what to do in kauai: day one

So you're planning a trip to the beautiful island of Kauai.  

But if you're like me, you're overwhelmed by the surplus of information on the internet about all the great things to you could do.

To be honest, we did minimal planning, but ended up with a great trip.

Typically I would not suggest minimal planning, but since it was such a small island, it was easy to be spontaneous and kind of decide what to do as we went along.

Day one suggestions for you:

• Eat breakfast overlooking the water.

• Go on a drive up Waimea Canyon and enjoy the view. This beautiful canyon is known as the "Grand Canyon of the Pacific" and I do believe it held up to that review.  It was seriously majestic.  My only piece of advice?  Take something small to snack on while you drive up and down the canyon.  I'm not one to get car sick, but boy did those winding switchbacks just about do me in.  If you do get motion sickness easily, I might even recommend some Dramamine.  Going up wasn't terrible and the view at the top makes all of it worth it, but going back down was a little on the rough side. Just be prepared for potentially nauseating roads.  

• Stop and take a picture of goats. Oh, is that weird?  Don't worry, my husband thought so too.  Just look at him though, he's just so cute.  And I couldn't help but think about this scene from one of my favorite TV shows.

• Be prepared to stop every 1000 feet or so (okay maybe that's a slight exaggeration) to check out the scenic overlooks.  You might think you'd get tired of stopping at 'em, but seriously, the views never get old.  

• Hang out and relax at your hotel.  If you're like us and were crazy enough to get up at 4:00am to catch a 6:45am flight, you're probably exhausted at this point.