Driving to brunch in the Jeep

View from the Ilima Terrace, The Hyatt

View from the Ilima Terrace, The Hyatt

Champagne Brunch at the Hyatt

Koi Pond

Kristin, Rachelle, Sarah

Cousin

Dallas, Kristin

Rachelle, Sarah

Rob, Cousin

Cousin, Rob, Dallas

Cousin

Cousin

Sarah, Rob

Birds at the Hyatt

Cousin

Birds at the Hyatt

Wet Floor

Birds at the Hyatt

Photos are for Cousin!, Shipwreck Beach, Poipu, Kaua’i

Rob & Sarah on Makawehi Point

Coconut on Shipwreck Beach

Shipwreck Beach

View of the Hyatt from Makawehi Point

Fisherman

Sarah

Views from the hike

Views from the hike

Rob

Sarah

Rob

Sarah, Rachelle, Cousin

The Hyatt Pool

The Hyatt Pool area

Rachelle & Cousin

Makawehi Point View full-sized version

After lounging around the pool all morning on Sunday, we started out our week of binge eating by going to the Hyatt Regency Kauai Resort and Spa for brunch. The Hyatt is a beautiful property located just down the road from our condo. Champagne Brunch is served on the Ilima Terrace. It is an open-air dining area that overlooks tropical gardens, lagoons filled with Koi and swans, and the ocean, of course. As if the view and atmosphere weren’t enough, the food was awesome. A never-ending supply of mimosas, freshly made sushi, omelets made to order, a pasta station, a carving station, and the fruit… so delicious. I never want to eat another pineapple on the mainland again.

Here you can see everyone who was on the trip. Kristin and Dallas are friends from college who go to Hawaii every year. Cousin is Kristin’s cousin who has gone for the past few years. Rob is a coworker of Dallas’ and Sarah is his sister. Cousin, Kristin and I flew in from Chicago, Rob and Dallas from Boston, and Sarah from Washington DC. It was a great group of people.. we all got along well and 6 is just enough to make it fun but not unmanageable. Also, Dallas grew up in Kaua’i and Oahu, so his insider knowledge was invaluable. For the trip we rented two vehicles.. a Jeep Wrangler and a convertible Chrysler Sebring. Most of the time Kristin, Cousin and I were in the Jeep and everyone else was in the Sebring.. that varied depending on activities, though.

After brunch, Kristin and Dallas ran some errands while Rob, Cousin, Sarah and I checked out the rest of the Hyatt grounds. We ended up wandering over to Shipwreck Beach and then up Makawehi Point, a cliff that overlooks it. It was a nice hike to wear off some of the effects of the enormous brunch. The rest of the day was spent at our condo’s pool to relax.