Kauai the Garden Isle

Having been to Oahu, Maui and Kauai it is my opinion that Kauai is the best of the three Hawaiian Islands that I have visited. This was my second visit to this beautiful place. The first time we took the kids, but this time it was only me and Olive Oil. It was an early celebration of our 22nd anniversary.

We arrived in Lihue the afternoon after election day. In spite of the GOP "thumpin" we were in great spirits. We checked into our accomodations and hit the road in search of dinner in the southern town of Poipu. We did a little shopping in old Koloa Town as the sun had gone down. Things are very dark in Hawaii at night as there are very few lights, except in the hearts of town. By the time we got back in was 2am according to our body clock.

The first full day we drove East around to the North side. At the very end of the road is a nice beach on the tip of the breathtaking Na Pali Coast. We had determined to hike along the hills of the coast on a 4 mile trail that led to a large waterfall. We soon found that this was quite a rough path; more of a climbing wall than a path in some places. At the half-way point we stopped for a snack and water at the stream from the waterfall. I almost turned back, but took a peek at the second half. It was easy enough to lure us for another 40 minutes before getting rougher in spots. To make a long story short, we did get to see the waterfall. The hike back nearly killed me - and I don't think I am exaggerating.

As I said the Na Pali Coast is beautiful. In our trip we were able to see it from three views. Firsthand on the trail as I just described. We also took a helicopter ride, and finally a boat ride. Neither words, nor pictures can show the beauty of the place. Here is the link to some Google images that will give you a glimpse of the real thing.

We also went to the "Grand Canyon of Hawaii" - Waimea Canyon. I have been to both and there are similarities. When you drive to the top you can see the Kalalau Valley Lookout in Kekee State Park. Sometimes it is very foggy and you cannot see the view. When we went there was not a cloud in the sky and it was fantastic.

On Kauai there are wild roosters and hens all over the island. Even at the highest points I drove to, there they were. The crow at the break of down, so you don't really need an alarm clock. The beaches of Kauai are much better than on Maui. There are a few you can only reach by boat, though.

So there is my trip as promised. We had a great time in a great place. If you can only visit one island, Kauai is my recommendation.