’19 Apr: Kauai

Some catch-up from the internet:

Doug and Sandy McMaster put on slack key shows around the island and we enjoyed one of those shows in Hanalei. They are a couple of characters for sure.

internet.

Some of the places we’ve eaten: Brennecke’s Beach Broiler, Gaylords, Duke’s, Olympic Café, Mountain Bear Café, Keoki’s Paradise, BarAcuda, JJ’s Broiler, Bobby V’s, Lava Lava Beach Club, Chicken in a Barrel, Koke’e Lodge Restaurant, Coconut’s Fish Café, Kalypso, Street Burger, Wrangler’s Steakhouse, Kountry Kitchen, Brick Oven Pizza, The Bistro…

internet.

…and not to forget Easter Sunday Brunch!

Shopping! They’ve got The Coconut Marketplace near the house going pretty well these days. Tourism is very alive and well.

internet.

April 27

Busy day! First we went to the Farmers Market at the Community College where I stood in line, that’s right, I stood in line, for thirty minutes to buy a loaf of bread.

Chris and Dave then went to the Coconut Marketplace while Sharon and I did some prep for tonight’s soirée.

Kenny took us all out for a ride up the river, all except Sharon who needed to do some business and she sent us on our way.

We went past the Fern Grotto into a super quiet and Gorgeous area that practically made me cry it was so gorgeous.

I could have stayed and stayed every turn bringing new light and…

…new views.

Coming back to the house.

Kathy’s orchid garden in front of their house. She’s got some rare and amazing flowers in the back but I need to try again for a picture because it was breezy and the pictures aren’t sharp.

We ate, drank, and were merry, and then This…

…and more.

I couldn’t stop!

Do you think I have more? Oh yes I do.

From some other day, me and Sharon on the lanai.

April 26

Sharon and I took an early morning walk out along the coast…

…and back through the trees.

April 25

A couple of days of now-and-then pictures. Sharon, Chris, and Dave at one of the Koke’e State Park lookouts into the Waimea Canyon.

Another view in Waimea Canyon out to Kalalau Valley along the Na Pali coast.

A waterfall in the Waimea Canyon, super-telephoto and clipped in the computer.

Sharon and Chris strolling back from the pool to our lovely abode at the Waimea Plantation Cottages. Check out that banyan tree, and there are many more on the property.

We like to go to the Kauai Coffee Plantation Tour. It’s a walk-about and they want you to know things.

A Bird of Paradise in decent condition. Yay.

Wailua Falls.

More night pictures because I’m obsessed. Coming out of the restaurant.

omg, Stars.

Wow, even the sword on the belt.

A night view of our cottage.

April 21

Lazy, slow, and behind. But having a wonderful time!

April 20

Remember a couple of weeks ago when I was wandering around under the bridge and saw this potential sunflower forest with a few blooms and a ton of buds? Here we are now!

Chris out on the river for an oh-so-pleasant kayak ride.

As evening comes on.

Just a few more pictures in the dark for now because it’s so much FUN.

I can’t believe the detail in the sand.

This scene was about a block away and all I could see was the bonfire. My phone could see much more!

April 20

A few bits from the last several days including a drive out to Hanalei where we saw our first waterfall of this visit which is very unusual.

Also, and maybe related, we still haven’t been rained out of a single hour.

Taro fields from the turnout.

We went to Lu’au Kalamaku and enjoyed it entirely.

There are several luaus on Kauai and we have been to a few this one being a return visit and our favorite.

If you pay an extra twenty dollars you get a table in front of the circular stage and it’s worth it.

We had a tour at the Kauai Museum, always interesting although not always lively.

Another night shot of the house…

…and the river.

Black-crowned Night Heron!

April 17

Wow, a bunch of days since I’ve put in any pictures. Chris and Dave arrived yesterday and today we enjoyed the Poipu area including the Grand Hyatt.

Chris and Dave, hanging at the Grand Hyatt.

We ate at Keoki’s and then went to the Farmers Market at Kukui’ula…wow, fabulous flowers.

My phone has a Night feature…

…and it’s so very much fun…

…it will take a picture in total darkness. Chris and Dave at the dock.

April 14

We walked at Lydgate earlier than usual today and the trees were aglow with the morning sun.

The egrets were as always in hot pursuit of the mowing machine and the tender grubs it turns up for their snacking delight.

Later we packed up a picnic for a quick buzz out to Anini, my favorite beach.

