Note: as with all my blog entries, you can click on any picture for a larger version.
Aloha from Hawai'i! In April 2004 we set out on a quest: 4 Hawaiian islands in 4 years. We started with The Big Island, then hit Maui and Oahu. This year we capped it off with a trip to Kauai. Above is one of the eight glorious sunsets we met. Below is Savannah looking out the airplane window enroute from Los Angeles to Lihue. I share the anticipation you can see in her eyes...
We landed around mid-day and met Lesli's folks Margie & Van. After renting a car and grabbing groceries, we zipped down to Poipu Beach and checked into our condo
- a great place with a lanai right on a 20-foot lava-rock cliff over the pounding Pacific. Here's me & the girls enjoying the first sunset...
...and Margie & Van doing the same...
...and finally, Lesli & I with faces that reveal our happiness to be in Hawai'i...
the sunset was one of the best...
Most folks in Kauai don't need an alarm clock due to this fella and his brothers...
The Moa chickens are direct descendants of the poultry that the first Polynesians brought with them to Hawai'i over 1,000 years ago. Unlike the other islands, there are no mongeese (mongooses?) on Kauai, so the Moas thrive. Fortunately there were none near our condo to wake us up, but we heard them everywhere else on the island! Since it was Spring, there were lots of chicks which thrilled the girls. Here is a hen & her brood (cute little devils "peep! peep! peep!")...
Our first day we drove to...
Coined "The Grand Canyon of the Pacific" by someone who likes to state the obvious, its...well, a big beautiful canyon. Here is a signature shot of the canyon, Waipo'o Falls... 
and one more beauty shot - if you click on this you may get a sense of the size of the canyon (I'm told the colors are nice, too)...
Hawaiians are proud of their state bird, an indigenous goose called the Nene. Brought back from the brink of extinction, they are treated with much reverence. What you don't know until you meet the Nene is that they are shameless beggars, and loiter at all the scenic overlooks on Kauai. Anyway, they pose nice...
Here's Lesli, Savannah, Charlotte & I at Waimea Canyon...
At the road's end, you can get a rare peek at Kauai's mysterious Na Pali coast. Its a long stretch of coastline with no roads and virtually no access. Its filled with steep-walled valleys, lush vegetation and punishing surf. From this vantage point we literally waited for the clouds to part, and for a few fleeting seconds, this is what we saw (you could almost hear the gal in South Pacific chanting "Bali Hai")...
On the way home our GPS told us about an ancient irrigation ditch built by the Menehune (mythical nocturnal munchkins who were into construction). It was still working fine, and the appreciative Hawaiians even put up a plaque to honor it...
The cool thing the Menehunes built was this rope suspension bridge over the Waimea river. It rocked & twisted as we all ran across it. On the other side was this scary squatters-hippies-with-pit-bulls camp. So we ran across the bridge even faster going back!
deep in those trees on the other side are the hippies with pit bulls...
Back on our lanai we had a fashion show! Here's SBK
and CCK...
Maybe the best sunset of the trip was Tuesday, April 10th. Here's Margie & Van on the lava rocks down beneath our lanai...
...and Lesli & I...
The entire package of punishing surf and dazzling sunset was really something I won't forget...
Our adventure really took off on Monday when Lesli & I went on a 1-hour helicopter tour of the island. Here is our Hughes 500 coming in to pick us up at Lihue airport. Note the lack of doors!
This tiny thing held the pilot & two couples. Lesli & I sat upfront with our terrific pilot, Brian. Here is Lesli getting aboard (where's the jetway? -grin!)
..and here we are about to take off. We planned ahead and brought jackets, since it gets pretty cool in the open-air cockpit...
One of the first things we saw aloft was more handiwork by those industrious Oompa Loompa's, the Menehune. Here is a clever fishpond, built to let fish in when they are small, but traps them inside once they get big...
We ranged in altitude from sea-level to 3,500 feet, but due to the rugged terrain, we were often skirting right over razor-thin ridges, seemingly inches away. Here we zip over the Ha'upu ridge (2,297 ft)...
