Kauai - Friday

Today was a pretty low key kind of day....We spent the whole day on the North Shore, attempting to check out some of the beaches. First we went to Java Kai in Hanelei for breakfast (great breakfast and smoothies), then we attempted to go to Ke'e beach (the beach the furthest north that you can go on a road on the island). When I say attempted, there was NO parking anywhere within a mile and a half of the beach. So, we went to the next beach, Ha'ena beach. The water was a beautiful turquoise color, and the sand was incredibly soft...The first two pictures are from that beach. The surf was really strong, so there wasn't anyone swimming there...
Our next goal was to go to Tunnels beach, but it is another one that is lacking in parking. Most of the time, the best bet is to park at Ha'ena beach and walk. What looked like a short walk turned out to be about a half mile (each way) in very loose sand. This is the view from Tunnels beach looking back to Ha'ena beach. We parked near the mountains and walked. We both got our workout today...I think the correct caption here is "Maggie, stop complaining about your feet hurting. Just suck it up and keep walking!!!!" (although knowing Bryon, it was much more pleasant and nicely put than that)This is a surfer at Tunnels beach. You can see the surf breaking in the background. This is a popular snorkelling beach because it is completely protected from the waves by a large reef.
Since the other beaches were so crowded, we went to Hanelei Bay. This is Hanelei pier. (and of course, anytime I write or type or think Hanelei, I can't get the Peter Paul and Mary song "Puff the Magic Dragon" out of my head...I have the people from our sailing trip on Wednesday to thank for that) This is the catamaran that we look on the sailing trip on Wednesday. They must not have had a trip today (this is their low season)This isn't a great picture on the blog, but the panaramic view from the pier at Hanelei is really impressive.......

Kauai update - Thursday

Yesterday, we spent the day on a catamaran, touring the Na Pali coastline. We got to do about an hour snorkel stop (well...minus Bryon's snorkel mask not working correctly - water is supposed to stay OUT of the mask, not leak in). We took pictures with our waterproof disposable camera, so we won't have pictures until after we get back. But, I don't think the pictures can truely do justice to the beauty of the coastline.

This morning, we slept in (6+ hours on a boat in choppy seas will make you tired!) and then went to Poi'pu on the southern coastline and to see spouting horn (the blowhole below). We were there at low tide and still got to see it shooting about 15 feet in the air. I wonder how high it goes at high tide? This is the view looking west from Spouting horn. The Hyatt resort is about the third bay down on Shipwreck beach.This is a parrot at the Hyatt resort (I was working on some of my artistic photographic skills)
This couple is at the beach at the Hyatt. If this isn't paradise, I am not sure what is...

Again, flowers (more specifically orchids) at the Hyatt.This beach is about 15 minutes west of the Hyatt resort in Poi'pu. It is called Glass Beach. It is unlike any beach we have seen. The black sand beach is completely covered in small colorful pieces of glass. This beach is in an industrial area, and is covered with shards of auto glass, pieces of bottles, and other random pieces of glass. All of their sharp edges have been worn down by the water, and it makes a colorful unexpected beach.
Pieces of the beach that we picked up...sorry for the lack of focus...
A bottom of a beer bottle...
Bryon and I at the Glass beach. Bryon (although he looks like he needs to shave in this picture!), has now been mistaken MULTIPLE times for a local (we joked about it at first, now he has had three or four different stores ask me where I am from and then look at him shocked and say they thought it was a local). Must be nice to get that tan in 15 minutes in the sun...

Kauai Update - Day 3

Most of today was spent driving to the Wailua Falls and the Waimea Canyon with a stop off to the Kauai Coffee Plantation and for some really sweet (literally and figuratively) shaved ice from a place called Jo Jo's in Waimea.


Wailua Falls

Sign leading up to the lookout point over Waimea Canyon after 11 miles of winding road

Waimea Canyon

More Waimea Canyon

Kauai Coffee Plantation - Rows of coffee bean trees.

View from our table at Scotty's Beachside BBQ in Kapaa, where we had some really good Hawaiian BBQ.

Tomorrow, we will be spending 6 hours on a catamaran, touring the Na Pali coast with about an hours worth of snorkling. We had to buy a waterproof camera, so there will be no picture updates.

Initial Hawaii Update

We are now in Kauai and have some interest access. I am attaching a few pictures for everyone to see. We will plan on updating another time or two before we leave!

This is the view from our lanai from the hotel on Waikiki beach...

During the parade of islands at the Polynesian Cultural Center

The waves at Sandy Beach in Oahu

The view from Sunset Beach in Oahu

And I am sure we will update more from Kauai later, but here is a picture from our helicopter tour this morning of the Na Pali Coast