The BEST beaches in Kauai (IMHO)

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my favorite beaches in kauai

The BEST beaches in Kauai

In the midst of planning my second trip to Kauai, Hawaii in 2 years, I thought it would be fun to take a look back at my favorite beaches on the island.  This is not a comprehensive list of all of Kauai’s wonderful beaches, since we only had 9 days to spend there. However, it does remind me that I can’t wait to go back to explore these beaches and more! This is my humble opinion about the best beaches in Kauai.

1. Hanalei Beach Park

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In the summer when we were there, Hanalei's water was perfect for boogie boarding and swimming

In the summer when we were there, Hanalei’s water was perfect for boogie boarding and swimming

It was not crowded at all, and the weather was gorgeous. The little town of Hanalei Bay is nearby.

It was not crowded at all, and the weather was gorgeous. The little town of Hanalei Bay is nearby.

There are lots of places to grab a snack in Hanalei Bay

There are lots of places to grab a snack in Hanalei Bay

2.  Ke’e Beach

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Ke'e Beach has great snorkeling right off of the beach, and the surroundings are just breathtaking

Ke’e Beach has great snorkeling right off of the beach, and the surroundings are just breathtaking

We loved seeing the monk seals sunbathing right on the beach!

We loved seeing the monk seals sunbathing right on the beach!

 

3. Hideaways Beach

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There is a really really really steep and difficult path to get down to Hideaways Beach in Princeville

There is a really really really steep and difficult path to get down to Hideaways Beach in Princeville

It felt like an adventure getting to Hideaways, and it was empty! It didn't feel safe for swimming, but it was beautiful

It felt like an adventure getting to Hideaways, and it was empty! It didn’t feel safe for swimming, but it was beautiful to look at

 

 4. Lydgate Park

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Lydgate Park is great for families because there is a huge playground right off of the beach!

Lydgate Park is great for families because there is a huge playground right off of the beach!

 

 

 5. Tunnels Beach

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This monk seal swam right past the kids when they were in the water and came up onto the beach

This monk seal swam right past the kids when they were in the water and came up onto the beach

The snorkeling at Tunnels Beach is fantastic, and the backdrop is just stunning

The snorkeling at Tunnels Beach is fantastic, and the backdrop is just stunning

 

6. Pali Ke Kua Beach

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There was a path down to this beach right near the condo that we rented in Princeville (Pali Ke Kua)

There was a path down to this beach right near the condo that we rented in Princeville (Pali Ke Kua)

Pali Ke Kua Beach was fun for exploring and looking for fish and other creatures among the rocks

Pali Ke Kua Beach was fun for exploring and looking for fish and other creatures among the rocks

 

Honorable Mention : Poipu Beach

Lots of people rave about Poipu Beach on the South Shore.  We went there for a day, but didn’t have the camera with us…boo! It was very crowded the day that we were there, so I think we might have to try it again to see if we like it as much as other people do!

We can’t wait to go back to the island to visit our favorite beaches and to explore more of the best beaches in Kauai!

 

 

How to Decorate with Travel Photos : Wall Display

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Two of my favorite hobbies are traveling (obviously) and decorating/art.  It is absolutely perfect when I can combine both. I like being able to use things from our travels in our home to remind us of our trips.  We have sand and shell collections that are great reminders of some of our coastal trips (especially nice to look at on our cold winter days here in the Northeast).  The kids have large magnet collections that serve as trip reminders for them.  We take tons of photos when we travel, and we have different ways of using them to bring our memories home.  This is one of my favorite ways for how to decorate with travel photos.

How to decorate with Travel Photos

One of the best ways to add  drama to your decor is with black and white photos.  And what could be better to frame than those photos you have taken yourself as you travel (or of your kids, pets, or anything that you enjoy looking at)?

Our black and white framed wall photo collage started in 2001, after we spent 5 weeks traveling through Europe (pre-kids).  We had so many amazing photos, and we were on such a tight budget that we didn’t purchase many souvenirs while traveling.  We came home & printed our photos (this was pre-digital camera!), then we enlarged and framed our favorites.

Our black & white travel photo collage

Our black & white travel photo collage

How to create a black and white photo wall display:

You can go about this in two different ways:

  1. Choose the photo frames that you like and that will fit in your space.  Then print your photos based on the sizes and direction (horizontal or vertical) that your frames will hang.
  2. Choose the photos that you want to use, and then base your frame purchases on your photos.

I have done this both ways.  When I first started my collage in 2001, I carefully chose the frames to match the photos.  Now that I have added more and more over time, I will choose frames that fit the space, and then order the photos that are appropriate for the frame.

hallway4

Some tips for creating an amazing photo wall display:

  • Choose various frame sizes in the same color
  • Keep the same mat color for all photos
  • Write your photo location and date on the mat
  • Create a focal point photo and build your display around that
  • You can also use wall shelves to place the photos on so you don’t have to hang directly on the wall & can move around
  • Use wall putty on the back corners of the frames to keep them from moving around
  • Lay out all of your frames on the floor before hanging to make sure you like the layout
  • Put a dab of toothpaste on the back of the frame where you will hang it on the nail.  As you press it up against the wall where you are going to hang it, the toothpaste will transfer to the wall & that is where you should hammer the nail into the wall
One of our older black & white travel photos - Ireland 2002

One of our older black & white travel photos – Ireland 2002

 

I like to purchase all different kinds of frames from various stores.  My go-to stores are Michaels and AC Moore (great deals with their coupons, and they take each other’s coupons as well), as well as IKEA.  I like to buy multiples of the same frames to keep things symmetrical.  I also like to use collage frames for certain trips (I have a 3 photo one with photos from 3 Hawaiian islands). 

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Our travel photo display wall is getting pretty full, and we have no plans to stop traveling. Luckily I have other tricks up my sleeve. Stay tuned!