Kauai: The Garden Island

Aloha! If I am ever MIA, please assume that I have moved to Hawaii. What is there not to love about this place...

Hanalei Bay

Kilauea Lighthouse

Spouting Horn

Koke'e State Park

Hanalei Taro Field

Hanakapi'ai Falls

Waimea Canyon

Kilauea Farmer's Market

Sunset at Ke'e Beach

I can only think of one thing I disliked about Kauai, and it is the amount of feral chickens/roosters that are running rampant throughout the island. I could do without the rooster calls at all hours of the day but I suppose a rooster has to do what a rooster has to do.

The Self-Proclaimed Kings of Kauai

Mahalo for the great vacation Kauai! I'll see you again soon!

The Victory Knot Victory

There is something so wrong but so right about a pretzel bigger than your face. Dodgers Stadium added the Victory Knot to their menu this year. The Victory Knot is a 2 lb pretzel that comes with 3 dipping sauces (beer cheese, spicy mustard, and a cinnamon icing). It is so big, it comes in a pizza box.

Here is our progress after a few innings...

Alas, even with four of us doing our finest, the final score = Us: 0, Victory Knot: 1.

Go Dodgers! Way to beat the Tigers 4-1!

Mojave National Preserve: Kelso Dunes

If you are on your way to or from Las Vegas and are interested in an extra excursion, exit Zzyzx Road off of the I-15 and visit the Mojave National Preserve.

In the Mojave National Preserve, there is a renovated train depot that shows you a glimpse of life from the early 1900's.

Kelso Depot Visitor Center

Inside the Kelso Depot Visitor Center, there are various exhibits chronicling the history of the site and an eatery where you can grab a bite to eat.

"The Beanery" at the Kelso Depot Visitor Center

A few miles beyond the Kelso Depot Visitor Center are the Kelso Dunes. The trailhead is at the end of a three mile graded dirt road splitting from Kelbaker Road and here you can wander around the largest field of eolian sand deposits in the Mojave Desert.

A little lizard that greeted us at the beginning of our hike

Kelso Dunes

Allegedly, if you run downhill and get the sand moving you can create a "booming" sound. MH and I weren't able to experience this though. Please let us know if you were able to.

I recommend wearing lots of sunscreen and shoes that are good for schlepping around in the sand. It can start to feel really hot out out there and you don't want to get bogged down with excess sand in your shoes while you are hiking.

Key FAIL

A Little Poke For You

If you have never had it before, poke is similar to a fish carpaccio or fish tartare. Raw pieces of fish are typically marinated with soy sauce, onions (green and yellow), sesame oil, and salt. Poke is a light but flavorful dish that can be eaten as an appetizer or entree. MH and I like to eat it by itself or over a scoop of rice.

I think poke is great because it is delicious and easy to make! For this batch, we added some salmon and mackerel to the tuna and omitted the macadamia nuts.

Here is a great ahi shoyu poke recipe courtesy of Hawai'i magazine:

Ingredients

- 1 lb. fresh ahi steaks, cut into cubed, bite-size pieces
- 1/4 cup soy sauce (shoyu)
- 1/4 cup chopped green onions (tops included)
- 1/4 cup chopped Maui onion (or yellow onion)
- 2 tsp. sesame oil
- 1 tsp. grated fresh ginger
- 1 chili pepper, cored, seeded and diced (optional)
- Sea salt, to taste
- 2 tsp. toasted sesame seeds
- 2 tsp. finely chopped toasted macadamia nuts (optional, as a substitute for inamona)

Directions

In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients, and mix lightly. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.