Some beautiful waterfalls - this is private land, so this is about the only way to these...
You may recall this waterfall in the opening of the movie Jurassic Park. Actually called Manawaiopuna Falls, it is also on private property, and utterly gorgeous. For perspective, if you enlarge, you'll see that the vegetation is actually 30-40 foot tall trees...
Looking straight down, out the door and into an unbelievably steep, narrow gorge, somewhere over Kauai...
Waimea Canyon from the air...a whole new perspective...
This is Waipo'o Falls (remember the picture above of the 4 of us at a scenic overlook with this in the background?). Brian would hover the helicopter at places like this for spectacular views...
Leaving Waimea Canyon and bursting over the Na Pali coast...
This shore (the North Shore) was getting pounded by 20-foot surf that day. Here is a waterfall going straight into the swell...
This is the beach where Mitzi Gaynor "washed that man right out of her hair" in South Pacific
The ancient Hawaiians believe that your life-force resides in the bones, and the more powerful you are, the more valuable are your bones. When royalty died, it was important to hide their bones so evil-doers couldn't use them. The Nu'aloloValley, with it's near-impossible access, vertical walls and lush vegetation is the perfect resting place for the royalty...
Beautiful Hanalei Bay on the North Shore of Kauai
We turned inland for the final attraction - the top of Mount Wai'ale'ale - the wettest spot on earth, but along the way, we passed a waterfall with 26 steps! I couldn't capture all of them in one photo (some of the steps are 100's of feet), but here is a portion with double-digit steps...
If you're flying to the wettest spot on earth, chances are, it's going to be raining (grin). Here is a view out the front of the helicopter as we whisk under a raincloud...
Through clouds and a wide valley and voila, we're inside the crater of Mount Wai'ale'ale, the volcano that created Kauai. Now dormant, most of the rain that falls on the top (440 inches a year! that is over 36 feet!) goes into this crater. The crater is a vast semi-circle with waterfalls all 'round. For perspective, these walls are 3,000 feet high, and the growth you see on them is 5-10 foot ferns...
Here is a section of the crater called The Weeping Wall. Here, the waterfalls originate from rainwater that was absorbed into the top of the mountain and seeps out of the rock right here...
one more look at this vast, incredible location. I've traveled a lot, but I can't think of anything even remotely similar ...
The Wailua river (even my feet had a window!)
Here we are flying back to the airport. The goofy smiles plastered on our faces remained for the rest of the day...
A successful trip in the Hughes 500 with Brian...
Monday night dinner on our lanai while another sunset prepares to dazzle us...
Monday's sunset. Another island is partially blocking the left edge of the sun. The island is Ni'ihau - privately owned and off limits, hence the nickname 'the forbidden isle'...
On Tuesday we went horseback riding...
Oops! wrong animal (more on her later). On Tuesday we went horseback riding. Here is Savannah on E'Luna (Dark Moon) as we're saddling up...
Here's Margie on Miwok. She's probably thinking she should've borrowed a raincoat from the ranch...
Van on Patty
So everyone else got regular-sized horses. Me? They gave me a Percheron . For those of us who don't know, a Percheron is a Belgian draft horse, bred to pull cargo wagons. This gal was HUGE!! Her name is Julie (my sister Julie is laughing as she reads this!)
She was fine (and I got great cell-phone reception atop her). To give you an idea how high I am when mounted, here is a picture I took of Charlotte - it looks like I took it from the helicopter, doesn't it? (grin!)...
Margie was right, we should have worn raincoats, it rained for a good 20 minutes of the ride out (hey, Kauai wouldn't be 'the garden isle' without a little rain, eh?). Here is Charlotte leading the group over a stream...
The trail led to an idyllic spot with (what else?) a gorgeous waterfall from which the ranch gets its name (Silver Falls Ranch). Here are the girls at the falls. Note Charlotte's 'safety first' decision to keep her helmet on at all times...
After a great lunch, Savannah & I changed and took a dip. It was invigorating & fresh water (and pretty cool!)...
