~ Day One ~

The entrance to our hotel: the Kauai Hyatt Regency
The open air lobby is spectacular and this photo doesn't do it justice because you can't see the ocean ahead so I added another photo below that shows it better
 
I love the way the ocean is framed like a picture.
When it starts to rain (which it does frequently but only for about 5 minutes at a time) then the rain comes right down where those people are walking. There's a small stage right by the window where they have entertainment in the evenings. There's lots of comfy seats facing the ocean where they serve cocktails and pupus (appetizers.)

When we arrived, the Hyatt Regency had a bottle of champagne on ice waiting for us as an anniversary gift. We opened it and I took this photo of Jeff on our balcony. We loved our room! It was on the 5th floor overlooking the ocean and very conveniently located close to the lobby and all the action.

The next 3 photos are a panorama from left to right of the views from our room.
The building you see jutting out is the lobby. We were so close that we could listen to the evening's entertainment if we left our patio doors open.

This is the view looking straight out.
Two nights a week, they hold their "Drums of Paradise" luau on that big lawn below. Later, I'll show you photos of the free shows we were able to overlook.

We also saw a wedding that was held in the gazebo on the upper lawn to the right.

We had our anniversary night dinner at Tidepools, one of the restaurants at the hotel. We didn't take our camera that night but below is a photo that I showed you before. We were seated right by the waterfall.

Jeff had Macadamia Nut Crusted Mahi Mahi and I had the Mixed Grill: Mahi Mahi, lobster, shrimp and scallops. Once again, they surprised us with a complimentary dessert for our anniversary. Yes, I ate dessert! I was good but I had to splurge a little.

Tomorrow: I'll show you photos of the pool, the saltwater lagoon pool, the waterslide and more.

~ Recipe of the Day ~

Tidepool's Signature Dish:
Macadamia Nut Crusted Fish with Kahlua Lime and Sweet Ginger Butter Sauce

Fish

2-4 oz fresh fish filets
2 oz macadamia nuts, chopped
2 oz panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
1/2 tsp paprika
salt and pepper (to taste)
1/2 cup flour
3 eggs
1/2 oz chopped cilantro

Sauce

2 Tbsp Kahlua liqueur
2 tsp pickled ginger, minced
1 Tbsp butter
1 tsp shallots
1 Tbsp heavy cream
1 Tbsp lime juice

Method

Fish: Mix panko, paprika, macadamia nuts, salt and pepper, and cilantro in a bowl and set aside Take fresh fish, season with salt and pepper and place in flour (shake off excess,) then egg, then in panko mixture. Place olive oil in sauté pan on medium heat and pan fry fish 2 minutes on each side until golden brown.

Sauce: In a sauce pan, add kahlua, lime, shallots, ginger and heavy cream. Let it simmer until 50% of the volume is gone. Turn heat really low and using a wire whisk, slowly add butter a little at a time until you have a smooth sauce. Serve over fish.

Click here for printable recipe