There are so many campgrounds in the Eastern Sierra, practically every road coming off of 395 has one or more. Chances are there will be plenty of spots. This book is pretty thorough

https://www.amazon.com/Eastern-Sierra-Valley-Camping-Privacy/dp/1515196208

If you want real privacy, just drive east off of 395 instead of west (Saline Valley, Inyo Mountains, etc)

No problem. I love helping people who travel to Hawaii, I've only been twice. Will be (late) honeymooning there this April too actually but will be in Kauai first.

This was the book I was referring to -
https://www.amazon.com/Maui-Revealed-Guidebook-Andrew-Doughty/dp/0996131884/ref=dp_ob_title_bk

Forgot to mention but all my experience is from 2016 so not too old (info) but I don't really think it changed all that much.

First, a question for you: you're there now? Because if you're talking about the Kalalau Trail when you reference the trail to the NaPali coast, it's currently closed and may be into early 2019.

My wife and I had a great experience with Jack Harter Helicopters, for what it's worth. Regardless of the company you go with, do doors off. Also driving between Poipu and to Hanalei for the NaPali in one day is doable, but it seems like you'd be rushing, yeah.

Also, if you haven't picked up the Kauai Revealed guidebook, I can't recommend it enough.

Go to any local bookstore and buy this: http://www.amazon.com/Hundred-Hikes-Central-Oregon-Cascades/dp/0967783062/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1374541516&sr=8-2&keywords=william+sullivan+central+oregon

Hidden L.A., 1998

Hidden Los Angeles, 2004

Get this book - https://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Kauai-Guidebook-revealed/dp/0983888760

​

It will answer 90% of your questions

People celebrate 1-week anniversaries with vacations now? :)

It's really going to depend on what type of people your parents are. If they want a resort experience right on a nice beach, they should do that! If they want central base with a kitchen to "save money"^1, they should do that. If they want less structured experience, a BnB is perfect for that.

You've got a few months, so you should probably buy them Maui Revealed for Christmas. Flip through it with them and get a feel for what kind of Hawai'i trip they want.

I've had friends and family of all sorts, and people get really unhappy when they want one thing but get the other. Heck, on this sub, people who like the whitewashed and manicured resorts of Wailea have described Kihei as ghetto!

With what you've said, I'd get a hotel or condo (AirBnb, VRBO, Homeaway) in Kihei so they are central to all the islands opportunities. Lahaina is popular and drier, but requires more driving to get to things like Haleakala, Hana, Makena, etc.

Something to be aware of: The I'ao Valley area is currently closed for an indefinite amount of time. Also, Haleakala is going to start requiring permits to view the sunrise.

Search some through this sub and you'll find some fairly exhaustive eating recommendations.

^1 I'm a firm believer that most people that do this don't actually save money. They end up eating out and eating leftovers mostly and buying too much food from Costco

I’d feel pretty winded trying to list everything but just make sure, while you’re here, to venture past Waikiki. I like this series of books, although the Oahu one is the only one I haven’t read.

Oahu Revealed

Old Lahaina Luau is awesome and totally worth it.

Leilani's in Whaler's Village for hapyhour is awesome and highly recommended. I would even argue that they have the best Mai Tai. The location is great as just outside the restaurant is the beautiful stretch of Ka'anapali beach looking towards Black Rock. Leilani's would be great for dinner too - not a dive but a great restaurant.

Aloha Mixed Plate in Lahaina is a must for a local food experience. Can't go wrong with anything on the menu. You will not regret it.

Star Noodle also in Lahaina is awesome. Japanese restaurant with a menu full of variety. Get the steamed pork buns to start.

Leoda's Pie Shop and restaurant in Olowalu is another great local spot. Great for lunch. Their burgers are awesome as well as their desserts.

Duke's is a great restaurant with an exceptional view. Not a dive, but a great choice for a nice evening out at sunset. Their breakfast is insanely good too and much cheaper than dinner. I had the Kalua Pork hash skillet...so frickin' good.