Everyone gave their horse a treat for the ride back (I was terrified to put my hand near Big Julie's gaping maw!). The girls were braver. Here is Charlotte feeding Koloa, assisted by our guide, Matt...
Lesli's horse (Kala) was 'spirited' (horse euphemism for the combination of clinically insane and dumb). The other horses hated, let me repeat hated her. Here Savannah's E'Luna tries to bite her. Lesli is about to smack E'Luna (grin!)....
A fun ride: Dan/Julie, Charlotte/Koloa, Savannah/E'Luna, Lesli/Kala, Van/Patty & Margie/Miwok
a couple of pretty girls (only one of 'em has any brains!)
So what was that picture of a feral pig baby? The ranch rescued a pair of piglets, who, at 4 months old, have become as tame as kittens. The girls enjoyed petting their ridiculously stiff hair...
a couple of cute butts...
For Elvis fans, you may remember in the movie Blue Hawai'i, he got married in Kauai at the Coco Palms. The resort was ravaged by hurricane Iniki in 1992 and is abandoned...
On our way home we stopped at a couple of waterfalls - here is famous Wailua Falls - so close to the highway you could almost roll your window down to take this shot...
After seeing the Menehune fish pond from the helicopter, we stopped at another vantage point to show the girls....
Wednesday was our North Shore exploration quest. It began at Kiluea Lighthouse perched on the northern-most point of the northern-most island in this, the southern-most state (one of many banal facts you can only get from the Federal Park Services)
Since this is a a scenic overlook, there is a gaggle of Nene geese here to beg. SBK watering the local waterfowl...
The North Shore is home to a large community of folks with heightened levels of environmental consciousness (AKA hippies & tree huggers). We love 'em, so we stopped at every organic fruit-stand we could. Here is Savannah Banana at one of them...
Taro was the most important food-stuff to Polynesians. The Hanalei Valley on Kauai is the only place where it is still grown commercially. Here the girls view the Hanalei river irrigating the taro fields in this lovely valley...
Mid-day and Savannah borrows Margie's sunglasses - suddenly it looks like Audrey Hepburn joined us for a plate lunch...
Obligatory kitschy shot. They're so well trained, I don't even have to ask them to pose for these...
The town of Hanalei is incredibly tranquil, though the locals can get quite strident on the topic of further development. One insurance policy against development is their refusal to replace the dozens of one-lane bridges. Here is one...
We are again near the enchanted Na Pali coast and you could tell by some of the weird geologic offerings. Here is Manini'holo cavern - a huge, one-room cave, first from the mouth, looking in...
...and now from the inside looking towards the mouth...
At every turn on Kauai, we are amazed at the plant life. Here Lesli has found thick vines dangling 50 feet off a cliff. She does her best Tarzan yell and swings. The girls clearly recognize this is not something adults should be doing...
A view from the vines, looking up the cliff they descend from...
I backed up to give a better perspective on this sheer mountainside above the cave...
Here at "road's end" are the mountains that were 'Bali Hai' in the movie South Pacific...
Ke'e is the last beach before the Na Pali coast. Savannah, Margie, Lesli & Charlotte test the calm, warm waters protected from the lashing surf by an offshore reef...
Here the ocean has eroded away the earth, exposing the intricate root structure of this pine...
From Ke'e beach we get one last tantalizing peek at the rugged, mysterious Na Pali coast...
After a short but steep hike, the girls & I made it up to another cave. The guidebook alleges that one can swim in this one, even calling it 'The Blue Room' for it's supposed blue waters. When we saw it, Charlotte said it should be called the brown room. Needless to say, we didn't swim...
Late afternoon and we decided to spend a couple of hours at Hanalei Bay beach. Here is Charlotte on her way up a coconut palm
Hanalei Bay has no less than 4 world-class surf breaks, and a couple of them were going off. We sat on the beach and watched the boys (and girls) streaking across the faces of 15-footers. On the beach, we were befriended by several dogs. I affectionately call them 'surf widows' because their owners are out surfing and the dogs patiently wait on the beach for them. Here are Van, Margie & Lesli with widow #1, Nala...
