September 26- Last Day in Paradise

Today we bid farewell to paradise. On the way to the airport, we stopped at the Kilauea Lighthouse lookout. This is a very scenic vista. For a fee, you can walk to the Lighthouse.

We then had breakfast at Kountry Kitchen in Kapa'a. While the place is tackily decorated with roosters, the food is wicked ono. Rex and I both had omelets with sour cream and a banana mac nut pancake, the size of a large dinner plate. The coconut syrup, which I had to ask for, was so good. We both agreed that these were some of the best omelets we've ever had.

With some time to spare, we drove past Lihue to Poipu. Poipu is the resort area on the south shore of Kauai. It can be reached by either Route 530 (beautiful, tree-lined road) or 520. Poipu is home to Spouting Horn.

Spouting Horn is really worth seeing and hearing. The spout and its eerie wail are caused by water rushing under the lava shelf then shooting out of an opening. Spouting Horn spurts frequently so you're bound to see and hear it if you wait a couple of minutes.

We then went to the airport. We had to fly to Honolulu to catch our flight to LAX.
Note: We were able to check our bag all the way through to JFK.

I hope you've enjoyed reading my blog and experiencing our amazing journey. I truly enjoyed reliving our adventures while writing it. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at kitatbro@yahoo.com.

Aloha and Mahalo!

September 25 - Surf's Up

I took a surf lesson at Titus Kinimaka's Hawaiian School of Surfing in Hanalei. Surfing is so much fun! This is a must do when in Hawaii! I ended up having a private lesson, as no one else had signed up for the 8:00 a.m. class. My instructor's name was Keaton. After about 10 minutes of instruction on the sand about how to paddle and stand up, we hit the water. Keaton helped me pick the right waves, told me when to start paddling (faster, faster) and when to stand up. After one and a half hours, I had ridden at least 5 waves completely to shore. Note: Take your surf lesson early in your stay so you can practice.

The lesson took place in Hanalei Bay. It is reached off the main road (Route 580) by turning right on Aku. Then at the stop sign, take a right on Weke. Take an immediate left into the parking lot. This is a beautiful bay with views of the mountains and a waterfall.

While in Hanalei, I stopped in Java Kai to get decaffeinated coffee and a Kauai waffle (topped with banana, mango, and coconut). So ono! Java Kai is located in Hanalei Center. Note: Decaffeinated coffee can be hard to find in Hawaii.

Before heading to the Kalalau Trail (at Ke'e Beach), we had burgers and shakes at Bubba Burgers. Wicked ono! Bubba's puts onions and mustard on their burgers. They don't recommend lettuce and tomato because they're shipped in from the mainland, and Bubba's can't guarantee freshness. (Note: Yankee fans tune out to this part. Bubba's is run by a Red Sox fan, as evidenced by all of the BoSox paraphernalia.)

The Kalalau Trail starts where Route 580 ends. You can't drive past this point. This is a very strenuous 11-mile hike, most of which is currently closed for renovation. If you take the trail for 2 miles, it leads to Hanakapi'ai Beach. There are lovely views of Ke'e Beach after completing the first ascent.

This is a steep uphill, then downhill trail, which can be muddy and slippery. The bottom of the trail crosses a stream with a strong current and very slippery rocks. Be careful!

The waves hitting the rocks are incredible here. This ocean is dangerous to swim in at Hanakapi'ai.

After completing the hike, I took a dip at Ke'e Beach to cool off. The water is calm here. We also watched some little chicks eating out of a coconut. So cute!

September 24 - Beach Day

We went to Anini Beach, which is on the north shore of Kauai. This is a lovely, uncrowded beach. The water was exceptionally warm. There's a large, shallow reef - good for snorkeling. There are also some amazing trees.

We spent the day reading in our own private cove. We also had fun watching the little crabs pop in and out of their holes as the sun went down.

Can you spot him?

We got dinner at Frederico's, a Mexican restaurant in Princeville Center. I had the torta and Rex had a burrito. Wicked ono!

September 23 - Biking the Coconut Coast

Ke Ala Hele Makalae (The Path that Goes by the Coast) is one of most beautiful bike paths I've ever had the pleasure of riding on. The path runs along the coastline on the east shore of Kauai. It runs from Lihi Park in Kapa'a to Ahihi Point in Kealia. It is a 4-mile paved, flat trail that offers open views of the Pacific Ocean. There are plans to expand the path in coming years.

We rented bikes at Coconut Coasters, which is located at one of the entrances to the path. The staff (Angelo and Spark) are very friendly and informative. We rode the length of the path several times during the course of the day. We also took a side trip to Spalding Monument, a ride recommended to us by Spark and a fellow tourist. The ride to the Monument involves a steady uphill climb for a couple of miles (the first part being quite steep) on Kealia Road. Kealia Road is located at the crosswalk of Kealia Beach. There's an old post office on the corner.

The Monument, built to honor a former plantation manager, isn't much to see. The plaques have been removed. The surrounding mountains, however, are impressive. This is a nice area for a picnic. Rex and I spent a couple of hours reading here.

After descending Keilia Road, we headed to TNT Steakburgers, located in the parking lot of Kojima's Store on Kuhio Highway in Kapa'a. This is a solar-powered food truck that serves up a good burger. We took our burgers and onion rings back to Ke Ala Hele Makalae, and found a shady spot to dine in.

Our picnic spot

We ended the day by going to Opaeka'a Falls. The Falls are located in Wailua. The lovely Wailua River runs through this area.

