Best us travel guides according to redditors
We found 226 Reddit comments discussing the best us travel guides. We ranked the 118 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
We found 226 Reddit comments discussing the best us travel guides. We ranked the 118 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
Better Off Without 'Em
great book, excellent idea, i am all for the south just splitting off and having its own regressive theocratic shitpile of a society and not sucking up our taxpayer money anymore
let them turn it all into toxic waste dumping grounds for big business. idgaf anymore, they are a blight and they really just need to gtfo forever
Better Off Without 'Em: A Northern Manifesto for Southern Secession
ha ha but unironically (the opening paragraphs of this book are a chilling and all-too-credible prophecy)
https://www.amazon.com/Better-Off-Without-Manifesto-Secession/dp/145161666X
Without the South the rest of the US starts to look like a respectable Industrialized country. Our crime rates, education levels, divorce rates, pollution problems, etc, etc all look like we are an advanced European country.
By itself the South looks like a third world failed state.
Better Off Without 'Em
I go to Moab every year in my stock Toyota FJ. I would recommend getting this book for your journey. It gives tons of info on all of the trails (turn-by-turn directions), and tells you how difficult they are. I would stick to the easy trails in your Bronco, I've found that "intermediate" in Moab is pretty hardcore. There are plenty of easy trails out there that will still get your heart racing and provide ridiculous views. Two of my favorites are Gemini Bridges and Long Canyon. I'll be there next weekend!
Better Off Without 'Em
There's an interesting book on this subject (ok, not just California but still an entertaining read.)
Pacific Northwest irony bros are way ahead of you.
Shit like this is why I never had the time of day for Chapo Traphouse.
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.
I love how the Malacetic Atlas is treated with a Necronomicon-type reverence because all I'm picturing is that jumpy orange font from the Weird U.S. franchise (which is pretty great, tbh). Theory though: With recent theories made about translating the Voynich Manuscript, do you think that's why the Malacetic Atlas suddenly appeared? Since Miles can no longer use a real text as a mysterious tome connected to Tanis, it seems like he had to make one up that will always suit his needs and will never be revealed to be a medicinal textbook.
But yeah, the runner recording piqued my interest, but naturally, it was lost again in the many trips and scene-changes that we didn't need. Classic Tanis!
This is the White Mountain map I use, along with the AMC White Mountain Guide.
There is also this map of just the Presidential Range.
I don't think any "serious" maps will have interesting information besides trail names and distances. If you want to read thorough descriptions of the trails they I seriously recommend the AMC White Mountain Guide.
Pretty sure it's just a standard forest service road.
But
These books are great for trails.
Pretty much the bible.
https://www.amazon.com/Guide-Moab-Backroads-4-Wheel-Drive-Trails-ebook/dp/B01HU8ZP5O
There is one for Ca too but it's not as good.
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.
Get this book - https://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Kauai-Guidebook-revealed/dp/0983888760
​
It will answer 90% of your questions
You might be interested in one of the local meetups:
At the very least, check out their events; that'll give you some ideas for hikes! You might also get this book - http://www.amazon.com/Hiking-Kansas-City-William-Eddy/dp/1891708325 It details hikes all around the metro area and even in surrounding areas that are a little farther away (like Weston).
So I just re-read this book this week, and I cannot recommend it highly enough.
Back to our regularly scheduled "WTF is up with the 'heritage not hate' crowd?" comments.
This one doesn't necessarily have THE most detailed maps, but I've used it dozens of times per year for a number of years now, and I can't recommend it enough. It's like my Bible while I'm on the road:
https://www.amazon.com/Your-Guide-National-Parks-Complete/dp/1621280675/ref=dp_ob_title_bk
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 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.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1934838047?pc_redir=1412277252&robot_redir=1
And
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1934838055/ref=pd_aw_sims_1?pi=SY115&simLd=1
My wife and I have camped pretty extensively across the West and a bit around the East (we’re just down from you in NE Ohio). First, I have to say that the Western US is where the natural beauty of North America is at its best, so spend as much time as you can out there!
We started camping around with a really basic and cheap Coleman Redwood tent that definitely did what we needed. We didn’t do trips as long as yours though, and we found some disadvantages for camping in the mountains and on the Great Plains. At first we used an air mattress and two cheap Coleman sleeping bags. We threw all our little stuff in plastic bins you buy at Target or Walmart, which kept rodents out of our food and random sundries like lighters, dish soap, duct tape, cooking fuel, etc. separate from our eating utensils. It makes it way easier to load/unload everything from the car onto a picnic table or wherever to use them. We cooked over our campfires using the grill on the firepit and cast iron skillets my wife found at thrift stores.
