A little late in getting to this, but last month Barbara and I spent a week in Kauai, Hawaii. It was our first time in Kauai; we thought we'd mix it up a little after two trips to Maui. We stayed at the Hanalei Bay Resort in Princeville, which is in the northern part of the Island and is one of the prettiest places I have ever been to. The airport is very small, but nice. The drive to Princeville is 30-45 minutes depending on traffic and you will need a rental car. The Princville Resort is nice, but we heard mixed reviews on the rooms, so we rented a condo from vrbo.com (for rent by owner) which is a great site that has worked out really well for us so far. We were very happy with the room and the Hanalei Bay Resort was great, with a nice pool, friendly bar, several tennis courts and a short walk to the beach. The beach is shared with Princeville Resort, and you can eat at their restaurant, but you may not want to as the are way more expensive.
The first day there, the resort had an orientation and presented all the fun trips you can take (not a heavy sales pitch). Barbara won a half price trip on the kayak trip we wanted to take, so it worked out well for us. We took two great excursions - one kayak/hiking trip to the waterfall and a boat trip around the south part of the island to a great snorkeling spot. The kayak trip was great and not too strenuous. We journeyed up the Wailua River for about an hour, then hiked for another hour to swim in the Secret Falls (which are not very secret). The falls were really beautiful and worth the hike; the rain forest along the way is also really great to see. Barbara and I finally got in sync on the paddling on the way home. 
The boat trip was great on the way out. It was a pretty big boat and the crew were really nice. We cruised from the southwest side of the Island along the Na Pali Coast, where we saw some amazing mountains and caves. Along the way we also ran into a pod of bottle nose dolphins (the most common and familiar species of dolphin). When we got to the Forbidden Island we dropped anchor and went snorkeling. When we were in the water we saw a stingray and a monk seal swam right up to us. The amount of fish was amazing and the colors were all very cool. Once we got out of the water they served a nice lunch, but I think I swallowed some sea water, because I was not feeling very well. Unfortunately this was the precursor to much worse. The ride back to the dock was very rough and I threw up the entire way. I have to say the crew was very nice about it as they kept bringing out water and napkins. I have never been more happy to get off a boat, but it was still a great trip.
On the way home we stopped at Scotty's BBQ, we had heard it was a must visit and it paid off. The food was great and they have a nice view of the beach as well. While the prices were a little high compared to the main land, they were very reasonable for Hawaii. Overall the restaurants in Kauai were very good. The town of Hanalei is a 10 minute drive from the resort and it has a lot of good restaurants. The Dolphin is one of the best, it is a little spendy, but the fresh fish is very good. On the low end there's Bubba's Burgers. The teriaki burger is awesome, go next door and get some shaved ice for desert. I would avoid Sushi Blues, the food was OK, but is too expensive for what you get. The Paradise Cafe has great Kaula pork and there is a Chinese takeout that is OK. The grocery store is worth driving to as well as the prices are much better than Princeville. There is also a little camera store (in case like me you forgot your charger) and a couple of good surf shops with cool T-shirts. 
The best thing about Kauai is the beaches. Several of them are world class and the funnest part is the ones you can hike to; you get away from the crowds a little and you get some exercise. The most famous hike in Kauai is the Kalalau Trail which provides the only land access to the northwest part of the rugged coast. The trail traverses five valleys before ending at Kalalau Beach where it is blocked by sheer, fluted pali. The trail drops to sea level at the beaches of Hanakapi'ai and Kalalau. The 11-mile trail is graded but almost never level as it crosses above towering sea cliffs and through lush valleys. We only did a couple of miles and it was pretty hard going. You should be prepared to stay overnight if you do the entire hike (and be in good shape). When we got back to the beginning of the trial, we spent the day at Ke'e Beach, which is nice, but easily the most popular beach in Kauai.
Hideways Beach is one of the nicest sandy beaches on the North Shore with good swimming when the surf is calm. There are actually two small beaches here separated by a rocky outcropping. A ten minute hike makes this beach more secluded than other, more easily accessible beaches on the island. Another popular beach with great snorkeling is Tunnels Beach, which is a little hard to find as it is not sign posted, so check the guide book. The beach down at the Princeville Resort is also great, Barbara saw a shark (up close and personal), a sea turtle and hundreds of other fish. The best thing about all these northshore beaches is that you can stop and get lunch at Red Hot Mama's which is located on the road midway between Hanalei and Ke'e Beach. They offer great burritos, tacos, wraps, salads and sides to go; there is also a little grocery store next door for drinks, etc.
A really nice surprise was the Kilauea Lighthouse which is at the northernmost point of the main Hawaiian Islands. Built in 1913, it was had the largest lens of it's kind and guided ships heading to and from the Orient. Native vegetation and an informative visitor center attract thousands of tourists to this site to bird watch, view the sweeping cliff and ocean vistas, and revel in Kaua's past. The main light was turned off in 1970 and replaced with an ugly modern light, but is still a must see.The mountains in Kauai are the wettest place on earth and the rest of the Island can get a lot of rain too, so check the weather patterns before you go. I am sure you'll have a great time.
See all the pictures at my flickr site http://www.flickr.com/photos/musingsandwanderings/sets/72157605903870238/.
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