Hawaii is my favorite place to visit, and I especially love Kauai. Here are some things that made this last trip wonderful, if you ever have the pleasure of visiting:

• The Ultimate Kauai Guidebook by Andrew Doughty – My sister and I bought Maui Revealed for our Maui Half-Marathon trip, and these are simply superior guidebooks. Friendly, funny, up-to-date, and the ONO restaurant ratings won’t let you down.
• The Kauai Marathon & Half-Marathon – A well-organized race, with very pretty scenery. This was the inaugural year, so I’m looking forward to seeing it grow. The elevation for the half was fairly sane (800 feet uphill, then 800 feet downhill), but the marathon route looked more brutal. Hardest part for me was the summer training and the humidity. Also, I really like the logo! It’s an island, a flower, and a runner! Goodies included technical tee and aluminum water bottle. And there was a great shirt with a chicken crossing sign.
• Postcard Shot #1: Kilauea Lighthouse – You can’t take a bad photo there.
• Postcard Shot #2: Waimea Canyon Lookout – Breathtaking. Again, any photos you take are going to be amazing.
• Waiohai Mariott – 2nd time staying here, and I like the big suites with private, roomy bedrooms, air conditioning that works, WIFI, full kitchen, and washer/dryer. Shower heads kinda sucked, but oh well. Cell phone reception in the room sucked, too, but… I kinda enjoyed that.
• Garden Isle Inn – Not a fancy resort or anything, but we stayed here for one night, and it really was nice! Near the airport, clean room, air conditioning, and free WIFI… works for me!
• Puka Dogs – Nom! And happy, friendly service!
• Grove Farm Homestead Museum – Low-key but interesting guided tour about Kauai/Hawaii history.
• Grass-Fed Beef – Dad grilled up some super yummy hamburgers. It seems beef grown on the island is mostly grass-fed.
• Always Awesome: snorkeling at Poipu Beach, doing nothing to island time, the color of the water, reading all the road signs out loud, sushi, Kona coffee, macadamia nut ice cream, and honey roasted macadamia nuts.

I’ll post photos on Facebook! http://facebook.com/cparkburke