Though the Falls were rather dry during our visit, the lookout boasts many very colorful flowers.

September 22 - Queen's Bath and Hanalei

Queen's Bath is a large, lava swimming pool, located in Princeville. It's walking distance from where we were staying. This is a beautiful spot. Don't miss it! There's a short downhill trail from the parking lot, which can be very slippery. There is a small waterfall halfway down the trail.

When you get to the bottom of the trail, there's a sign warning you of the dangers of Queen's Bath.

In order to get to the Bath, you have to walk across the rocks about 250 feet to the left. If it's low tide, you'll see it. If it's high tide, you won't. The crystal clear water is very deep in the center of the pool. There are fish in it so be prepared to get nipped at.

On the way across the rocks to the Bath, there's an area where people were diving into the ocean. While it looked fun, it looked really dangerous. I wouldn't recommend it for those who aren't used to swimming in high surf or jumping off cliffs.

We saw dolphins and sea turtles while at Queen's Bath. We also saw what looked like black, saltwater tadpoles. I haven't been able to find out what these are. If anyone knows, please tell me.

Later, we drove to Hanalei on Route 580. This is a lovely road with several one-lane bridges. There is a scenic lookout at the beginning of the road. You can see the valley, dotted with taro patches. Taro is used to make poi, a Hawaiian staple.

There are several beaches on Route 580. We stopped at Ha'ena Beach Park for a quick dip. Across the street from the beach is the Manini-holo Dry Cave. It is 300 yards deep. This is just a cool thing to see.

Located at the end of Route 580 is Ke'e Beach. Right before the beach is Waikanaloa Wet Cave. This is another cool thing to see.

September 21 - Waimea Canyon Hike

We drove to Waimea Canyon, which is located on the southwest side of Kauai. Because there are no roads that circle around the whole island, we had to drive from Princeville all the way around Kauai. It took about an hour and a half. There are 2 roads that access the Canyon off of Highway 50, either Route 550 in Waimea or Route 552 in Kekaha. Southern Kauai is bathed in red dirt. The contrasting green fields and red dirt are a sight to see.

The road up the Canyon is called Koke'e Road. Beware, this road is full of potholes for a few miles. Also, there is no gas on this road so fill up before you head up.

We hiked the longest trail in Koke'e State Park, which afforded us breathtaking views of the Napali Coast. It also shed light on why Mark Twain dubbed Waimea Canyon, the "Grand Canyon of the Pacific".

The trail is called the Awa'awapuhi - Nu'alolo Loop. It's an 11-mile strenuous hike. We started at the Awa'awapuhi trailhead, located near mile marker 17 on Koke'e Road. We walked about one and one-half miles down to the Nu'alolo trailhead because we wanted to end the hike where we parked our car. The start of the Nu'alolo Trail is tricky because there are 3 paths that look like they could be the start of it. The start is to the left as you pass the trailhead sign. Don't be tricked by the 2 fake paths that you might see straight ahead of you. There is a small trail sign in the tall grass if you look for it.

This first segment of the Loop trail is about 4 miles, which includes a one-half mile segment that leads to the Lolo Vista lookout. It has many steep downhills. (Like the song says, "What goes up must come down"). There are some tricky parts of this trail: felled trees within the first couple of miles that block the trail and what looks like another trail to the right before you reach the high red wall part of the trail. There are virtually no trail markers on the trail. 

As this trail opens up to views of the cliffs and ocean, it just keeps getting better and better. Just when you think one view is awesome, you see something more awesome. The view from the Lolo Vista lookout is unbelievable.

The Nu'alolo Cliff Trail links the 2 main trails. It's not called the Cliff Trail for nothing. This 2-mile, relatively level portion of the trail includes washed out areas along the cliff that give you little room to walk on. If you slip, you're falling over a thousand feet straight down. This sign warns of the danger. Fortunately, there are some tree roots and pointy rocks to hold onto. I wouldn't be surprised if this part of the trail isn't open in the coming years as it continues to erode.

There are other areas on this trail that are washed out but are in the forested section. Somehow the danger doesn't seem as serious when you can't see where you'd fall.

You're likely to see goats navigating the steep terrain. They're amazing!

The Cliff Trail then links with the Awa'awapuhi Trail. This is a 3-mile strenuous hike, virtually uphill all the way, 1600 feet up. This trail goes through the woods. However, there is a lookout at the end of the trail, which if you choose to hike to it, adds about one-half mile to your trek. If you've come all this way, it's worth it for the view.

This is an awesome hike but don't underestimate the difficulty of it. I wouldn't recommend starting this hike after 10:30 a.m. Bring enough food and water to last a whole day. Leave some extra time to rest and enjoy the views.

Note: The scariest part of this trail for me wasn't the Cliff Trail. It was when Rex twisted his ankle. Some of you might know that when were in Hawaii 10 years ago, we couldn't hike because Rex sprained his ankle 2 days into the trip. We planned to make up for it this time and this hike certainly did. As you can see, Rex was having a great time (and his ankle was fine).

September 20 - Chill Day

Princeville has a running path that goes along a golf course. It's a path that leads to a park and is surrounded by tree-covered mountains. I enjoyed a morning run, then a swim in The Cliffs' swimming pool.

Rex and I walked to Princeville Center to check it out. We had ice cream at Lappert's, which is a famous gourmet ice cream shop in Hawaii. We had a flavor called Mauna Kea's Secret. Ono!

I ended the day with another swim and a soak in the hot tub. We also watched the sunset from our lanai (patio).