy Island (TV Show in the 70s or 80s?)Waterfall? Am I aging myself by asking that question? Ha!
julie bradford says
we loved Kauai…. I am with you .. we watched for hours after we left Kauai!! It was gorgeous!!!
Erika Slaughter says
Absolutely GORGEOUS!! Kauai didn’t disappoint a bit! I want to go back and do all the things plus sit in that beach chair again for several days as well. ?