The north-west side of the island past Napili and Kapalua is highly underrated. I recommend driving it all the way around the north side and back into Wailuku. Make sure to stop at this spot: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g29220-d672529-Reviews-Nakalele_Blowhole-Maui_Hawaii.html. Was a highlight for my wife and I on our last trip.

Speaking of Napili Bay, definitely go check that out. Beautiful, quiet bay with excellent snorkeling, swimming, and view of Molokai. The sea house restaurant right on the bay is great too, and sitting on their patio can be one of the most relaxing experiences while staring at the beautiful view of the bay.

If you both like snorkeling, a boat excursion to Molikini is well worth it. There are plenty of boats that regularly make trips out there. Also, Black Rock is a great place to snorkel where you have a great chance of encountering Honu (Sea Turtle).

I could go on forever... Enjoy your honeymoon! Maui truly is an incredible place. Also, if you want more details of what (and what not) to do/go, pick up this book https://www.amazon.com/Maui-Revealed-Guidebook-Andrew-Doughty/dp/0996131809/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1473873078&sr=1-1&keywords=maui+revealed+7th+edition.

I concur with the others. Save the other island for another trip. Maui is probably better for most honeymooners, but unless you really hate nature you're going to love Kauai for the 6 full days. Get the The Ultimate Kauai Guidebook: Kauai Revealed and choose your activities. I recommend the Smith's Kauai Luau.

Get this book: The Ultimate Kauai Guidebook: Kauai Revealed

It is SUPER helpful. That being said our highlights from our trip were the helicopter ride, ATVing, and kayaking. I highly recommend kayaking the Wailua River to Secret Waterfall, we just rented the kayak and did it ourselves rather than do an official tour, super easy and nice to go at our own pace, prepare to get muddy lol. I also highly recommend spending at least a day to drive up Waimea Canyon and hike around, the views are jaw dropping (see my post history for my engagement pictures there). There’s also a great restaurant nearby that’s a little hole in the wall place called Da Booze Shop, great place to refuel in between hikes.

Edit: I forgot to mention if you’re a dog person and have some flexibility in your schedule you can check out a dog at the Kauai Humane Society and take them on a field trip. We did this and took him to the beach, it was a blast.

I am in Kauai RIGHT NOW. Leaving tomorrow. :(

There are a lot of things to do in Kauai, but it's kind of an outdoor activity based place, and pretty much all of those activities are a no-go during pregnancy. (Full disclosure: I'm still TTC and therefore only a lurker in this community.)

But: there are great beaches. I've done a TON of snorkeling, laying around on the beach, etc., which is all perfectly safe during pregnancy.

I would talk to your health care provider, but I feel like kayaking would be okay to do while pregnant? If so, there is this really cool kayak/hike that we did to the sacred falls which I would definitely recommend.

A helicopter tour is really cool too and you get to see the whole island in a hour, including the Napali coast. I'd talk to your doctor about potentially flying in a helicopter to see if that would be okay. The Napali coast is the most beautiful thing I've seen in my life! But when we took a boat tour, the seas were so rough that the tour company flat out would not take anyone pregnant.

However, there are other boat tours that you can do that aren't in such rough seas, like a sunset cruise or something like that.

To be honest, there isn't too much shopping to do in Kauai. It's probably the least developed of the islands (which is pretty cool, IMO). But old Koloa town is really cool to walk around in. (I really liked Kauai Nut Roasters because they give out tons of free samples and we got people back home a lot of presents from there.)

I really liked this guide book: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0981461018/ref=redir_mdp_mobile/190-3792190-5179630

The restaurants tend to be kind of pricy, but there are great hole-in-the-wall type of places to eat that are less pricy. Definitely look into which fish you should avoid when pregnant. Pretty much every restaurant has fresh fish, all of what I had was EXCELLENT. But some fish contains high amounts of mercury, which definitely needs to be avoided while pregnant.

Do you know which part of the island you're staying on?

Also, I'd be happy to answer questions you might have about Kauai! It's so beautiful!

