Kauai - Day One - Surf & Ski Cottage

We arrived in Kauai around 1pm on Saturday, January 2. And we arrived tired. In order to make our 6am flight from SeaTac, we hauled our sleepy butts out of bed at 3am. After six months of anticipation, a short connection in SFO, and a crappy United flight with nonworking audio and overhead lights, we were finally in Kauai.

**Side note: The crappy United flight wasn't actually so bad as they gave us each $150 travel voucher as an apology. I'll take it.

We decided to stay on the eastside of the island as it was the most convenient to activities. Seriously, if you're planning on having an active holiday in Kauai, I totally recommend the Kapa'a area. It's basically equal distance to both the North and the South, and it's not a complete nightmare to get over the westside like it would be if you stay further North. However, if you're just planned a mellow vacay with lots of lounging on the beach, consider Poipu or Hanalei instead.

If you're looking for great deals on accomodation in Hawaii, try Craigslist. Seriously. So many folks own condos and timeshares down there, there are some fab vacation rentals to be found online. We picked a little cottage called the Surf & Ski Cottage (surfski@aloha.net) in Wailua. It's owned by Kathy and Kenny who also own the Kauai Surf & Ski Shop. I will admit it. When we first arrived, I questioned our decision to stay in a cottage instead of a condo on the beach. I mean, the cottage is adorable, but it's right in Kathy & Kenny's backyard. I mean, their house is literally 25 feet from the cottage. I was a little worried about privacy. I'm not a bed-and-breakfast, small talk, get-to-know-your-neighbor sort of person. I'm just not.

I had absolutely no reason to be worried. Kathy & Kenny obviously know how to read folks because aside from their initial greeting, we never saw them again. Our cottage was perfect for us. It was just one room, plus the bathroom. Lots of windows, right on the Wailua River with tons of greenery and palm trees. Full kitchen, BBQ, wifi. AND an outdoor shower.

AN OUTDOOR SHOWER.

I am obsessed with outdoor showers now. I actually took 2-3 showers per day just to use it. It was awesome.

At any rate, if you're looking for a unique, non-cookie cutter Kauai experience, consider the Surf & Ski Cottage. You won't regret it. Oh, and say hello to Clicker, our little gecko, for me.

Sadly, there isn't much more to report about Day One in Kauai. After heading out for a delicious ahi burger and a couple maitais, we basically came back to the cottage and crashed.

Days 2 - 9 will be more exciting. I promise.