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Click on any pic for a larger version.
Could it be any
greener?
I don't think so. Maybe I'm a little under-greened from Phoenix,
but it seemed to me a happy riot of green.
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| The Hanalei Valley, full of taro. |
Is it Hawaii, or is it Illinois? Could be either, but it's
Hawaii, on Kauai, in the Waimea district along the Kaumaulii
Highway en route to Polihale State Park. |
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| From the Kuilau Trail, off Kuamoo Road (580) near the Keahua
Arboretum. |
Part of the Menehune Ditch - supposedly built by the Hawaiian
Little People (Menehune) in ONE NIGHT! You can find this up
Menehune Road out of Waimea. |
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The
Na Pali Coast
Nothing
much to say here - the pictures say more than words can, though
not as much as being there.
The
first 4 are from the Kalalau trail, starting at Ke'e Beach, at the
northern end of the Na Pali coast. The last 2 were taken at Polihale
State Park, at the other (southwest) end. |
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| Waimea
Canyon/Kalalau Valley
A very twisty drive up the Waimea Canyon brings
you to incredible views, first of the canyon itself (Mark Twain
apparently called it the Grand Canyon of Hawaii - fairly apt), then
of the Kalalau Valley. Again, forget descriptors.
Just look.
One of the main features of Kauai, at least during the week I was
there, was mud. Anywhere that wasn't beach seemed to be largely
mud - very slippery mud, convering eroded volcanic rock. The Pihea
Trail pic is a minor example. My hiking boots will never be the
same - not to mention socks, pants, etc. |
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| Waimea Canyon, in one of the sunny moments |
Kalalau Valley, from above (Pihea Trail, at the top of Waimea
Canyon) |
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| Pihea Trail |
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| Birds
Lots of birds on the island!
No pix, but if you go out to the Kilauea Point National Wildlife
Refuge, you are likely to see (depending on time of year) a slew
of cool birds - Laysan albatross, red-footed boobies, wedge-tailed
shearwaters, and more, plus possibly whales. |
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| He's bold, he's proud - he's a feral chicken. Kauai has many
feral chickens, all over the place, much like sparrows or grackles
other places. |
Nene - the Hawaii state bird. |
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The
End
Muddy boots and a lei of very fragrant
flowers. |
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Kauai
Travel Tips
From my short stay, the first thing I'd say is, prepare
to get muddy, and to enjoy it. If you don't feel capable
of enjoying wallowing in and sliding through mud, don't go - unless
you plan to stick with ocean activities, golfing and escorted boat/helicopter
trips.
Oh - and get a good map early on. Don't rely on the free things
that car rental places give you or that you find outside grocery
stores. They help, but they often don't have exact location information
- and Kauai is very relaxed about signs.
I know it looks like a small island, but it is a long drive from
end to end - or from the middle to either end, for that matter -
because the roads are very twisty. Don't
count on getting places fast. And the drive to Polihale State Park
- it's well worth it, but it is
5 miles of potholes and puddles once you leave the highway.
And finally, as they seem to say there, hang loose. We hardly ever
ended up doing what we thought we were going to do, and it always
worked out just right.
Places to Go
Here are the obvious ones: the Na Pali Coast, Waimea Canyon, Polihale
State Park, and your choice of ocean activities (snorkel, scuba,
surf, boogie board, swim, wade...).
Here are a few of the other small things we found (many of these
are rainy day things):
- Kong Lung Center
- On the way to the Kilauea Lighthouse and Wildlife Refuge, there's
a little shopping center on the right. Back in it you'll find
a beautiful coffee shop with astonishing pastries and so on. There's
also an arthouse movie theater (didn't make it there, but it looked
fun).
- Kilauea Point National Wildlife
Refuge - Lots of birds, a live albatross-cam,
the possibility of whales, free binoculars, AND a spiffy lighthouse.
- Secret Garden
- A day spa, or something like. Great massages, great folks. In
Wailua.
- Green Garden Restaurant
- We got there late, tired. It was a really relaxed place, friendly
if slow and short-handed. The food was so-so. The oldies on the
sound system were Hawaiian-ized, which added a pleasant sweetness.
I liked it. In Hanapepe.
- Oki Diner - Ok,
so I didn't make it to the diner, but I really wanted to! Please,
go try it for me! In Lihue.
- Wahoo Restaurant
- No reservations about the food here. It was good. In Kapaa.
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