Not really. Just take the leap and invest money on a guide book. Much of the information online about Hawaii is just advertising material in disguise . . . you might have good luck finding something, but I've never had good luck.

Maybe the travel wiki for Hawaii?

Get the book The Ultimate Kaua'i Guidebook: Kaua'i Revealed. It is just fantastic and has everything you need to know. There is an iphone app too!

Also there are several local car rental companies that sometimes are way cheaper than the big companies. We had a great experience with Gingerbread Car Rentals (http://cars-kauai.com/) but we've also rented from Enterprise. http://kauairentacar.com/ is good too.

I went there for 2 weeks in June. Spent about $800 total, housing included. But the number will vastly depend on your needs. Will be renting a car? Rental rates are very cheap on the island as there is fierce competition. I paid around $250 for a week even as a younger driver. Hitchhiking is also very prominent, and there is a very affordable shuttle bus along the main highway during certain hours (ends around 9pm). Food is plentiful and honestly not insanely expensive if you are able to find the places locals eat. Highly recommend [this] (https://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Kauai-Guidebook-Revealed/dp/0996131841?keywords=kauai+revealed&qid=1536774895&sr=8-1&ref=mp_s_a_1_1book) for an extremely thorough look at pricing specifics. Enjoy your trip though! I'm having a nasty craving for chicken in a barrel at the moment.

get this book: http://www.amazon.com/The-Ultimate-Kauai-Guidebook-Revealed/dp/0981461018

I went last March and it was incredibly helpful. there's also an app which was equally useful.

I didn't plan too much and it worked out really well. each day I had maybe 1-3 destinations in mind, but gave myself a lot of time to relax and explore.

my favorite places were Waimea Canyon, Botanical Gardens just north of Spouting Horn and Ke'e Beach. renting a car through Costco was super cheap. also opted to rent as small carriage house just north of Old Koloa Town (central location was great) instead of the condo/hotel thing; waaaay more quiet and comfortable. when I go back, I would stay on the north side of the island if I could afford it (rather ritzy), but I was very much charmed by the west coast of the island. Poipu area seemed more family oriented and the east coast was probably my least favorite (in terms of paradise, mind you...it's all great).

one thing I would've done different is opt for a helicopter tour instead of taking a boat tour. the water was pretty rough and 4 hours on it was more than enough.

I'm not a local but here are some highlights from our last trip.

• Ho'opi'i Falls - Parking in residential area and is limited, probably about 2 miles in to the second set of falls with rope swing. Hike up and over then down steep cliff to get to the bottom, its worth it.
  
• Queen's Bath - Crazy muddy and slippery hike but not far. We just did it barefoot. Not much parking, go early. Amazing little pool to swim in, cliff jumping, swimming with big sea turtles. Highly recommend.
  
• Kalalau Trail to Hanakapiai beach - One of the prettiest hikes in Kauai. Awesome beach at the end. Bring water. Trail can get muddy and slippery when its been raining.
  
• Napali Coast - Sunset cruise. Its pretty amazing.
  
  Also like mentioned by u/nocknockwhosthere, Kauai Revealed is worth the money and has pretty much everything you need.

So so so so many recommendations, OP included a great list too. Definitely follow rules and laws for flying your drone. Its VERY tempting to want to fly it everything cause its so MOTHER EFFING beautiful, but stay out of the state and national parks with it.

​

I will also suggest, no..HIGHLY RECOMMEND this book https://www.amazon.com/Hawaii-Big-Island-Revealed-Guidebook/dp/0996131825/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_14_t_0?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=ST3GCAV0BCCZMNGAK34N

I normally go anywhere and think I'll just find everything I need online or on my phone, and while you can, this book is CRAZY helpful. Plus its great reading on the plane and will get you more excited. Really helpful tips, hidden gems, etc in this book...cant recommend it enough. And its well written, not boring at all to read.

