Every day is "Friday!" in Kauai

There's no place like Hanalei, Kauai for getting away from it all. Peter, Jaime, Lauren and I spent ten days celebrating Lauren and Peter's MBA graduation, new career opportunities for Jaime, and partying in anticipation of new jobs starting later in July. It was great to see the Montgomery and Parks familys, and generally get some R&R away from the busy world of work and school.

Fun things we did:

• Ziplining! with Kauai Backcountry Adventures
• Hiking to Hanakapiai, Ho'opi'i Falls, and almost to the Alakai Swamp (darn that mud)
• Kayaking up the Hanalei River with Kayak Kauai - Lauren and I learned we don't have very good rhythm
• The Smith Family Luau - lots of fun with 500 of our closest friends ;)
• Sunset pu'pus on the beach x 2
• Pink floaties with dual cup-holders, roadie cocktails, and Lauren in the best Aloha get-up ever
• Snorkeling at Tunnels
• Tidepooling at Secret Beach

Yummy eats:

• Duane's Ono Char Burger - a must for post-flight lunching, but don't be in a rush
• Hukilau Lanai - our first night of vacation, after airport pick-ups
• Duke's barefoot bar for a yummy lunch and drinks straight out of a pineapple
• Tropical Taco and BYO beers for a casual lunch in Hanalei
• Kauai Grill at the St. Regis - our fancy night out
• Pau Hana Pizza in Kilauea - my favorite lunch of the trip; smoked Ono pizza...SO good
• Waimea Brewing Company for an all-appetizer dinner, hoo-aah!
• Olympic Cafe in Kapa'a - a full bar and a lunch of humungous proportions, everything a hiker could want
• Kountry Kitchen in Kapa'a for top-tier, greasy spoon breakfast; our goodbye to paradise

The beginnings of an unofficial soundtrack:

Sung by the mixing spoon brigade, in a kitchen or Charger near you...

• Friday, Steven Colbert & Jimmy Fallon
• Nightswimming, REM (for pu'pus at the beach)
• Somewhere Over the Rainbow, IZ
• Just a Dream, Nelly
• Stay, Sugarland
• Forever In Blue Jeans, Neal Diamond
• America F*ck Yeah
• Music of the Night, Sarah Brightman & Michael Crawford (because Lauren knows all the words, dammit...)
• If I Were A Boy, Beyonce (because Peter loves man-hating divas)