…and just like that, our last full day in Kaua’i has passed. Man, did time fly by on this island! After our morning routine at Illima Terrace, we headed North to Kipu Ranch. At the recommendation of some close coworkers, we booked a Rhino ATV tour for two and chose a three hour tour of this private property.

Due to some cancellations, we were able to have a tour guide all to ourselves. Troy showed us several viewpoints on the land that provided backdrop to movies such as Jurassic Park, Tropic Thunder, Six Days/Seven Nights, Hook, and the Descendants. We even stood in the exact spot where Harrison Ford swung on a river vine to his escape plane in Indian Jones! Climbing from sea level to elevations over 900 feet, we saw breathtaking views that most Kaua’ians never get to see…unless they are on the tour, of course.

After a truly exhilarating ride (and some pretty sweet “mud-staches”), we took Troy’s advice and headed to Puka Dogs for lunch. This small Hawaiian restaurant chain offers hotdogs with an island spin. For starters, they take a whole roll and bore the center with a scalding hot toasting iron. After hollowing the center out, they drop a hotdog in with your choice of chili sauce, tropical relish, and mustard. To follow the advice given, we both had polish sausage with hot chili pepper sauce, lillue (Hawaiian) mustard, and pineapple relish. It was absolutely delicious…We will definitely be heading back to the first Puka Dogs we see in Maui.

From lunch, we took a gravel road past our hotel to a private beach that Troy had mentioned (after all, he had so many other good suggestions). What we wish we knew was how long the ride was. After several miles of bumps, we both felt like our Puka Dogs were going to turn into Puke Dogs. When we finally reached the end of the trail, we stumbled out of our neon Jeep, through the woods, and to the shore. The beach was absolutely breathtaking. Without a soul in sight, we decided to sit and take it all in for a few minutes before heading back.

When we returned to the hotel, we decided to relax by the salt water pool for some much needed sun. After about 2 hours, another storm passed through…and we headed back to our balcony for some homemade Pogossas.

Dinner reservations were at Dondero’s for the evening, so we showered up and headed there a little early. Due to the recent storm, we didn’t get the beachside dining we’ve grown accustomed to (we’re so spoiled!)…but the ambiance was romantic all the same. Offering fresh seafood/Italian, Billy enjoyed squid ink pasta with lump lobster tail, and Blyth had a delicious crab risotto. After getting our fill on gourmet Italian, we headed to Stevenson’s Library for a little live music before retiring to bed.

Overall, we have absolutely loved our stay on this island. With a population of only 55,000…the landscape seems undiscovered by commercial tourism. We highly recommend visiting if you are looking to unwind, unplug, and get away from it all. We’re sad that our stay in Kaua’i has already come to an end, but we look forward to what lies ahead in Maui.

Billy’s sweet “mud-stache”…

Finally made it to the private beach…

Pogossas on the balcony…