EVENING 2 - Tonight Valerie and I decide to dine at Bar Acuda. We did not make reservations...but we are able to score a spot at the Chef's Bar
My first shot of our personal cook is a bit underexposed, but I have to include it because of the shaka photobomb
Our cook gets to work on our first course...he presents a sliced apple like a card dealer
Our first plate is Goat Cheese topped with Honeycomb, and an artfully sliced Apple. Valerie and I are blown away by the depth of flavor in this seemingly simple combination of ingredients. GET THIS!
Spinach Salad with a soft poached egg, parmesan crisp, honey mustard and truffle vinaigrette
Ahi Poké with slivered red onions, cilantro, lime, and leché de tigre...like ceviche
Grilled Lamb Riblettes with roasted cherry tomatoes, curry oil, and French feta cheese...so tasty!
Roasted Butternut Squash with a super spicy bolognese sauce and Crème fraîche. This may not be the most photogenic item of our meal, but it is among our favorites
Seared Sea Scallop with Yukon Gold mashed potatoes and gremolata butter is a disappointment...and not just because the serving is just a single (and somewhat small) scallop. $14 for this?
EVENING 3 - After Valerie gets off work, we head down to the beach by the resort to enjoy sunset
The sun has just started to emerge from below the clouds
I switch to my long lens
Hanalei Bay / Puu Poa Beach Sunset Panorama
Serious lens flare
Valerie enjoys the sunset
Hanalei Bay / Puu Poa Beach Sunset Panorama #2
To reduce my need for swapping lenses, I am now taking wide shots with my smartphone
If it wasn't obvious before, all of my telephoto shots have been from my DSLR. (Sadly, I did not realize until much later that only my DSLR was shooting RAW. My smartphone cannot take RAW panoramas and, for some reason, it reverts back to saving JPEGs from time to time)
Dramatic
The sun sets over the ocean during the summer...we are visiting too close to the Fall
I believe the tree covered flat portion of land extending past the peaks is Kepuhi Point...and that the final peak we see is actually the same one I approached near the Kalalau Trail Head
Specular highlights fade upon the waves and the sun dips behind Kauai
