The State Formerly Known as "Ohio"...DAY 7

Our last day on Kauai was (luckily!) a full one!  Our flight didn't leave until 9:30 p.m., so we had the entire last day to explore/revisit places on the island.

It started EARLY!!  It was Easter Sunday, so we attended a sunrise service in Kalapaki Park...next to the beach.  It was a nice service (although a BIT too early for my personal taste...!).

After the service, we walked along Kalapaki Beach one last time...

We then went back to the hotel, showered, packed, had one last sit on the lanai...

...then checked out.  It was sad to leave!  The Kauai Inn is comfortable, the staff is friendly and helpful, and we enjoyed our stay there!!

After checking out, we went to J.J.'s Broiler for lunch.  We'd passed the place all week, and decided to give it a try.  We got a patio seat overlooking Kalapaki Beach...it was quite nice.

I had the "Kauai Sailor"...a burger with a pineapple ring, tomato relish and bacon.  I also FINALLY had my first mai tai of the trip.  Not sure WHY I kept to the Chardonnay the whole week.  It was nice change to get a drink with an umbrella and fruit in it.

After a lovely lunch, we TRIED to sneak in one last shave ice, but they were closed. 

We took our luggage to Pat's house (there have been a lot of breakins of rental cars recently, and she advised us to bring our stuff to her house for safe keeping), then headed to Maha'ulepu Beach.  We THINK this is the beach that both my sister AND our friend Vickie recommended going to, but we spent MOST of the week trying to find it/get to it.

Even if it WASN'T the beach they recommended, it was LOVELY...which is GOOD because the road to get to it almost DESTROYED our rental car.  Dirt...muddy (from all the incessant rain)...potholes the size of New York City.  I think our average speed was 1 MPH...the entire way.  Jeeps and SUV's were leaving us in their dust, but...we made it, and it was worth the journey...

After the beach, we inched our way back to civilization, drove back to Lihue, killed a little time at Wal-Mart, then went over to Pat's to pick her up to take her to dinner.  Her friend Helen joined us as well.

Pat had recommended a place called Kauai Pasta.  It was a REALLY good choice.  Great ambiance.  Great food.  I had a wonderful Greek spaghetti (with kalamata olives, a chicken breast, fresh basil, and feta cheese). 

We had a great time, enjoyed delightful conversation, then...the inevitable...time to go and pick up our suitcases...and head to the airport.

We returned our rental car, went through security, and ended our trip in a crowded waiting room, awaiting the boarding of our plane.  As we were waiting, I pulled out a blown glass chicken I had purchased earlier in the week, only to discover that it's leg had broken off (I bought it the day we went to Honolulu...at the airport...and proceeded to carry it through Honolulu, back to Kauai, and back to the hotel where it sat in it's newspaper wrapping for four days.  Not sure WHEN it broke, but I was sad!).  Duane left to find a bathroom, and when he came back, he was carrying another chicken that he bought while he was looking for the bathroom...what a guy!!!

We boarded the plane, and I was STUCK in a middle seat.  SOOOOO not happy to spend the five hour flight stuck there, but, as luck would have it, the desk agent came on the plane and called our names (to which our usual reaction is "CRAP...they are going to pull us off the flight".  This time it was QUITE the opposite.  As we sheepishly raised our hands when they called our names, the agent said that she'd tried to catch us before we boarded (not!), because we'd been upgraded to 1st class (insert picture of Jeff doing the HAPPY DANCE here...).  We quickly grabbed our carry ons, and headed to our seats in the front...bliss!

We arrived in L.A. at 4:30 a.m....UGH!  The end of our trip started much like it began...three hour layover in L.A....tedious flight from L.A. to Minneapolis...snow...brown...cold...me in shorts.  By the time we finally got home, it was all I could do to roll my bag to the door!

What can I say to sum up the trip besides IT WAS FREAKING AWESOME!  Even though it was rainy (VERY!), Hawaii is a magical place, full of natural beauty, and gorgeous scenery, and beaches, and flowers, and warm weather, and (intermittent) sunshine.  It was a LOVELY escape from "the usual", and I have many WONDERFUL memories to get me through the remainder of this ENDLESS winter.  I'm already looking forward to going back!

Here's hoping YOU were able to enjoy paradise recently too!!!!!!!