​

​


When in Kona, check out

• Ali'i Gardens Market Place. Great prices on shirts, gifts, etc - and some good food - including shave ice
  
• Any farmers market will do too, several along Ali'i drive in Kona
  
• Da Poke Shack - best poke bowls on the island. (they also see it at costco and its pretty good there. If you have costco card, definitely go there for shopping and essentials for the week, including gas.
  
• Go to the little surf shop by Da Poke Shack, you can rent snorkle/mask for like $25 for the week. Great snorkling around Captain Cook, and Bay of Refuge - a must do
  
• Eat Breakfast at 808 Grindz - macdamia waffles and pancakes - you can thank me later
  
• If you want to do a Luau, Island Breeze is the best one on the island. We did this in lieu of a wedding reception, it was an absolutely amazing time, great food, and call you can drink mai tais!
  
  ​
  
  Hilo
  
  
• Check out the zoo, pretty cool little zoo and cheap
  
• Hawaii Botanical gardens - not like any other BG you have ever seen...its truly a treasure to see, plants and it backs up to the ocean at the end....stunning is putting it mildly.
  
  Other Stuff
  
  
• Drive to top of mauna kea - make sure you have 4wd - we rented a 4 door jeep. You have to stop at the visitors center to get acclimated with the altitude. This is no joke, spend the 30 mins there, if not longer. Getting out of your car at the top of the volcano is beautiful, but if you're not ready you WILL get sick. Headache, light headed, vomit, or all 3.
  
• Waipio valley...yes yes, all day yes. You can drive down to the black sand beach there too, just be careful...its not an easy drive down or up

there's a book that is outdated, but still generally a good way to plan a neighborhood visit - Seattle City Walks

The Baranof on Greenwood is a good dive bar. As is the Kort Haus (known for its exotic meats and proximity to the Zoo)

If you are into dive bars there is a really good book of Seattle dive bars. Came out a few years ago but is probably still a good source.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0097D7GR6

Pretty cheap kindle book, and you don't even really need to buy it: you can just get the list of bars from the Amazon "peek inside" free preview thing. Most of them are still open but some are not...the Buckaroo for instance is closed. Man I am glad I took a few minutes to look through that...it is really an excellent list of Seattle bars.

Richard Menzies' excellent book (and PBS special) about all the weirdos in the little towns in Nevada's back country is called, Passing Through because, invariably, they were all headed somewhere else when their car broke down, but they ended up staying. Highly recommended.

Dude, I'm gonna hook you up. Kauai (one of the Hawaiian islands) is where you need to go. Its where they filmed Jurassic Park--so you know the kind of scenery to expect. None of the buildings on the island are over 3 stories tall (by law I think). There's tons of nature stuff to experience: hiking, scuba, snorkel, surf, waterfalls to jump off of. My wife and I went on our honeymoon. We had a blast. We rented this place for the week. We used this guide book and didn't spend a dime on activities. Use Kayak to book your flight. You will have to rent a car. I suggest you get a jeep, because there's an awesome beach on the west side of the island that you have to drive off-road to get to.

Rented the place for a week, got groceries, snorkel gear, car rental, etc and you've got a great time for under $2,000 +airfare.

https://www.amazon.com/Maui-Revealed-Guidebook-Andrew-Doughty/dp/0996131884/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1523071261&sr=8-1&keywords=maui+revealed

I recommend the bike trip down Haleakela. The views are breathtaking.

I also HIGHLY recommend this book. If you do Road to Hana make sure to stop at some of the points of interest in the book!

Plan on going snorkeling, even if you have never gone rent some gear or buy some cheap stuff at the K-Mart and go. Lydgate Park on the east shore has a huge walled in swimming area that is full of fish and is great for a first time snorkeler.


Go to the farmers markets.


Oh, and buy this book and if you hike this one

The Cascades will be your best playground. Get this book and you'll be set. The whole series on Oregon is actually indispensable.

1. Not true, just not what you want them to be. Skill jobs are hard to find, but unemployment is lower than most states, and very stable.
   
