Aloha HAWAII Mahalo!

We ate at a newly opened restaurant, Lava Lava, right on the beach at a hotel complex behind Coconut Marketplace. It was tasty and fun and worth a return visit.

Opaekaa Falls just up the road from the house…

…and across the street the Wailua River with a boat from Smith’s, kayakers, and a speedboat. It was busy on the river at this point.

Usually the babies look like momma but she’s down to only three left and they all look different.

We went for a walk and then I had a little snorkel. Look! Fish!!

I’ve never had a brand new mask before and wow, what a difference. It’s works! No water in my eyes!

That’s another snorkeler in the background.

Yes, Fish!

They were mighty tasty, not as good as Mom’s, but whose are?

April 18

This was fun! I made then all cheer me because I finished Proust.

Pat, Kathy, Kenny, Sharon, Sharon, Bob, John, Ruby

The egrets were far closer together than usual and hunkered down against the wind.

April 17

You can see down in the lower left the notation for the Maha’ulepu Historic Trail. I walked on most of it last year but I never found the Makauwaki Cave nor did I find the Kawailoa beach where King Kamehameha first attempted his attack on Kauai.

So Camas took me!

It was a TON of fun. It’s no wonder I didn’t find the cave because I was looking toward the coast and it is a bit inland on private land owned by the Grove people who own, according to people who live here, more than half the island.

Those are taro fields and sheep.

They also have a huge collection of free-range tortoises but it was rainy and windy like crazy, I was using my new underwater camera and I messed up the pictures of the tortoises.

Better to mess them up on Kauai than mess them up in Ecuador!

The Cave!

These are all from Camas’s phone.

Lower right: me emerging from the cave entrance. It was a photo-op because the gate was locked and we couldn’t get in!

Lower left: me in front of a new design put up in honor of a guy’s wife.

Upper left: Camas, lookin’ cool.

Upper right: me and the sea

We all had dinner together and since I didn’t take a picture I snagged this off their facebook. Camas and Curtis young and in love.

…and another.

April 16

Good morning on the river. Nice clouds…

…looking in another direction…

It was threatening rain all day but at one point we decided let’s make a run for it, so we headed down to Lydgate. I brought my little waterproof camera so I wouldn’t have to fuss over the bug guy and I think it did a fine job, and it never rained.

There were tons of folks out for a clean-up project including a massive crowd here painting the play structure.

What a cutie.

From the website of The Spa we enjoyed like crazy today.

And these pictures don’t do the place justice because we don’t see the wonderful work of the Flower Lady who has the place giving off the vibe of a Hawaiian/Balinese/Indian Oberoi paradise.

And the food! Oh my.

Hey dude, waiting for a snack?

…I can’t see the controls on my new underwater camera! That’s a picture underwater btw, just point and click and hope for the best. It was even hard to tell if the camera was on…so I’ll have to figure out something on that front.

I tried out my new snorkel mask with the corrective lenses that worked great But I did make a mistake. I talked to the people who make the lenses before ordering the mask online.

The guy asked if I was snorkeling or scuba diving. I said snorkel only so he said you only need a mask for distance. Scuba divers need to be able to see the instrumentation so if they normally wear bifocals they get a bifocal mask.

The mask works great for distance BUT…

sp.

April 14

Our front door at the Waimea Plantation Cottages, with a welcome carpet of plumeria.

A Hanapepe landmark.

A newly opened café in Hanapepe with a bakery attached that’s been around for a while. It was good.

April 13

On our way to Waimea Canyon we stopped off at the always entertaining Kauai Coffee Company for free coffee, absolutely fabulous cookies, and a self-guided stroll through the coffee making process.

Then we drove up up up for views of the canyon and waterfalls.

Just beginning…in the French tradition. The Park people might be taking them off though as whenever the locks grow to cover the fence they get very heavy and threaten the integrity of the structure.

I think the waterfall was particularly full although the rivers running through the canyon bottom seemed empty of water.

The waterfall from a different angle, and take a look at the path along the top of the wall leading to the top of the waterfall.

Here it is closer. Those are people and they like to hang over the edge to get a nice selfie.

The walk from where I took these pictures to the top is a little over 2 miles making it 4+ mile round trip – really not impossible at all but it’s ‘moderately strenuous’ and if it’s raining or has been raining, as is so often the case, you’re going to be slogging through mud and slippery rocks.

Still, you can do it! Not me though.

The view into the Na Pali Coast. It was raining but we could see down to the sea anyway.

Then we had a really great overnight at the historic Waimea Plantation Cottages there on the dry west side. The aloha view from our back lanai.

We walked over to Wrangler’s in Waimea town for a nice cocktail and a little dinner…

…and then back at the cottages for a dark and quiet evening.

I’ve fallen behind and now I don’t remember. Sigh!

This is one of the rain chains here ending in its little pond of rocks.

It looks like this and I can buy them online, and I will, in case it ever rains again where I live.

The play structure at Lydgate Park and part of one of the world’s great walks.

Hamura Saimin far off the beaten path in an industrial part of Lihui we find a lunch counter that serves almost nothing but deeelishious saimin.

I told a story earlier about how I didn’t get my saimin so as I was whining about this to Camas she said you have to go to this place, it’s the best and it IS the best!

April 12

It’s TRUE! TRUETRUETRUE!

sp.

April 11

Handsome parrots, must by the Grand Hyatt.

Usually I take the picture from up there looking at the sea but this is the view from the lanai looking back.