Notice the three people in the foreground who are sifting through the sand…

…for these precious little shells that make up the most expensive leis in the Islands and according to an article I just read, the only insurable shells in the world. These shells are found almost exclusively on Ni’ihau but are also here if you’re willing to spend the time sifting through an entire beach.

Check out that kite flier…

…and here he is closer. We were entirely entertained for an hour watching him get that kite to take him wherever he wanted to go.

OOPS.

When he came in I looked at his board – no toe grips, no heel straps, nothing to keep him attached to that board. It was awesome.

April 13

Welcome to Smith’s Tropical Paradise, home of one thousand chickens…

…and plenty of peacocks.

Caesalpinia, also called Ohai ali’i, dwarf poinciana, pride of Barbados, and bird of paradise.

Some palm reflections as we enter the bamboo forest.

The Bombax, commonly known as the cotton tree.

Every time we see The Dude we get excited. Oh look oh look, it’s The Dude!

April 11

Another hibiscus, this one colored for spring.

Nice Bromeliad.

We ate lunch in the fancy-pants Gaylord’s at the Kilohana Plantation where they have a very light-hearted and entertaining short train ride.

We went into the ‘station’ to buy tickets and came out into a pouring dumping out-of-nowhere rain. Then it stopped and our ride was lovely.

We were sitting on the train and outside the window far away under some bushes was this scene of teenagers hanging out doing not much, like teenagers do.

The Plantation has a pretty fabulous farm with so many kinds of fruits and vegetables mostly for the restaurant and for tourists.

They have a tour that takes you part way on the train and then you do a several hours-long walk through all the plantings and sample whatever you want that is ripe.

They have a stop where everyone throws tortillas at the pigs who are squealing like, well, pigs, and there are a few goats and a donkey who are also crazy for the tortillas.

They can’t use these pigs for the luau because they don’t have FDA certification but they are sometimes used for private luaus, for staff parties, and family celebrations. There are so many adorable babies they couldn’t possibly keep them all for pets.

There are many lovely spots around the property.

April 10

The Spirit House, occupied by a gecko these days.

Last year there were a dozen ducks in the neighbors yard but this year I’ve seen only three. And a Splendid Red shepherd keeps them in line.

Not My Picture, an aerial view of the historic Kilauea Lighthouse, home to a fine colony of albatross of which we saw only one, and there are usually nenes on the lawn, but not this time, however…

internet.

…the sea birds were in fine form.

Hi guys…

…lookin’ good.

Still looking…

…for the name.

April 9

One of the parking lots at Lydgate Park, the one with the heiau and…

…the view of the bridge.

One of the many children’s sculptures mounted on the Kamalani Climbing Structure.

April 8

The colors of Hawaii are not always in the flowers – colorful crotons abound.

Lunch at the Lava Lava Beach Club. I like this place because you can sit out in the shady sand and listen to the sea.

This is the heiau at the corner, Holoholoku Heiau, the sacred space and we don’t go inside. The Birthing Stone is just out of view.

The fabulous Japanese Cemetery up the hill from the heiau with stairs to lead you there. It’s extremely old…

…and then there are new markers too…

…and extremely unexpected bits of memorabilia.

April 7

We’re at Duke’s enjoying an early lunch so we got the best table and here’s the view looking out onto the gorgeous Kalapaki Beach and the Kuki’i Point Lighthouse.

The Marriott is behind us and has always seemed to me a most excellent hotel for families because of peaceful waters of Kalapaki where there’s just enough small rolling water for stand-up paddlers and kids learning to ride a wave.

I had heard about this trail walking distance from the house that will take you under the big traffic bridges that span the section where the river meets the sea.

Imagine my excitement, a sunflower forest! There was a dense hedge of these and I don’t know whether all those buds are flowers that are finished or flowers yet to come. I do hope to check it out in coming weeks.

Right now there’s only a very small section of the river open and it’s possible to walk…

…right through to the beach.

There were families gathered in various spots and this is also where the canoe club stores their gear and kicks off their training sessions.

It was interesting how they had covered the ground with thick tarps to both protect the roots of the trees and to help keep you from falling over them.

That group with the colored umbrellas were having a pretty big family gathering…

…and one of the cousins made this arrangement just because she wanted to and was happy to offer a photo. I don’t know why the red came out so flat. These are some of the Heliconia that grow wild.

A rope swing waiting for a kid.

At the mouth of the river there’s a public park and launching site for kayaks, canoes, and small boats and that’s where all this is, including this garden that was just open in the park. Nice looking veg I would say.