We camp mostly the same way now, but we learned a ton from our first Western road trip—most especially that it’s extremely cold to sleep on a bare air mattress, especially at high elevations in the mountains where temperatures approach freezing at night even in July. It’s also cumbersome to set up an air mattress, since you need the blower and batteries to inflate one, which is annoying when you camp in super remote places or you get to camp when everything is already closed. Therefore here is the gear I’d recommend for sleeping:
Besides the sleeping gear, we’ve also added a little camp stove we got at Aldi. It’s super small and light, and saves us the trouble of building a fire to cook things up in our cast iron skillet. The only problem is that some places out in California don’t sell the butane cans the thing takes for fuel—so you might want to buy a cheap propane stove instead, since you’ll probably get a lot of use from it. Definitely make sure you learn the wonder of the potato! You can make them in so many ways that are awesome and they’re wonderful for energy.
As far as wild animals go, learn how to camp in bear country—there are tons of vids from the National Park Service about this, and they will increase your confidence. We’ve done tons of trips with plenty of camping in developed campgrounds and have had zero problems with them. Just follow whatever local rangers tell you, and you should be fine. To abbreviate, never bring food into your tent, so the smell of food doesn’t sink in—and keep your food and eating utensils in hard-sided vehicles out of sight or in a bear box (a big cabinet at most campsites). Bears are attracted to scented items—even a stick of gum, a tube of toothpaste, or dish detergent can get them rummaging through your tent.
And whatever you do, don’t rush and try to see everything in one trip! Spend a few days in the best places, and assume you will be back to see more someday. I don’t feel like I need to drill this into your head all that much compared to most people, but don’t expect to see even just the Western US in 2-3 months.
As far as destinations, make sure you hit Yosemite (my personal favorite), Yellowstone/Grand Teton, Glacier, and Olympic if you’re going in summer months. If you’re going Sept/Oct or Apr/May, then definitely hit Zion, Arches, Grand Canyon, and anything else in Southern Utah, Southern Nevada, or Northern Arizona. And buy a book, Your Guide to the National Parks, as it makes researching and planning so much easier!
Aren't those who support the losers, losers?
You could mail him a copy of the following:
http://weeklysift.com/2014/08/11/not-a-tea-party-a-confederate-party/
Or send him a copy of:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1451616651?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s00
Either will be worthwhile reads for your own sanity. It grates on me becasue our families did something NO ONE IN HUMAN HISTORY HAD DONE: we were the first people, along with England to outlaw human slavery. Hundreds of my family gave their lives and their health to make sure this happened.
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.
Hiking Kansas City is a great resource.
I'm not a local but here are some highlights from our last trip.
Also like mentioned by u/nocknockwhosthere, Kauai Revealed is worth the money and has pretty much everything you need.
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.
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!
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’ve been to several national parks with my dog and while it is true national parks are often not dog friendly, not all are against hiking with your pup. One off the top of my head is Petrified Forest.
I cannot recommend this book enough. It has a section for ever national park on where you can take your dog, if it’s not entirely limited to paved trails and roads. Your Guide to the National Parks: The Complete Guide to all 59 National Parks (Second edition) https://www.amazon.com/dp/1621280675/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_egiSAbTXMY30A
Good luck!
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?
No problem! I also forgot to mention, there's an amazing guide book that I had with me on my 5 month road trip Your Guide to the National Parks. Read the reviews, but if you plan to hit parks and want some guidance there's no better resource - it has all the info on fees, campgrounds, best hikes, best places to stay in and around parks, other sites nearby, etc.
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
How long do you have for your trip? Coming from the East, Zion/GC are really spectacular the first time you see them. Crowds will be an issue but still doable. Otherwise any of the other trips people listed below would be great. Since you're driving consider some of the out of the way parks such as Big Bend or Great Basin since those are hard to fly to anyway.
I'd recommend this book as it is very comprehensive: https://www.amazon.com/Your-Guide-National-Parks-Complete/dp/1621280004/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8
I recommend these:
https://www.amazon.com/Guide-Colorado-Backroads-4-Wheel-Drive-Trails/dp/1934838047/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1527274746&sr=8-1&keywords=colorado+off+road+trail+books
https://www.amazon.com/Northern-Colorado-Backroads-4-Wheel-Drive-Guidebooks/dp/1934838055/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1527274746&sr=8-2&keywords=colorado+off+road+trail+books
https://www.amazon.com/White-Mountains-Trail-Map-Hampshire/dp/1890060232 I would check out this map, this is what my friends and use, it also lists all the 4000 footers if your into that. The presidentials are worth checkin out. The Moriah/Carter ridge is also cool IMO and it looks like you could put together a good loop in the Wild River Wilderness. The cool thing with the whits is there are so many trails you can put together an loop to fit any time frame with a little bit of planning. We always do point to point since we always have 2 cars so nothing specifically comes to mind. Good luck!
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.
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!
Relevant: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0061QB16Y/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1
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
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.
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.
Get this guide book. It's the best. It gives you a mile by mile break down of all the sites in the park.
https://www.amazon.com/Yellowstone-Treasures-Travelers-Companion-National/dp/0970687389
I wrote several essays about Alabama for "Weird US: The ODDyssey Continues," by the authors of Weird NJ.
I bought this map, and it seems to be quite good (and on waterproof paper too!)
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1890060232/ref=oh_details_o06_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
http://www.amazon.com/The-Ultimate-Kauai-Guidebook-Revealed/dp/0981461018
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.
