Starwood Hawaii Sweepstakes

Starwood Hawaii and Hawaiian Airlines are pairing up to give away free points to use on a Hawaiian getaway.  The grand prize winner will get a total of 80,000 SPG points and 80,000 HawaiianMiles. The airline miles are sufficient for two roundtrip Coach SuperSaver awards from North America and 80,000 SPG points can get you anywhere from 10 nights at the Category 4 Sheraton Kona on Big Island to 2 nights at the Category 7 St Regis Princeville on Kauai.  (Remember if you redeem 4 nights, you get the 5th free!)

As a reminder, Starwood has the following properties in Hawaii:

Category 4 (10,000 points / night)
Sheraton Kona Resort & Spa, Keauhou Bay

Category 5 (12,000 to 16,000 points / night)
Sheraton Princess Kailuani
Sheraton Waikiki
Sheraton Kauai Resort
Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa

Category 6 (20,000 to 25,000 points / night)
Royal Hawaiian, A Luxury Collection Resort, Waikiki
Moana Surfrider, A Westin Resort & Spa, Waikiki Beach
Westin Princeville Ocean Resort Villas
The Westin Maui Resort & Spa Ka'anapali

Category 7 (30,000 - 35,000 points / night)
The St Regis Princeville Resort
The Westin Ka'anapali Ocean Resort Villas

Although I haven't had a chance to visit the other islands, I had a wonderful time at the Westin Princeville and would definitely recommend a visit to Kauai. Both the Westin Princeville and the St Regis Princeville are incredible Starwood properties and you definitely won't go wrong at either one.

Sign up here before Nov 16, 2013 for your chance to win! Travel must commence by Oct 30, 2014.

Breathtaking Napali Coast Cruise on the Southern Star

For our last night in Kauai, we decided to take Captain Andy's Southern Star cruise up the amazing Napali Coast. The cruise begins from Port Allen near Hanapepe on the southern side of the island so if you're coming from the north end (Princeville or Hanalei) or from the Westin Princeville like me, leave at least one and a half hours to get down to the port area.

Kauai Scenery in Poipu and Kapa'a

After a gorgeous morning in Hanalei, the entertainment for the evening was a Hawaiian luau on Kauai's south shore on the beautiful beach of Poipu. We left Hanalei Bay/Princeville mid-afternoon and drove along Kuhio Hwy & Kaumualii Hwy down to the Poipu beach area. Enroute, we passed through the mesmerizing Tunnel of Trees made of eucalyptus trees planted over 100 years ago.

Waimea Canyon and Koke'e State Park

Located on the western side of the island of Kauai is the incredible 'Grand Canyon of the Pacific' as described by Mark Twain. The drive into the park was rather peaceful with very few cars in sight on the way up on this pleasant May afternoon. The drive from the Westin Princeville was fairly long (about 2 hours) so budget enough time to get there and back if you're living in the north end of the island.

St Regis Princeville & Hanalei Bay

Located on the north shore of Kauai are the towns of Princeville and Hanalei. Together, they provide a breathtaking view, one of the most formidable I've ever seen. The St Regis Princeville, a Starwood Category 7 property just down the road from the Westin Princeville, sits high up overlooking Hanalei Bay.