4th of July, Kauai Style

We spent the 4th of July at Poi'pu Beach. This beach was ranked the Number 1 beach in the United States by the Travel Channel. We could absolutely tell why it was. There was something for everyone: snorkeling, surfing, boogie boarding, stand-up paddle boarding (not sure of the official name of that sport...), swimming, tide pools, sun-bathing...and all in the most beautiful setting. As with everything else I've put here from our vacation, the pictures absolutely do not do it justice!
Just take my word for it, this place was amazing! It was also the most crowded beach we've been to on Kauai, but that isn't saying too much. Even the crowded beaches don't compare to the crowds in California!

Here we are working on our sunburn. Actually, it looks like I'm working on mine; Bob was getting smart...
Poi'pu had this really cool peninsula of sand that created two big bays to swim in. At the far end were lava rock tide pools with fun little fishies swimming around all over.
We swam, watched the cool little fishies, and walked hand-in-hand along the beach. But this was my favorite thing to do!
After a few hours soaking in the sun and water, we had to head back to our condo in Kalaheo and pack up. Sadly, this chapter of our trip was over. Our condo in Kalaheo was great in so many ways, but it was time to head to the North Shore for more adventure.

But first, we had reservations along the way for a 4th of July Luau! No fireworks for us this year, but we did get to watch Tahitian fire dancers! The grounds at this place were beautiful, and we got there early to take pictures and enjoy the gardens.

It was a picture-perfect evening, and we had so much fun! They started the evening with the Imu ceremony, where they uncovered the buried pig that had been cooking underground for 6 hours.

Then it was time to eat said pig! Dinner was delicious and so were the Mai Tais. :)
After dinner, it was time for the show. Our pictures didn't turn out great (oh, to have a great camera for a trip like this!!!), but the show was so much fun. The dancers were amazing, showing traditional dances from all over the Pacific Rim.
The luau ended around 9:30, and from there we drove the 40 minutes to the North Shore of Kauai. Our condo here is on a bluff overlooking the ocean. The views are AMAZING. Plain and simple. More on that tomorrow!