My Favorite Beach on Kauai – Salt Pond
Salt Pond Beach is my favorite beach on Kauai. No, it is not the quintessential arching beach–like Hanalei Bay on the North shore of Kauai. At this world renowned spot, you will find perfect surf breaks, a long pier and a beach that stretches for miles. In contrast, Salt Pond Beach is a little rough around the edges and that suits me just right. It is located at the end of a road after you pass a Habitat Thrift Store, garbage dump and military cemetery. At this westside beach, there are very few tourist cars in the parking area. Across the patch of grass is a pavilion with boarded up restrooms, a result of budget cuts. Under the covered area you will always find a group of older local guys sitting around a table, sharing a six pack or two of beer. They are polite and quiet and they never seem to bother anyone. Without changing rooms, no one seems to notice when you use your truck as a place to wiggle out of your clothes and slide into your bathing suit.
I love swimming at Salt Pond at the end of my work day in Hanapepe. A friend visited this past winter and at the beginning of her visit, we vowed we would go to the beach together every day. During those visits, we saw many of the same people hanging out at Salt Pond. One family strung a tarp near the parking lot. A young local couple was with an older guy who pushed off each evening in his kayak to paddle out to watch the sunset.One afternoon we saw a beached Monk Seal in the sand, warming itself in the sun. There was one single bald guy who was there every day near our shade under a coconut palm. As for us, we arrived, spread out our towels and walked down to the water’s edge. Coaxed by the water lapping around our bodies, we swam out to the deep water and still kept on going. We bobbed around out there, squinting against the blazing sun that reflected on the water. There we were so few people in the water and on the beach. After an unknown Hawaiian time lapse and feeling a chill we began to swim back into shore. The small shore break sent charging water around our legs as we dashed up the beach. Down on the warmed towels we plopped. Each time I go back to Salt Pond I will remember what happened each day after our swim. As I lay on my towel, the lull of the voice of my friend who I have known and loved for over 30 years, mixed with the sun, the sand, the heat, and the rippling palm fronds. She talked me into a blissful state where all these ingredients huddled close and melted together.
After my friend left, I didn’t shower for a few days. When the time finally came to wash off the sweet memories, I thought of all the adventures we shared. I watched as the crunchy salt crystals swirled down the drain. I stepped from the rock walled outdoor shower and my heart swelled with the memory of the slice of shade we found every day under the rippling palm fronds of Salt Pond Beach.
Favorite places to Eat on Kauai
Hamura Saimin in Lihue
I think that I’m like a lot of people when it comes to food. The love of a certain food is often generated by a memory. I love Hamura Saimin because it brings back memories when I ate there with my young daughter over 20 years ago. For those of you who have never tried it, saimin is a noodle soup dish unique to Hawaii and found throughout the islands. Back then, Hamura Saimin, on a back street of Lihue, was a small Mom & Pop establishment that few tourists knew about. Long gone is the original owner, the elder man with his smooth skin and placid expression who once stood for hours amidst the rising steam of the pot of boiling fresh saimin noodles. One by one into the towering stack of bowls, he carefully ladled the noodles, vegetables and wonton, keeping each order straight in his mind. I went there often and I always ordered the special with extra veggies.
My favorite special at Hamura Saimin
It came in the largest bowl and was loaded with pieces of pork, 2 wontons, fish cake and half a hardboiled egg which I shared with Malia. She loved the spicy mustard and shoyu mixed separately in a small bowl and added to the saimin. As a toddler, Malia could wield the chopsticks better than most adults. In her small left hand she held the deep plastic spoon and pulling the noodles from the hot salty broth she swirled them into the spoon and sucked them up. I guess it is a result of the internet, Yelp and Urban Spoon that has brought so many new people to fill the old linoleum counters. I am the same when I travel; I go to the internet sites that advertise a restaurant, and my fingers find their way to my new favorite places.If I were to choose a place I love to eat today, it is Mermaids Cafe. Mermaids is a total Hippy place. Or maybe it is considered not Hippy but Hip. Either way, it is a hole in the wall; literally. Mermaids is in the heart of old Kapaa town, on the makai (ocean) side of the road.
- Mermaids Cafe in old Kapaa Town
It consists of an enclosed postage stamp sized kitchen where 2 people work. One takes orders while the other cooks. The customers either wait at one of two small outside tables or stand around. Wait is the key word here. If you are in a hurry, don’t bother to stop and place your order. The service at Mermaids is a combination of laid back and” talking story” with anyone who stops by. The food is made to order and everything is done by hand on the spot. On the menu are organic salads, Tofu or Chicken Satay Wraps, Chicken or Stir Fry Noodle Plates, sandwiches and curry. They are open from 11 AM to close, whenever that is.
