Holoholo Dave Heads to the Caribbean

Welcome to the adventures of Dave Burden Jr. (also known as Adventure Dave, and now as Holoholo Dave), one of our amazing Adventure Guides at Timbers Kaua‘i. Follow along on his holoholo (adventuring for fun with no final destination) as he chronicles his journey across all 7 continents over the next year. Read the first installment of Adventure Dave’s Holoholo, and then follow along with his latest travels below.

Aloha to My Timbers Kaua‘i ‘Ohana!

When you fly into St. Thomas, the first glimpse of land is a beautiful collection of bays, beaches, and small islands just off the westernmost point of the island. This is the Preserve at Botany Bay, and for a very special time, it was a place I called home.

The Preserve at Botany Bay is a signature development of Timbers Resorts, nestled within 397 acres on the secluded west end of the island.

It’s been a while since I’ve been back to Botany, and I was very excited to see some good friends, walk the beaches where so many memories have washed in and out with the waves, and introduce some of my favorite folks from the Timbers Kaua’i ‘Ohana to one of my favorite places.

As the plane touched down, I felt that relief that always comes with being back at one of your places. I felt the island welcome me as soon as I stepped off the plane and breathed in that familiar warm, tropical air.

After an overnight jaunt over to St. John to reconnect with my dear friend and partner in crime Mia, we prepared for the arrival of our guests who would stay with us for the next two weeks.

Art and Victoria (Owners at Timbers Kaua’i) and their friends Dan, Kathy, Mike and Traci met us at Botany Bay to relax for a few days before setting off on a sailing adventure through the British Virgin Islands.

For our home base at Botany Bay, we have rented a home my friend Bob Schmidt built at the hilltop peak of the property, named Langarra. With its open floor plan and expansive glass doors, the house is immediately welcoming. Our crew was even rendered speechless when we took in the views of the sparkling ocean beyond the infinity pool. Victoria summed up what everyone was thinking with a whispered “Wow… just… wow.”

Our time on St. Thomas was a comfortable combination of whirlwind island tours and relaxing hours by the pool and over meals on the lanai. I took everyone for an adventurous hike to the spectacular natural stone pool at Mermaid’s Chair. Our jaunts around the island included everything I could pack in from Red Hook to Mountain Top to Maegan’s Bay to downtown Charlotte Amalie. On our last night there, I wanted everyone to get to know what makes St. Thomas so special – the people.

So I did the thing you do on St. Thomas when you want 20 interesting people to come to dinner… call three of them and tell them what time the drinks start flowing. This will remain one of my favorite nights for a very, very long time. I introduced friends from different phases of my life to each other and watch the conversation bloom. I had a blast playing with the kids who were just babies the last time I saw them, and I knew right away that I had to come back to this place and spend time with these friends much more often. We all picked up right where we left off a few years ago, and the one common thought was that it had been much too long.

Now that the party is over, it’s time to load the van full of our provisions for the next two weeks and head to the marina to prepare our chartered catamaran. As the colors of the sunrise reflected off the Caribbean, I am taken back for a moment to Kaua‘i and the Hi’uwai Ceremony that has become such an integral part of my experience there. I took a moment to pause, welcome the day, and consider the adventures that lie ahead.

Adventures Away,

Stay tuned for the next updates about Dave’s Holoholo!