We were able to secure a wonderful unit in the Kuhio Shores at Poi Pu Beach in Kauai, Hawaii. What a glorious week it was…filled with things we wanted to do and places to go plus a day of doing basically nothing. We LOVED IT!
One of the first sunsets we witnessed in front of our Kauai home. It was so fun! Fellow Kuhio Shorites would set up their beach chairs, drink beverages, converse and watch the sunsets. We never had a blah eventideOf course, we visited the famous Spouting Horn just short way up the coast from our house. It gets its name from the hornlike sound it makes when it spouts. Fun to watch!We were greeted by one of the countless moa strutters. We were fascinated by the fact they were EVERYWHERE and no one bothers them. Jerri loves chickens and we took many photos of them.It was raining the first time we headed up to Waimea Canyon, a spectacular gorge, aka Grand Canyon of the Pacific. We didn’t mind the rain as locals had been telling us that they really needed the moisture.Our favorite restaurant near our place was Keoki’s Paradise. It’s designed so that you really don’t know you’re next to the main road. So relaxing, quiet and laid back. The food was so delicious that we ate there three times!Yes, we had the famous Hula Pie, a gastronomic delight!Every evening, green sea turtles beach themselves at Poi Pu Beach to rest for the night. This is not a usual occurrence at other beaches, so many people flock to this beach to watch them. We joined the crowd.We snorkeled at this beach the next morning and one was still resting. He must have stayed up too late. We saw quite a few fish but the beach was pretty crowded with other snorkelers.Our first helicopter tour postponed was canceled due to rainy weather. So we drove to the north side of Kauai where it was still raining off and on, just to see the sights and to shop at an ABC Store. We love these stores for their t shirts, trinkets, snacks and other things we think we need.As we were driving through Princeville, an exclusive community (from what we could see), we saw this sign and then our first nene, Hawaii’s state bird.Jerri and I had hoped to see these birds on Maui a few years ago, but they evaded us until now.The abundant cattle egrets were fun to watch. They love to follow a tractor or a lawn mower that turns up good snacks for them.There are several one lane bridges at the north end of the island that cause one to be cautious and wait their turn.We stopped by a stormy looking beach just to look. Many beaches are treacherous with rip currents and it’s not recommended to swim if there is no lifeguard and/or you are not familiar with the area. In fact, we passed a beach where authorities were looking for a missing snorkeler.I think this is Wailua Falls or possibly ‘Opaeka’a Falls. We didn’t see signs. They are beautiful but it was very crowded with little parking (we couldn’t get a space) and thus, spent hardly any time there.Our helicopter tour was the first one out for the day. Best time, I thought. The weather was iffy, but the pilot said it was a go. WHAT AN EXPERIENCE!We flew around the island and first went to Waimea Canyon and saw what it looks like in the sun.Beautiful falls abound in Waimea Canyon.Some of “Jurassic Park” was filmed in Waimea Canyon.Rugged Na Pali coast. You can’t get to this side of the island unless you hike or go by boat. The discoloration in the ocean is muddy runoff from recent rains.Inside the almost spiritual splendor of Wai’ale’ale Crater, over 3000’ high with rain clouds covering the crest.The sort of puffy looking trees seemed like one could fall on them and not be hurt because they would be so soft and pillowy. We know that’s not true but they look that way.Three fallsNotice there are no doors on the ‘copter and that’s why we look a tad windblown. So amazing to be flying about 100mph and to feel like we were doing about 25 mph. Chrissy, our pilot, was fabulous with her piloting skills and narration.We visited the town of Waimea where, in 1778, Captain Cook was the first European to sight the Hawaiian Islands and to land in Kauai.Apparently, some of the locals have an irreverent opinion of Captain Cook.Waimea also has a black sand beach. If you click on this photo to enlarge it, in the left center of the pic, a monk seal is on the beach.We also discovered gluten free ice on Kauai. This island has everything you’d wish for!
We discovered a small boat harbor that afforded nice snorkeling in calm water. There, we saw eels, various fish and some keikis having a blast playing in the water. Here, they are waiting for a wave to come between the two rocks.
The wave comes and the two boys disappearThe aftermath. They laughed and giggled at every wave and had such a good time. We wanted to join them!We got a kick out of this repurposed theater in Lehu’e that has become a Senior Living Space. We wondered if the folks were “Living the Life of Riley” or “It’s a Wonderful Life.” A moa in Keoki’s beside our table.Twilight surfers in front of our unit.Getting ready for the sunset glow.A tree with funny looking berries on its branches. We were unable to find the name of the treeLast evening at Keoki’sAloha
buzzardnotes 