The girls were recovering from a sunburn and so appreciated the warm cloud coverage at Hanalei Bay. In the distance you can see rain falling...
Happiness is Charlotte with some sand toys...
Another surf widow became Savannah's swimming buddy...
The next day began with a rainbow off our lanai...
We rented a kayak for 4 and set out on the big blue Wailua river. Our goal? A secret waterfall accessible only by a 5-mile paddle followed by a 1-mile hike. Lesli packed a picnic lunch, we put on our reef shoes and struck out! Here is SBK with our kayak...
I was afraid of tipping over, so I didn't use the camera during the voyage, but when we stopped for lunch I snapped a couple of the girls, our kayak and the stream, all surrounded by thick jungle. Note Savannah's patented knee-bent-pose, and Charlotte ('safety first') Kendall still wearing her life vest on shore...
The hike to the falls was exciting and just tough enough for our troop. Here is a baby waterfall we found along the way...
A mile into the hike and you start hearing the waterfall, then you turn a corner and there it is! 135 feet high, lush and the perfect antidote for a tired hiker...
Savannah & I goofing around in the clear, cold water. Actually the water temperature was equal to the ocean back in Southern California. I stood on some rocks under the falls and it was like the industrial, steroid version of your shower massage!
Back home in time for steak dinner with Margie & Van, and another fabulous sunset.
The sun wasn't the only thing going down at dinnertime. After 6 days of horseback riding, kayaking, caving, beach-going and hiking, Charlotte crashed with a thud...
Friday morning and Savannah is on the lanai enjoying a breakfast of shrimp chips. What are shrimp chips? Think 'shrimp-flavored pork rinds' and you've got the picture. Breakfast of champions...
After trying Poipu beach earlier in the week, we went to Kiahuna beach on Friday & Saturday and had a ball - Lesli had a nut - literally. We were setting up our chairs in the shade of a palm tree when a coconut dropped out of the fronds and plunked Lesli on the hand. Here she is with her assailant...
and the injured hand...
The girls are at an age where they need no accessories at the beach. Waves & sand create all the fun they need. Here is a montage of fun at Kiahuna beach on the garden isle, Kauai...
Here's Lesli & I returning from an awesome snorkel venture...
Those of you who have been to the beach with Charlotte know that she always gets buried in the sand. This trip was no exception for the goofy girl...
just a couple of nuts on the beach....
After telling you of the expert surfers tackling 15-foot waves with ease, I wish I had a spine-chilling shot of me dropping in on a monster tube. Unfortunately I don't. But luckily Van did see me riding one in and snapped this shot.
just down the road is Spouting Horn - a naturally occuring blowhole...
The sunset on Friday, April 13 2007 from our lanai - okay I touched this one up a bit, but man! what a view!
I tried to photograph the sea turtles we saw everyday from our lanai, but the little buggers don't spend much time above water! Here you can see one just under the surface...
One afternoon a pair of brassy Brazilian Cardinals lit on our lanai railing. Here is the male...
One more fashion show pic before we went out to eat and celebrate Charlotte's birthday...
E.P. may remember speaking on the phone to Savannah from Kauai. Here she is, talking to Grandpa...
The whole family on our lanai. from left: Margie, Charlotte, Dan, Patty-the-doll, Lesli, Van & Savannah...
Keoki's Paradise was the setting for CCK's birthday dinner...
Here is the birthday girl clowning around with a barnicle on her nose
...and blowing out the candle on her 'Hula Pie' chocolate & ice cream birthday cake...
Back at the condo, Charlotte opened a few presents...
Our last meal on Kauai was breakfast at a local haunt called "The Tip Top Motel & Cafe". I think we were the only Haoles (white folks) in the place. The guidebook warned us that the breakfast menu caters to local & Asian tastes...
...and so it does! Behold the only menu in the U.S. that offers Oxtail soup for breakfast! (and many a patron was having it when we were there!)
Lihue airport and Savannah's face says it all: Its been fun and I'm sad to leave...
Somewhere over the dark Pacific on our way home to California after an amazing, unforgettable vacation in Kauai...
Aloha!-DK
