Bringing Vacation Home: Kauai Coffee

I loved almost everything about Hawaii — the friendly people, the fabulous weather, the amazing seafood — but one thing I did not love was the six-hour time difference. Jared and I handled it fairly well, considering we’re not exactly night owls to begin with, but still, the majority of the time, we were heading to bed by 10 p.m. and up by 6 a.m. I just couldn’t keep my eyes open any later at night, and each morning, I was so excited about what the day would bring that I had trouble sleeping in.

The other thing that had me anxious to start the day? Kauai Coffee. I might just be a little bit obsessed with this stuff. We actually flew over Koloa Estate, the largest coffee farm in the United States and the place where Kauai Coffee’s beans are grown, on our helicopter tour — we’re talking a 3,100-acre coffee plantation with four million coffee trees, so it would’ve been hard to miss. The coffee gets its special flavor because it’s grown in rich volcanic soil, and receives plenty of  rain (Kauai is home to the wettest spot on earth!), sun and cooling Hawaiian trade winds.
Now, let me be honest: I’m not a coffee snob. Beer? Yes. Wine? Fo’ sure. Coffee, though? I like flavored roasts (not syrups, mind you) and enough cream to lighten things up. So while I’m sure Kauai Coffee’s medium and dark roasts were magnificent, I stuck to the amazing Vanilla Macadamia Nut flavor, with an occasional foray into the Coconut Caramel Crunch version.
Now, you know that six-hour time difference I mentioned? Well, it might’ve made staying up late in Hawaii tough, but coming home, we had to adjust the other way — so, you know, that 6 a.m. alarm on the first morning home felt a lot like midnight. But you know what made it all a bit better? I’d forgone the Mac nuts and some other Hawaiian treats and trinkets that were recommended and left room in my bag for some Vanilla Mac Nut coffee. A cup of that made all the emails I had to sort through and all the deadlines I needed to rush to meet a little easier to manage.
Oh, and if you don’t have a Hawaiian getaway planned but would like to check this out, it’s available to order online! Yes, shipping costs a bit of money, but there are discounts available here and there, and I’m thinking I might just have to place an order … soon.
Have you ever fallen in love with a food or beverage on vacation? —Kristen