I have a story to tell that I promise is pure truth and it kinda of says it all about Mermaids. One day while waiting for my Ahi Nori Wrap to come out, I watched a young couple wander up to the window to check out the menu. As they read through the choices, the woman brought out a crystal on a string from a hidden pocket inside her caftan. She held the crystal over the menu while her interested partner peered at the bobbing jewel. They waited to see what item on the menu the crystal would align itself with. Evidently they got the right sign and up to the window they walked to place their order. So whether or not you are a believer of crystals and mermaids, don’t miss this restaurant with a fine assortment of delicious and fresh island fare.
A Single Mom Raising a Child within a Business
Malia, age 2
My daughter, Malia, was 2 years old when I started my business, Anahola Granola, as a single mother. I began the business with no capital, and only 1 very part time employee. I scrimped and saved and never hired a babysitter except when I was baking my granola in the sweltering kitchen. Malia was my only child so my business and Malia were like sisters and they grew up together. I am certain there was sibling rivalry on both sides. As the mother, I did my best to keep them on good terms. I attempted to nurture each one separately and blended them with the upmost awareness of not overdoing their time together. As for Anahola Granola, maybe if I hadn’t had Malia the business would have grown faster and smarter. However, as any mother knows, it’s a balancing act and I did the best I could to keep the balls in the air.
There were constant fires to put out in the beginning of my business. Every flame seemed like an out of control forest fire, fires popping up as soon as the older one had died down. I remember when an order for a new hotel account came in and with the assurance of my can-do confidence, I promised to deliver the granola the next day. Meanwhile, I drove all over Kauai, trying to locate the oats and other ingredients I would need to fulfill my promise. Hours into the night I baked, with bees swarming outside the screen windows, attracted to the sweet smell of honey and the light in my small bakery.
Malia, age 6
After a few hours of sleep and getting Malia up and out the door to Waldorf School, I delivered the granola to the hotel, breathing a sigh of relief as I pulled away from the loading dock.
Whether it was stacked boxes of granola ready to deliver or buckets of honey from a local bee keeper, Malia grew up surrounded by Anahola Granola. We were a team as she traveled around the island in the backseat of my Honda Civic Station wagon in her car seat. Every week we ventured off to deliver boxes of Anahola Granola to stores and hotels throughout Kauai. From Hanalei to Poipu, I sang with Malia, told animated stories at the same time I silently prayed for the curves of the country road to lull her to sleep. I creatively fit into my day all my business work. By night I was very tired. When I read a night time story to Malia, I continually fell asleep and woke up to Malia’s chubby elbow jabbing me in my side.
One of the benefits of having a business with Malia is that she was around lots of interesting and varied people and experiences. She was well loved by my employees; many of them from Rehabilitation Unlimited Kauai, a day program for people with disabilities. When Malia was 6, I taught her how to attach the labels to the bag and safely use a paper cutter to cut the cello bags. Malia loved earning pocket change. As she became more capable, I gave her more jobs and responsibilities.
Malia, her Fiance, Bill and I enjoying shaved ice in Waimea Town
As both Malia and Anahola Granola flourished and grew, I never assumed Malia would work in the business; I kept a respectful buffer between the two.
Now that Malia is 26, I proudly see that she has picked up many benefits from her co-habitation with Anahola Granola. As a teacher in an inner city charter school, she is hard working, a creative thinker, and is comfortable around many different people. With her artistic eye for detail and design, she continues to help me with Anahola Granola today.
Welcome to Becky’s Blog
Aloha and welcome to my blog. Over the years, I’ve gotten many emails from customers telling us how much they love Anahola Granola or where they first discovered it. You ask questions about our products, ingredients and nutrition. You want to know where to go on Kauai and what are the best beaches and restaurants. You are curious about what it’s like running a business on Kauai.
So, I decided to start a blog so I can share these questions and answers and learn more about you and your insights into these various tropical topics. We can talk story, we can share pictures and memories and ideas. I’ll also be offering special Anahola Granola discount coupons to you, my readers. The awesome thing is that we are all connected by our love of Hawaii, the ocean, people and the aina. Welcome!
Anahola Granola mini-documentary
Anahola Granola is now featured on KVIC, the Kauai Visitor’s Channel.
This video is part of a tour of Kauai, shown on the KVIC channel. It’s an incredible way for a visitor to experience different parts of the island and what there is to offer in each area. The show portrays information about businesses, restaurants, farmer’s markets, towns and the people of Kauai. Watch the video of Anahola Granola and learn something about the business and how we make our delicious Anahola Granola and MacaMania bars on Kauai.