My husband, Hunter and I went back and forth for a bit on whether or not to take a “babymoon” or wait till the buns were born, but finally caved when we realized that it might be the last time we head out on vacay just the two of us for a very. LONG. time. It was the perfect get away to reflect on the crazy year we had, and look forward to the wilder one that’s ahead. That said, we talked about our twins, but made the focus more on each other. We wanted to just relax, and sort of, not think, so that we could come back feeling fresh, ready to get back to work and get down to serious business in preparing for the babies’ arrival. To be honest, we didn’t do much. We usually go on a few adventures when in Hawaii like paddle boarding, hiking, zip lining etc. but laying low was the best decision for my pregnant state of mind (and body!) this time around. He surfed, and I walked the beaches, read and laid out. We ate a lot of good food. All. Day. Long. He drank yummy cocktails while I stuck to my mocktails and fresh juices. I realize I didn’t take any photos of our meals – I usually scarf it down before there’s time, and also meal time is husband time (aka no phones), but I am listing a mini guide to the North Shore of Kauai if you’re interested below! Thank you all for following along on our babymoon! It was really fun to share such a special trip with you all, and I appreciate every single one of your comments on social media (and behind the scenes emails). Though we took several photos, we tried to keep the picture taking to minimum so there are still a ton of memories missing, but here are a few pics. Enjoy!
SPECIAL THANKS:
Mia Marcelle Swim, ASOS (cover up), Life.Has.Just.Begun. (hat),
Davis Tisdale (green dress), Mustela (lotion), and Ingrid & Isabel (maxi)
SHOP VACAY LOOKS:
NORTH SHORE KAUAI FOOD GUIDE:
The Kauai Grill:
It’s located at the St. Regis Princeville Hotel (where we stayed) and fantastic fine dining. And I mean fineee dining. Prices are outrageous but the service only matches. If you do end up going here for a fancy dinner, the bread is delicious (it comes with yummy honey butter) and the Japanese eggplant is superb. I had mahi mahi and Hunter had the steak…both incredible! They surprised us with banana cake as a congratulatory babymoon dessert and I would highly recommend ordering it if you’re up for a post dinner sweet!
Bar Acuda:
Fave! It’s located in Hanalei and Spanish tapas style, which was a good twist to our week! Try the honeycomb & goat cheese (it’s pasteurized for you pregnant mamas!), and the spiced moroccan carrots. The lentils with baked goat cheese were my favorite, and the chorizo stuffed peppers were a close second! The steak melted in my mouth and was a great finisher.
JoJo’s Ice Cream:
Amazing! We got two scoops of cookies and cream which was more like 4 scoops. It was giant! The ice cream was homemade though and worth while. We also got shaved ice with vanilla and coconut-they have 30 or so flavors to choose from and it was very refreshing!
Aloha Juice Bar:
I was all about the juice on this trip! I loved Aloha’s tangelo juice (seasonal, but if you visit during winter definitely get it if it’s on the menu)! They also offer tons of fresh fruit, coconuts and an assortment of other fresh juices. Bring cash!
Nanea:
Located at the Westin Princeville, this restaurant was delicious. We sat outside facing the fountains and pools, and they kicked off our meal with delightful bread rolls and tasty pesto butter (I’m a sucker for pesto). I had crab cakes as a starter with stuffed peppers as my entree and Hunter had a farm salad with short ribs and prawns as his main. You can also choose two entrees on a plate (1/2 the regular size of each) to get more of tasting experience which was a nice option! Their banana bread pudding (with coco ice cream on top!) was to. die. for. Hunter and I are all about bread pudding, and this was probably the best I’ve had.
Makana Terrace:
Also located at St. Regis Princeville, this restaurant was fantastic and more affordable than its neighbor, Kauai Grill. We also got to sit outside here, and take in the stunning views overlooking the water and mountains. I hate to bring up the bread again, but the Kauai places must be all about their butter creations, because I swear I hadn’t tasted such an assortment in so little time (this place had a sweet mango butter, which sounds weird, but was fab). The seafood curry was spicy and my style, and there are tons of sushi platters offered on the menu (Hunter got the lobster platter). We got pineapple dump cake, and ooo was it a drop of Heaven. It basically tasted like baked pineapple with a touch of cake crumbles. Can’t forget the ice cream on top!
Hanalei Gourmet:
Great lunch spot. One of those place that has everything on the menu from salads to sandwiches to burgers. It even had sushi. We went here a couple times.
The Dolphin:
So, we didn’t go here because it’s mostly sushi (and I can’t eat it currently), but we heard amazing things. I’d feel bad if I didn’t include it on this list, because if you head to Kauai and you’re a sushi lover, I’m pretty sure you need to make a visit!
The Bistro:
Perfect lunch spot on the way back to the airport. It’s situated in Kilauea and has a great burger and a couple decent salads. Their sweet potato fries are a must!
Kauai Juice Co:
Down the street from The Bistro, their fresh pressed juices are incredibly refreshing. I went for the “Mintalada” and was very impressed. It’s made with coconut water, pineapple juice and mint. The perfect roadie.
St. Regis Bar:
We went here for apps before dinner almost every night. They give you complementary cracker crusted peanuts (I don’t know how else to describe them) that were instantly devoured each sitting. Of course accompanied by tasty cocktails (and mocktails!) and we loved their edamame and sliders for snacks!
Kalypso:
Another great “everything” place in Hanalei. Breakfast consists of standard build your own omelets and GIANT breakfast burritos that keep you full for a while (hunter says don’t eat one before you surf…he was paddling a tad slow that mornin-ha). Their lunch is okay too, and their bar seems to be a hot local spot at night.
Lei Petite:
Great for a quick breakfast and coffee. We got eggs and acai bowls – simple but got the job done.
Hanalei Bread Co:
Another great quickie. The menu includes a few novelties like egg tartines, unique burritos, pizzettes and freshly baked bread and pastries. I haven’t had much coffee while pregnant, but I did have some here and it was bomb. Hunter was the coffee connoisseur on this trip and he concurs that it was probably the best.