We did a lot of kicking about today, driving around the Poipu area…

…just admiring the views.

April 10

Camas turned us on to this new shave ice place that is the cat’s meow for sure. Different and amazing. They call it Tege Tege Shave Ice Japanese Style.

That’s the hand machine they use to make the fluffiest ice imaginable. You can choose one flavor among the ten or so choices – just one.

They grind some ice, add some flavor (fabulous, fresh, and not too sweet), grind more, more flavor, etc. for like a dozen times. It takes forever and hence…

…the lines are interminable. We got there 20 minutes early so were first in line and that was a good idea because it takes at least 5 minutes to make one and people further back in the line took much longer than 25 minutes to get their shave ice.

YUM! I got grapefruit. Would I get another flavor next time, just to try it out? Maybe, I don’t know!

Then we went on to the Kilauea Lighthouse that we knew was closed for repairing the tourist paths and cliff supports but we wanted to have a look anyway.

This is a good view…

…and we still got to see plenty of soaring birds. We didn’t get to see the albatross breeding grounds but here’s an adult.

There’s a small shopping spot near the lighthouse that we like to visit. One of the stores is particularly lovely and here is their display of 1,000 Cranes.

We had lunch in Hanalei at a table on the patio looking down at the chickens waiting for kids to throw French fries.

Those chicks blend in perfectly.

And here’s dad all full of himself.

…and for a very long time we enjoyed watching the nenes, Bob and Carol and Ted and Alice. The two males always kept the two females between them. If someone stepped out of the pattern they would quickly realign themselves.

On the way back we stopped for a stroll through the taro fields…

Oh look, a weir.

April 9

Standing just outside the front portico you can look up and see three different kinds of palm trees, and handsome they are.

Me and the Escalade, lookin’ good.

A part of the extension of Lydgate and the bike path that goes for miles.

We like this section that takes us to the old pineapple dump.

Our first dude! The birds have been in seriously short supply this year except for the chickens who have all settled in nicely.

Along the bike path – KAPU!

April 8

It was a different color on the river this morning because the sun was sliding under the clouds to bright up Smith’s…

…and lay some clouds down for a nice reflection.

From the garden, Fiona (or…Hi’iaka, the Hawaiian goddess of water!) takes it all in. She is becoming overtaken by the vegetation but I’m sure the landscape guys will be revealing her again.

Camas came over for dinner…

…and took us a selfie:

me, Camas, Sharon

c.

April 7

It rained mostly all day. It happens here on the Garden Isle. We drove out to Hanalei for lunch and shopping with Idaho Sharon.

This is Wai’oli Hui’ia Church in Hanalei with a long missionary history beginning in 1834 although this particular building wasn’t finished until 1912.

Com’on kids, let’s go!

April 6

Looking back from the bridge, I’m walking over to Smith’s because we’re going to take a boat ride up to Fern Grotto.

They operate out of the Wailua River State Park across the river from the house.

There she is, from the Smith’s kayak launch area, The House.

A view of Sleeping Giant from the Wailua River. The inset I got off the internet taken from a different angle and it has our Giant’s forehead and chin marked.

The gathering point in Fern Grotto.

It looks funky and touristic to the max, which it is, but it’s actually fun too and worth the $18.

Bamboo catching some rays.

A Spider Lilly.

They were delightful and cold poor things. It was about 73 and breezy and you didn’t hear a peep out of me.

It’s a job and she did her part.

Sharon, enjoying the ride.

I was so looking forward to saimin at the Smith’s restaurant but it was not to be since they are closed now for lunch. So I remembered The Noodle House in Kapapp. Let’s go there! But it was not to be since they are closed now for vacation.

Oh No. Which brought to mind the Ono Family Restaurant and they had saimin so we went there. But it was Island saimin, not Japanese saimin. So I’m still hoping to get a good one!

Red Bird of Paradise shrubs…I think…

“The botanical name for Red Bird of Paradise is Caesalpinia pulcherrima, it is a species in the FABACEAE Family, more commonly known as the pea, bean or legume family. Red Bird of Paradise is also the National flower of the Caribbean island of Barbados, which is why you may hear it called Pride of Barbados.”

April 5

It poured rain today and the wind blew like crazy but we did get out mid-day for a trip to the Marriott.

It’s chick season and I can’t stop watching them they are just that cute.

Always here for the amusement of the passing tourists, and me.

Hello Marriott…

…situated here in the tranquility of Kalapaki Bay.

A great spot for paddle boarding and anything else you want to do without waves.

Our upwards view enjoying yummy fish tacos at Duke’s.

Sharon reminded me tonight that I need to take some pictures of the food because everyone wants pictures of food. Ok, I hope I remember!

April 4

We traverse all these roads many a time during a month in Kauai.

No pictures today! We did shopping, walked a little, cooked food, and read.

If I can just not get distracted by other books as I have continually these last few years, I WILL finish Proust before I leave. I can hardly believe how bright that light at the end of the tunnel is becoming.

April 3

Good morning! We have to go far out of our way to see the orb of the sun either rising or setting so the morning just gets brighter and the evening sky darkens. We’re used to it.

Heading into the shore-side walk at the Grand Hyatt!

Ke Kahua o Kaneiolouma: “The Kâneiolouma Complex in Poʻipû, Kauaʻi, is an important part of the Hawaiian cultural renaissance. Until recently this site remained a complete mystery. Now the ancient village is being brought back to life.”

Past this wall is what was once a fish pond.

A better view of the poles.