   
2. Being born-and-raised in Hawaii, I can vouch for slowly developing relationships among non-kama'aina. That's because, too often, non-locals will leave, making such relationships fruitless. There is also a significant culture gap between locals and visitors. However, "everyone is unfriendly" is quite a blanket statement.
   
   
3. This can be true, much more so than coke or heroin, and largely due to imported meth from the Philippines. But despite this, having lived there, I can speak for the far greater proportion of the population that does NOT have meth problems, and the crime rate in the Islands is among the lowest in the US.
   
   
4. More like "bipolar" education. Public education is hampered by extremely successful private education, most notably exemplified by President Obama's education at Punahou. One cannot rule out the beneficial effect of private schools in Hawaii even if you have to pay to play. Also, somehow I wound up with an entirely public education in Hawaii but found my way through two college degrees with very high marks.
   
   
5. Cannot argue with this. :) One excellent written example is (appropriately enough) titled The Price of Paradise (warning: Amazon link, for those who do not want it "remembered" by your personal login).

http://www.amazon.com/The-Ultimate-Kauai-Guidebook-Revealed/dp/0981461018

• mahalepu road area, very few people, rugged, beautiful
  
• polihale beach, park your car before the sand starts, or you'll get stuck
  
• waimea canyon, kalalau lookout.
  
• secret beach, has queen's bath type tidepools. has small waterfall u can stand under
  
• ke'e beach
  
• tunnels beach (snorkeling)
  
• na pali boat tour - shop around and take dramamine a few hours before
  
  ideally you want to stay in poipu a few days and then princeville. the distances aren't great but the speed limits are very slow and traffic can be bad around lihue because the speed and very few lanes.
  

We bought this book for our Amazon Kindle App and used as a guide to find all these cool off the beaten track places on Maui. Especially on the Road to Hana.

https://www.amazon.com/Maui-Revealed-Guidebook-Andrew-Doughty/dp/0996131884/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=maui+guidebook&link_code=qs&qid=1565370116&s=gateway&sourceid=Mozilla-search&sr=8-3

If you like to try an insane amount of fruit at once. Set up a tasting and tour at Ono Organic Farms. I fell in love of Maui mangoes here and it ruined all other mangoes for me.http://www.onofarms.com/


If you love poke, you will find some of the best in regular local grocery stores. Just ask the locals and they will point you to the best places to go. It will be cheaper and taste as good if not better than the overpriced versions in the tourist trap restaurants.

I've been on vacation to Kauai, Maui, and Oahu many times and Maui is by far the best to be a tourist on if you want to do more than just sit on the same beach for the entire time you are there. Oahu has way too many people on the beaches. Kauai is really beautiful but there are barely any people if you want to do something during the night. If your parents are retired they will love Kauai (As long as they can still move around easily) but I would recommend going to Maui for vacation.
P.S: get a guidebook for Maui and Kauai since there are a ton of small beaches that are truly amazing

Armen and Lori's Kauai Guide is a good companion to Kauai revealed. It is available in paperback but it's small enough to keep on Kindle or similar phone app and quickly reference.

The Old Lahaina Luaua is very good. Kinda pricey, but it's all you can eat/drink, so...

Anyway, this is the guidebook I mentioned:

http://www.amazon.com/Maui-Revealed-Guidebook-Andrew-Doughty/dp/0971727996/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

Looks like you can get it extremely cheap. Highly recommended.

Seattle's Best Dive Bars: Drinking & Diving in the Emerald City

The Stranger

I went for two weeks in 2006, spending one week on Oahu and one on Maui. I stayed in the Mariott hotel right on Waikiki beach and I highly recommend it. As for restaurants, I don't remember many of them, but the Cheeseburger in Paradise was a pretty cool place. As for things to do I recommend this guidebook. It contains anything you could conceivably do on the island, including reviews of many restaurants.

I've done Los Padres by myself when I first got my Jeep. Fun and mellow, with some cool camp sites.