You might enjoy this book.
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
I got this book and it was been super helpful for planning my trip this upcoming August.
There are plenty of options in the white mountains >50 miles. Perhaps not "established routes" in the sense that they don't have names, but the trail system is so robust that there are 100's of options for 50 mile hikes. Get a map like this and just start looking up mountains and campsites and patch something together. https://www.amazon.com/dp/1890060232/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_pJROCb3A824Z4
One idea is to find a way to extend the Pemi Loop, either by adding Kinsman's/Cannon/lonesome lake to the west or Crawford Notch/Pierce/Jackson/Webster to the east.
Or you could just follow the Appalachian trail through the Whites from Franconia notch to pinkham notch (or longer).
The Appalachian trail through the mahoosucs (route 2 to the baldpates) is also beautiful.
It's uncomfortable to discuss, but that doesn't make it any less real. Most liberals are possessed of a vicious hatred for Republican voters. Most of it is in the privacy of personal conversations, a great deal of it is in the various corners of the comments sections of the internet, but an appreciable share of it is enshrined in halls of our booksellers.
From the general impugnment of Republican intelligence to talk of forced secession of red states from the union.
I'm not guessing when I tell you that the personal conversations that I have with the most strident liberals in my personal networks make no bones about their contempt for Republican voters.
And you know exactly what I'm talking about.
I strongly recommend this book:
https://www.amazon.com/Your-Guide-National-Parks-Complete/dp/1621280675/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1486072088&sr=8-6
I have the first edition, and it is absolutely wonderful. Great maps, provides itineraries for 1-3 days in each park, and gives a concise "don't miss this" highlight list. I think it would help the scope of your planning with trying to visit 10 parks.
One thing that comes to mind with your plan is the winter season conditions don't clear up until June really (Trail Ridge Road at RMNP and some stuff in Yellowstone come to mind) in some parks. Definitely something to plan for!
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:
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!
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
lemon_meringue wrote:
I recently finished the book Better Off Without 'Em: A Northern manifesto for Southern Secession and I highly recommend it. This article was a scant outline compared to that book, but it did hit some of the high points.
After having grown up in SC, living in the People's Republic of Oregon for several years, and now ensconced in the Northeast, I can safely say that the South really is a separate country from the rest of the US. All that really remains is to make it official.
I don't know if it's at all possible, but that part of the country is stubbornly holding a lot of social progress hostage. I'm all for it, myself.
The hiking around here isn't awesome, but there's a good book called Hiking in Kansas City that should take care of everything for you.
Of course, Lake of the Ozarks is our getaway place, about two hours drive, and the further southeast in Missouri you go the better the hills get, so there's some good weekend camping options. I also recommend hiking in Prairie State Park about 2hrs straight south of KC - big open fields of nothing but 4 ft tall grass.
It seems like you have a good grasp on what to expect on your trip which is great. I would suggest going to the hotel and saving the GTNP visit on your way to the airport.
Lamar Valley is a pretty big area and it's best to visit it early in the morning or at dusk as bears and wolves are most active at that time of day. If you see a bunch of people with spotting scopes and large camera lenses standing by the side of the road they are most likely observing one of those big animals.
If you want some books to help you with your trip, Yellowstone Treasures: The Traveler's Companion to the National Park is a very detailed one. For day hikes A Ranger's Guide to Yellowstone Day Hikes book is good and Trail Guides Yellowstone web site is an excellent source for all things Yellowstone.
Can confirm
https://www.amazon.com/Better-Off-Without-Manifesto-Secession/dp/145161666X
May interest you.
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.
Seattle's Best Dive Bars: Drinking & Diving in the Emerald City
The Stranger
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0061QB16Y/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1
This book seems more and more prescient
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
It's a good read...
https://www.amazon.com/Better-Off-Without-Manifesto-Secession/dp/145161666X
Or this
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
I recommend this book: Better off without 'em: A Northern Manifesto for Southern Secession
The author humorly suggests that the South secede, to mutual benefit. Open emigration and citizenship on both sides of the new border for a period of time.
The U.S.A can be free of third world tactics that undermine its worker protection, environmental protection, and public infrastructure.
The C.S.A can be free of the wimpy libruls, turrists, abortionists, gun grabbers, sodomites, the ACLU, and critical thinkers.
https://www.amazon.com/American-Fascists-Christian-Right-America/dp/0743284461
https://www.amazon.com/Republican-Brain-Science-Science-Reality/dp/1118094514
https://www.amazon.com/Insane-Clown-President-Dispatches-Circus/dp/0399592466
https://www.amazon.com/Idiot-America-Stupidity-Became-Virtue/dp/0767926153
https://www.amazon.com/Republican-War-Science-Chris-Mooney/dp/0465046762
https://www.amazon.com/Anti-Intellectualism-American-Life-Richard-Hofstadter/dp/0394703170
https://www.amazon.com/Better-Off-Without-Manifesto-Secession/dp/145161666X/
https://www.amazon.com/How-Fight-Conservative-Daniel-Kurtzman/dp/140226576X
It took me less than 2 minutes to find all of these