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FOUNDING MEMBER
TRAVEL
Kauai is a Perfect Getaway
The view of a rainbow over Hanalei Bay from the Hanalei Bay Resort in Kauai.
BY HEATHER CASSELL
My girlfriend and I went
over the rainbow and
left the hustle and bustle
of city life behind
during a winter escape to Kauai, Hawaii.
The island is a perfect place to
break free from everything.
Known as the Garden Island,
Kauai is known for healing, romance,
and outdoor adventure, making it the
perfect destination to unwind, reconnect
with your partner (or go solo),
and do nothing.
The northern-most island in the
string of eight well-known Polynesian
islands (actually, there are 137 islands
in Hawaii) attracts fewer tourists
than Maui, Oahu, and the Island
of Hawaii, making it a great destination
— especially during the global
pandemic.
However, Kauai’s COVID-19 rates
spiked for its more than 72,000 residents
when the Hawaiian Islands
opened to visitors on November 1,
2021, threatening the Hawaiian Islands’
delicate ecosystem and community.
Cases have been decreasing
there since late January, but as
of January 5, travelers must provide
proof of vaccination, including being
boosted, to bypass the fi ve-day quarantine
requirement.
Locals ask visitors to be mindful of
their impact on the island when booking
their stay and during their visit.
Betsey Ashley, a 42-year-old out lesbian
committee member of Kauai Pride,
said people should travel “respectfully
and mindfully” to “help create a good
experience for everyone involved.”
My girlfriend and I, who are fully
HEATHER CASSELL
vaccinated, were also conscious about
protecting Kauai’s local community
by wearing our masks and keeping
our distance from other people in
public. Hand sanitizer was also our
common travel companion.
While Ashley is cautious about welcoming
visitors to Kauai, she’s also
excited about Equality Kauai, a new
website intended to connect LGBTQ
visitors with local queer businesses.
“It aims to provide a safe and supportive
and empowering home for local
LGBTQ as well as tourists,” said
Ashley, who is a designer and former
mental health therapist who has lived
on the island for fi ve years.
Kauai’s small LGBTQ community is
vibrant and visible with Kauai Pride,
now in its fourth year. The latest queer
addition to the island is the Kauai
Brunch Babes drag brunch, which
happens at the end of each month at
the Sheraton Kaua‘i Coconut Beach
Resort’s Sunrise Restaurant.
Play and relax
Every morning my girlfriend and I
woke up to a rainbow as we sipped
our coffee and enjoyed a leisurely
breakfast on our balcony at Hanalei
Bay Resort, located on Kauai’s North
Shore in Princeville.
There was no schedule, except
dinner reservations, leaving my girlfriend
and me plenty of time to freely
wander around Kauai.
The best times to escape to Kauai
are April to June and September to
November when the weather is pleasant,
and you can score a reasonable
hotel rate.
Traveling off-season was a bit wetter
on the island, which ranks as one
of the world’s wettest places on earth,
but it was manageable. Untethered to
a strict itinerary, we randomly booked
our adventures as we wandered
around the island due to few tourists
traveling off-season soon after Hawaii
lifted its strict COVID-19 travel restrictions
and welcomed visitors back.
We familiarized ourselves with the
island and its culture by taking the
self-guided tour on the Koloa Heritage
Trail. We drove up to waterfalls at
Wailua Falls and Opaekaa Falls and
saw the water spout at the Spouting
Horn. We hung with the locals, sipping
the island’s brews at the Kauai
Beer Company and the Kauai Island
Brewing Company.
My girlfriend and I also waded in the
calm waters at Hanalei Bay, the Hanalei
Pier, and Poipu Beach while locals
and tourists swam, paddle boarded,
surfed, and snorkeled. We saw whales
off the Napali Coast aboard Captain
Andy’s Sailing Adventures.
To get our heart rates up, we went
ATVing with Kaua‘i ATV through the
tropical forests and horseback riding
at one of Hawaii’s oldest cattle ranches,
Princeville Ranch, established in
1831.
Hikers can enjoy any one of Kauai’s
78 trails around the island.
Eat
Kauai isn’t known for its food, but
there are three good restaurants on
the island: Postcards Restaurant,
Sam’s Ocean View Restaurant and
Bar, and The Beach House.
Postcards is a charming restaurant
located in a house in Hanalei serving
up innovative fi ne dining dishes. It is
worth the drive for visitors staying at
other parts of the island.
Sam’s Ocean View looks like a dive
in Kapa a, but this intimate restaurant
and bar with ocean views also
serves elevated food from its kitchen.
The Beach House in Koloa, often
rated as one of Kauai’s top fi ve restaurants,
has the best views with its
unobstructed sweeping panoramic
vision of the ocean from every seat
in the restaurant. It’s designed for romantic
sunset dinners.
Stay
We stayed at the Hanalei Bay Resort.
The 134-room resort features a
picturesque view of the bay, a beautiful
inlet surrounded by three mountain
peaks: Hihimanu, Namolokama,
and Mamalahoa.
FEBRUARY 10 - FEBRUARY 23, 2 12 022 | GayCityNews.com
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