Back From Paradise

Jeff and I made it safely back to Atlanta on Sunday afternoon. Those of you that followed me on Instagram know all the fun we had. I usually blog about my vacations on a day-by-day, play-by-play format. Well, I don't remember everything we did each day. In fact, the second half of Monday is a complete blank. Instead, I'll do different blog posts about each activity. It's never too late to spice things up a bit. For now I'll list a few things I learned about Kauai last week.

In Kauai...

1. chickens rule the roost. They are everywhere. You will hear the roosters at sunup (just before 6 am) and throughout the rest of the day. And they cross the road constantly. 
2. jean shorts are the new underwear, super short and super tight. I saw way too much hiney on this trip; of all ages.  
3. the sand is hotter than the surface of the sun. I lost a layer of skin on my feet our first day on the beach. My skin is prickling just thinking about it. 
4. the water is the most beautiful shades of green and blue you will ever see. St. Lucia has nothing on Kauai. 
5. no amount of running or weight lifting prepared me for walking in the sand. I was literally out of breath after 10 steps. 
6. you should book all your activities well in advance. A few things were not available even though we called a day or two ahead. 
7. good food is hard to find. We did have a couple excellent meals but for the most part we ate sandwiches in our condo. People don't really travel to Kauai for the food anyway. 
8. the fruit (this is the exception to the "no good food" thing) is delicious and extremely aromatic. I've never tasted sweeter pineapple or banana. 
9. everything is expensive. Everything. 
10. finding a parking space at any of the beaches is difficult. You get into standoffs with other cars waiting for spaces. And if you park in the "no parking at any time" places you will get a ticket. 
11. every one's yard looks like a botanical garden. Gorgeous plants and flowers in every shade of the rainbow decorate yards, fences, driveways. Georgia is a little monochromatic in comparison but there's no place like home.
12. a month would be insufficient to see and enjoy everything. Truly beautiful. This was a once-in-a-lifetime vacation.  

I'll post lots of details and photos so check back for updates.