’15 Apr: Kauai

An Orchid Tree for sure which brought me to the conclusion that the Farmer’s Market parking lot tree was an Orchid Tree too.

We went for lunch in Hanalei at Buchons, a place we’d never been before and because it was so early we got a second floor table by the window.

Ah, Rain. It started after we got seated and stopped before we left. The rain has been very cooperative this year!

BTW, don’t eat at L&L Hawaiian BBQ. There are a ton of franchise locations and maybe they aren’t all the same? I wouldn’t risk it. We were there with Chris and Dave and ordered four different dishes all of them a disappointment. Don’t bother as there are many more satisfying meals around. Like a Puka Dog is better.

April 23

I walked over to Smith’s so I could try to name the trees I look at every day, and here’s (biiig telephoto) looking back at the house.

Evening festivities!

Sharon, Kenny, Pat, Kathy, Ruby.

And here’s Ruby and Ray doing what they do every weekday morning every year for their many weeks in Kauai.

April 24

We enjoyed lunch and some sightseeing in the Koloa area. The place where we always eat in Koloa is being remodeled, into what we are not entirely sure, so…

…we ate at the pizza place with this view from their dining area. The food was good and we would happily return.

The Old Mill.

The Lighthouse marking the entrance to the Nawiliwili port.

By the airport, I like to drive out here to see the waves on the breakwater And…

…to see entirely unsupervised children hurling themselves off the old pier.

Don’t miss the upside-downer!

April 25

Morning walk and a gorgeous swim at Lydgate and then a picnic just in time before the rain came.

Look, up in the sky, it’s the Second State Bird of Hawaii!

We must not degrade in rank the First State Bird of Hawaii, the Nene. There are signs everywhere to be careful while driving so as not to run over any of the endangered and most precious Nene.

See all this action…

…it’s a close-up of this tree and there are lot of them planted along the Lydgate path. What ARE these guys?!?!

We’re going to a nursery tomorrow and I’m hoping against hope someone there will be a tree expert. I’ve put only a few trees in here…we’ll see what I decide to do when I get home!

From Chris

Oh look, pictures of me. That’s me and Dave testing out our fishing hats. Then that’s me and Chris and Sharon standing somewhere, and then that’s me and Sharon at the Beach House.

Thank you Chris!

April 26

Dinner with the Cooks. Ha! That’s really their name! Camas and Curtis Cook, and oh they do, cook. Sharon took these pictures.

I’m estimating we’ve gotten about 20-22 dinners out of the big fish catch of 2015.

sp.

Curt was just back from a business trip, a convention in Shanghai. He’s third from the left with his male colleagues and his three female interpreters. You know how much I enjoy other people’s work. And that’s the pheasant he found on their property this morning.

cc.

And since not only did I not take a single picture, I didn’t even put on my clothes until way late in the afternoon, here are some confusing trees. They are all big trees (except the Haole Koa can be bush-y) and from the road if they are not blooming I am at a loss. I wish I could find botanical drawings of all of them.

From top left: Haole Koa, Royal Poinciana, African Tulip
Bottom left: Monkey Pod, Tamarand

(internet pix)

April 27

Kathy and her very special hybrid hibiscus.

We drove around looking at things and then stopped off here where a very cool rough-and-ready older woman who knew things told me the names of a few of the trees I was stuck on.

April 28

We have recently been going to another island for a few days during April but this year we thought, hey, let’s blow the whole budget for one night at the Grand Hyatt in Poipu.

So we did.

We arrived in time to enjoy the perfect seat in the restaurant Ilima Terrace…

…and a most delicious lunch.

Unbelievably, amazingly, most remarkably, we got upgraded to a Suite. A Suite. A room so magnificent it has its own name. We had this balcony view to the sea and another balcony with a view to the grounds with pools and spectacular plantings.

Awesome is the word for it.

You can see the break out there in the picture above.

Just having the view, hanging out at on the balcony.

And then we went to the spa, Sharon for a massage and I for a facial. Oh yeah.

We had a cocktail and some shrimp tempura and enjoyed the setting at Stevenson’s Library.

Coming out from the Library the evening show was kicking off with…

…a beautiful hula dancer.

This struck me as symbolic.

The fire guys came…

…and that was the end, followed by keiki, the children, dancing, but we had to go because we had a reservation for dinner.

I’ve been wanting to eat here at Tidepools ever since the first time I saw it but they’re only open for dinner so tonight is the night – dinner at Tidepools.

It’s very fun inside with a Polynesian flare in the décor and delicious food.

We shared this crab cake appetizer and shared a prime rib entrée. Perfect!

April 29

There’s a walk I’ve wanted to do for ages but it’s long and hot so starting out early is the ticket and since we had spent the night at the Hyatt I was on the Mahaulepu Heritage Trail by 7am.

From yesterday, that far point is the start of the trail.

You have to walk across Shipwreck Beach to get to the scramble up the hillside.

Plenty of weddings happen out here.

Here come so very many pictures of the amazing views.

I didn’t do very well in figuring out the trail since I kept running into dead ends such as this one.

It was a bit of a scramble to start off, not hard really, and the trails, such as they were, were sandy, rocky, rooty, but easy too – just watch out for No Falling.

I started at 7 but 6 would have been even better.

Oh dear…

…so many…

…more.

The trail crosses a heiau, an ancient temple site.

Looking back at sunlit cliffs.

The trail often catches a glimpse of the golf course.

Coming back instead of picking my way along the coast I decided to hug the golf course and from where I was able to get in 90 minutes, I was able to return in 30.

Had I known it would be so much faster coming back I could have continued on for a while longer.

Next time!

April 30

So much Aloha, Mahalo nui loa!