This book is great, and I've done 3 or 4 of the trails solo.

https://www.amazon.com/Northern-California-Backroads-4-Wheel-Trails/dp/0966497651

Ask the natives / hotel desk guy about the Queens Bath and head there in the afternoon. There is a ton of hiking and other fun free stuff pretty much anywhere you go. If there is a full moon or close enough get yourself to a beach that has a good clear view of it and show up at midnight, it'll be just like dusk on a normal clear night, wicked bright.

Also check out this book, has every fun thing imaginable. I've spent about for weeks there on various trips and every time I find something new.

http://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Kauai-Guidebook-Revealed/dp/0971727953

My Oahu (Hawaii) travel guide is available for free download through 12/14/15. This has a new cover and could certainly use some reviews!

The blurb: What would a woman who grew up in Hawaii show her mainland-born husband and son when they visited Oahu? A former Honolulu resident profiles various beaches, tourist sights, and different types of “local” food in an amazon ebook.

A Hawaiian Family Vacation: Oahu is a virtual scrapbook, with photos and commentary of various Oahu destinations. Barbara Lougheed was born and raised in Honolulu, graduated from the University of Hawaii, moved to the mainland, and married a mainlander. After her son was born and was old enough to travel, she had to plan her first visit back home and decide what to show her mainland born husband and son. She came back to visit every few years, and her new ebook is a summary of the places they visited and the foods they ate. Readers benefit from a different point of view than other travel guidebooks.
http://www.amazon.com/A-Hawaiian-Family-Vacation-Oahu-ebook/dp/B00KKY138Y/

I lived on Oahu for 3 1/2 years and this book was my bible. Solid reviews and advice. If you're heading to the outer islands they have Big Island, Maui, and Kauai as well. Enjoy!

http://www.amazon.com/Oahu-Revealed-Ultimate-Honolulu-Revisited/dp/0981461026/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1304031662&sr=8-1

Check this book out- I used it regularly when I lived in SF- still a pretty far haul up north from the city if I recall, but worth it!

http://www.amazon.com/Northern-California-Backroads-4-Wheel-Trails/dp/0966497651

So many! I found our itinerary from 3 years that I'll copy from. We were incredibly lucky in that there wasn't rain for 3 weeks prior to us getting there so none of the trails were muddy but make sure you bring shoes you don't mind walking ankle deep (literally) in mud. We referenced this book to come up with our itinerary because our friends suggested it to us and I highly recommend it.

Hotel

Hilton Garden Inn Kauai Wailua Bay

This is where we stayed and we were super happy with it. It's right next to a beach park and we got to watch the sunrise every morning on the beach listening to the waves. The hotel provided us with a straw beach blanket and a cooler and we used that throughout our trip. Also it's walking distance away from a strip mall that had a lot of good food options. We were able to walk there every evening for dinner which was nice since we didn't have to drive.

Food

Lava Lava Beach Club

The happy hour is amazing. The prices are super reasonable (don't go for dinner or lunch, the prices are absurd). You get to have the toes in the sand experience with $3 mai tai's and super yummy appetizers. I can't explain how much we loved this place. We still talk about it to this day.

Hikes

Pihea Trail

This was by far our favorite. It's basically bouldering throughout the entire hike which was awesome. Be prepared to get muddy!

Kalalau Trail

Unfortunately we didn't get to do this since it was closed for trail maintenance but apparently it's a must. We want to go back just to do this trail. Word of advice, check online to make sure it's open before driving all the way out there.

Group Activities

We booked two group activities because we didn't want to rent our own kayaks or stand up paddle boards and we wouldn't have known where to go with them. We had a blast and the guides we had were fun and I highly recommend it:

• Kauai Stand-Up Paddle Board Tours – Downwind River Adventure
  
• Wailua Waterfall Kayak
  
  There's a ton more to do and if you are interested I can share my itinerary with you, I didn't want to make this post too long (too late). There's a lot of great ideas in the guide book. Let me know if you have any questions!

Too many things to list, check out: https://www.amazon.com/Maui-Revealed-Guidebook-Andrew-Doughty/dp/0996131809/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1468352288&sr=8-1&keywords=maui+guidebook