Quality of Life Comparison

Today, my wife and two daughters started our day by heading down to the Lawai Beach Resort for the Plantation Days miniature golf tournament.  A free round of mini-golf was provided for the keiki (kids) 13 and under with refreshments and some generous goody bags all provided free of charge by the Lawai Beach Resort.  The hand outs were limited to the first 75 children, and since we strolled in a bit late, we got some of the very last of them left on the rack!  After chatting with some parents, grabbing some pizza and checking out the friendly crowd, we grabbed our keiki sized putters, a few golf balls and headed out to the greens.  The kids were having a great time learning to putt and checking out the contents of their goodies.  After closing out our 100+ stroke round of golf with the kids, we then decided to head on down to the Paddle Fest at Poipu Beach Park hosted by Kukui’ula Outrigger Canoe Club.  As part of the Koloa Plantation Days events, the Kukui’ula Outrigger Canoe Club were conducting canoe & paddle board races, food (super tastey BBQ chicken & more), and some other family oriented activities at the Poipu Beach Park.  As usuall, the sun was out, the water was warm, and familiar faces were out and about.  Since we arrived a bit early, we were able to setup down on the warm sand with the kids and swimming while waiting for the first of the canoe club members to arrive into the bay.  Shortly after a steady stream of paddlers and watercraft began to trickle in as the sweet smell of BBQ chicken (compliments of Keoki’s Paradise Bar and Grill and Pat “Paka” today cook) permiated the salted air.  Small crowds began to gather at the waters edge to watch and assist paddlers as they came ashore most likely exhausted from their sprint from the Nawiliwili harbor to Poipu Beach Park long course.  After catching some rays and observing the action, we made our way up to the play equipment for the kids and then on to my favorite, the BBQ!  We were met with freinds and neighbors finishing off the feast setup.  We hung out and grinded some excellent chicken then our time expired as the girls told everyone they needed naps by begining to screem and turn the heads of the turtles on the beach!  Our day today, as part of the Koloa Plantation Days Celebration will be a good memory for many.  If you didn’t take part today, no problem, checkout the continuing schedule of events here.

Canoe Course & Activity Outline:

Long course: OC-1 (one-man), OC-2 (two-man), OC-6 (six-person crew) and expert paddle board races start at Kalapaki Beach at 10am, arrive in Poipu at approx 11:30am.

Short course: Standup Paddle Board and Paddle Board races start at 11:00am from Poipu Beach Park to Kukui’ula Harbor.

What: Friends, food, refreshments, awards plus outrigger canoe displays, demonstrations & activities for the public.

Did you know that 2009 marks the 25th anniversary for Koloa Plantation Days celebrations?  Koloa plantation was founded in 1835, the first in the islands. The birth of the sugar industry shaped the lives of everyone in Hawaii forever. Although the mill and fields are idle in Koloa and virtually all of the state, many people in Hawaii are former workers or descendants of plantation workers who came from many lands. Koloa Plantation Days brings people to Koloa and Poipu on Kauai’s south shore to celebrate aspects of the plantation lifestyle that we are still connected to.

Koloa Plantation Days Parade Update: Today my family took a a nice walk from our home in Koloa down to the Koloa Plantation Days Parade!  The event started a few minutes late which gave everyone a few extra minutes to get situated.  As always, the streets were lined with people double and triple parked.  The kids were so excited because they knew a train was headed our way (we could hear the sound of “Paulo” warming up it’s horn from about 9:30am in Koloa Town).  The parade had a number of beautiful classic cars with their proud owners cruising and revving engines.  The announcer was not given a correct run down sheet of each car, so it was kind of a guessing game for him as the cars came along (perfect Kauai moment, but he maintained a good attitude).  So I believe our favorite car was the all black and chrome 1957 Chevy.  This car was probably the shiniest car I have ever seen and the kids couldn’t stop staring, it was reallllllly nice.  Then came the horses and the different groups and organizations from around town, the PMRF marching band I believe and then the train.  The marching band carried a good beat and held straight stern faces all the way through.  We were reminded of the price tag for freedom.  The train was awesome and the kids went wild.  The horn was loud and the steam was shooting everywhere right in front of us.  If you weren’t able to come out this year, see you next year.  Aloha

Visit the Koloa Plantation Days website here.

Comparison between california and Hawaii.

There are some great deals on Kauai right now, and we were able to find a home in Koloa that meets all of our needs with schools, groceries, a post office, banking and the beach all very close by. My children will have the chance to grow up in sunny Koloa, playing at the beach and living the island life that I missed so dearly after my mother and father relocated my sister and brother and I early in my life to California.  There is a variety of properties to choose from in this Kauai real estate market with some big community improvements in the works that come with it.  I for one am looking very forward to the new Kukuiula shopping center.  There is also another shopping center planned for old Koloa town which will house Koloa’s new post office.  Though these and other new additions to our island will be great improvements for all, our favorite things to do here will remain the same.  A big part of Kauai life is to take advantage of the gorgeous weather and spend time at our favorite beaches, like Mahaulepu, Poipu, Sheraton, Shipwrecks, and Allertons. We enjoy the wonderful churches in our community and playgroups that are available to parents and children. All in all, Kauai has exceeded my highest expectations for raising my family and quality of life.

Natasha Shumate