Kauai, Hawaii

Hawaii!!!! Jim and I spent a week on the island of Kauai in June. It was absolutely amazing. James stayed at home with his grandparents. We missed him dearly, but, boy, did we have the best time EVER! We were supposed to go to the Big Island for one day, but our tour was cancelled--something about plane tickets. Didn't matter. We had so much fun in Kauai. I would recommend everything we did except Smith's Family Luau. The luau was like summer camp. The gardens were beautiful, but the show was unexciting and the dancers didn't "fit" the part.

We took a helicopter tour with Blue Hawaiian Helicopters the first day we were there--Jim's birthday. It was amazing. We got an aerial view of the island and from there we could really figure out where we were going to the rest of the stay.

Na Pali Coast from the helicopter

For Jim's birthday dinner we went to the Beach House. The sunset was breathtaking.

The rest of the week we hiked in Waimea Canyon and Kee State Park, kayaked the Wailua River and hiked to Secret Falls (it's not so secret!), snorkeled at the Na Pali Coast, sightseeing at the North Shore, beach time, saw a monk seal, and zip-lined.

Waimea Canyon

There are a lot of Kauai Chickens

Kalalou Outlook

Hike at Kalalou Outlook

Hike to Secret Falls

Passionfruit Flower - Smells Amazing!

Secret Falls - the water was cold!

Hanalei Bay

Hanalei Bay

Na Pali Coast from the boat

Smith's Family Garden

Zip-lining

Poipu Beach

"Surfing"

Spouting Horn

More Chickens!

Kauai is the oldest of the Hawaiian Islands and is called the Garden Isle because it has had the most time (6 million years) to grow lush tropical plants. The mountain on Kauai is the rainiest spot on earth and can get 450 inches or rain per year! I think Atlanta gets about 30-50 inches per year. Orlando gets 50 inches per year. But other parts of Kauai get only 12 inches per year. The south and west sides of the island are more dry. The North Shore and Hanalei Bay are gorgeous. I would recommend staying in the area because of the beauty. You can watch rain and clouds in the mountains and cliffs while enjoying a Mai Tai in the sun on the beach. The water is so calm in the summer perfect for those of us not so keen on fighting waves and currents. The beach at the Sheraton where we stayed was a little rough. The undertow was strong and the waves were moderate. But it didn't keep folks out of the water. A monk seal came up on the beach at Poipu (where we stayed). If only we had a camera! These seals are endangered and it's a treat to see one in the wild. Or at a resort :)

Our trip was amazing! The next time we go to Hawaii, we agreed to take James and go to more islands. Aloha!