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WHERE THE WHALES PLAY

Home base for our visit to Kauai was the Westin Princeville Ocean

Resort Villas. Located on the northern side of the island, Princeville

is a quiet resort community famous for its golf courses designed

by Robert Trent Jones Jr. What makes its greens especially unique

is their stunning tropical location, perched on the side of a cliff with

dramatic drops to the ocean. The award-winning Makai Golf Club

lined our resort, and after the golfers finished for the day, we would

stand near the green at Hole 3, gazing at whales breaching in the

distant ocean. To us, it looked like kids getting in as much playtime

as possible before heading home for dinner at sunset.

THE ART OF THE TIKI DRINK IN PRINCEVILLE

A short walk from the Westin Princeville takes you to Princeville

Center. Inside are dozens of shops and eateries, but

nothing grabs your attention like Tiki Iniki. The giant,

menacing tiki mask hanging near the entrance

only hints at its dramatic, true-to-theme interior.

Owned and run by Michele Rundgren, wife

of rocker Todd Rundgren, what at first may

appear to be kitsch is actually a heartfelt

homage to classic Hawaiiana. Opened in

2013, the bar area is covered with tiki decor,

from statues to posters. Rising above the bartop

are numerous bamboo shelves bearing tiki glasses

collected by the Rundgrens from their decades of

touring the world.

Open for lunch and dinner, Tiki Iniki’s menu puts a Hawaiian-

Asian spin on upscale pub food. Its most famous menu item is the

grilled Iniki burger, praised for its tantalizing combination of juicy beef

and that love-it-or-hate-it Hawaiian “delicacy” Spam. Hawaiians

love

spam. (The nearby Foodland Princeville grocery store offers a large

selection.) And the Iniki burger has plenty of it: The half-pound patty

stuffed with chunks of spam packs a super-salty punch, and is

topped with provolone, onion compote, pickled jalapenos, cabbage

slaw, and

shoyu

(soy sauce) mayo. Served with fries, this burger is

so big, it took two drinks to wash down.

Tiki Iniki is also the place to go for classic Hawaiian cocktails.

I began with the Trader Vic’s mai tai, served in a teal tiki glass that

you can take home. Tiki Iniki’s version of the mai tai is made up

of Appleton Estate V/X rum 80, fresh-squeezed lime, orange

Curaçao, and toasted-almond syrup. The cocktail had a bit of bite

from the rum and tang from the fruit. My second was The Iniki,

made with El Dorado 3- and 5-year rums, passion fruit, vanilla

syrup, freshly squeezed lemon, and pineapple and orange juices.

Served in a red tiki glass, the melange is garnished with a tiny

paper umbrella turned inside out to represent the hurricane the

bar is named after. The taste is so sweet, you could drizzle it on

toast like jam.

POST-HIKE SEAFOOD IN HANALEI BAY

Just a few switchbacks down the ridge from Princeville and across

a one-lane bridge is a breathtaking scene that’s reason enough to

visit the Garden Isle. Kissed by clear waters and backed by verdant,

misty mountains, crescent-shaped Hanalei Bay is where the North

Shore’s winter surfing is at its best. Kayakers, wind surfers, and

hikers all flock here year-round. If you look out into the distance,

you can spot Makana Mountain, best-known as the fictional isle of

Bali Hai in 1958’s

South Pacific

Christian and I began our day in Hanalei bright and

early with a 4-mile hike along a portion of the Kalalau

Valley Trail in nearby Ha’ena State Park. Most travelers

undertake the first portion of this StairMaster–like

trek from Ke’e Beach to the popular (but too dan-

gerous for swimming) Hanakapiai Beach. Only

the truly intrepid tackle the entire 11 miles of trail.

Having worked up a sweat, we knew just

what would hit the spot: cold beer and fresh-

from-the-Pacific seafood. So we headed toward

small, tranquil Hanalei Town, nestled just off the

bay. A stroll along Kuhio Highway, the town’s main

street, led us to The Hanalei Gourmet.

Located in a restored schoolhouse with dramatic waterfall-

streaked peaks for a backdrop, the popular eatery serves an ample

selection of salads and sandwiches for lunch, and pastas, burgers,

and other entrees for dinner. They’ll even pack a picnic for you —

just ask.

A wall-sized chalkboard decorated with a mermaid provided

the day’s specials, from which I chose the marlin fish and chips.

Hanalei beer batters and deep fries its fish to golden perfection,

served alongside fries, Asian coleslaw, and soy-wasabi sauce.

Christian had the fish sandwich, which comes charbroiled on a

toasted bun, topped with lemon-caper-dill mayonnaise and “the

works” (lettuce, tomato, sweet red onion, and sprouts). Both were

so fresh, the delicate meat flaked into tiny pieces. We paired our

meal with chilled cans of Maui Brewing’s Mana Wheat, infused with

Maui Gold pineapples.

MORE HANALEI: HAPPY HOUR, HAWAIIAN STYLE

While best known for its daytime attractions, Hanalei is also a great

place to experience what Hawaiians call

pau hana

, or after-work time.

(We call it happy hour on the mainland.) Once again we walked

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Carrie Dow; Douglas Peebles Photography/Alamy Stock Photo; 2014 Shinji Salmoiraghi/Photo Resource Hawaii; Deposit Photos/Glow Images