Kauai Pictures

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Tuesday January 13, 2009 - Friday January 16, 2009

We kicked off our 2009 Hawaii trip in Kauai; a very scenic, under developed side of Hawaii.

Tuesday:

Off the plane, I was dealing with sleep deprivation and jet lag. It was difficult to want to do anything but sleep. We split a pizza in Kapaa and then headed to the hotel to call it a night.

Wednesday:

Wednesday was our most enjoyable, productive day on Kauai. After a hearty breakfast, we rushed to the north side of the island to visit beaches and do a bit of hiking.

We spent most of our afternoon hiking the Kalalau Trail along the Na Pali Coast. The trail ran along the cliffs overlooking beautiful views of the ocean. I found the 4 mile experience extremely rewarding given the challenge the trail presented. With recent rain fall and the frequent change in elevation, each step seemed to need extra attention to avoid a fall. Afterwards, my only regret was that we didn’t set aside enough time to hike the entire 11 mile trail.

We enjoyed a slow return trip to Kapaa, stopping for a much needed shaved ice along the way.

Thursday:

The weather in the morning was a bit rainy and windy, so we postponed the kayaking in favor of sight seeing. Our destination was Waimea Canyon on the west side of Kauai.

The weather continued its unpredictable course, scattering showers and rainbows throughout our journey. As we drove up the access road to the canyon view, it became very apparent to Tegan and I that we were likely wasting our time. The fog was getting thick and the rain kept coming down. Eventually we reached the summit for the Waimea Canyon lookout point. Donning our rain gear, we reached the lookout. Our efforts were wasted, as visibility through the fog seemed 100 yards at best.

From Waimea Canyon, we made our way back towards Kapaa. Stopping at various sights along the way, including a Russian fort (which took us 15 minutes to locate despite it being right in front of where we parked), Spouting Horn, and Poipu Beach. The weather continued to only break for several minutes at a time.

Friday:

With the bad weather looming, we once again passed on the kayaking. This morning we visited a few waterfalls near Kapaa. Agreeing we were frustrated by the rain, we opted to head to the airport to catch an earlier flight to Oahu.



Overall, I was disappointed with my visit to Kauai. Minus our hike along Kalalau Trail, I’m not sure I would return. Aside from the crappy weather, I also grew tired of the long hours spent driving around the island. Maybe this was poor planning on our part with where we stayed, but somehow I believe everyone is dealing with this issue in Kauai.

Worry not, we’re still having a blast because we’re on vacation, but our activities are simply restricted to this point due to the weather.

(FYI, I have zero motivation for the blog right now, so forgive me if the effort is noticeably flat.)

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Photos

Hanakapi'ai
The 2 mile turnaround point for our trek.

Kalalau Trail
View from the trail along Nā Pali Coast on our way to Hanakapi'ai.

Kalalau Trail
Tegan posing by the mini waterfall. Notice that mud on the shoes!

Kalalau Trail Sign
At the trail entry at Ke'e Beach.

Kalalau Trail
Random shot of trail.

Kalalau Trail
Another random shot of trail.

Hanakapi'ai Warning Sign
Beware!

Tegan at Waimea Canyon
Telling us how she feels about the weather.

Chickens Everywhere!
Wild birds, the squirrels of Kauai.

Comments

[alex]

awesome
That view from Na Pali coast is simply paradise. Thanks for sharing.

[Bob]

driving
My wife and I are considering going to Kauai in a few months. We want to spend lots of time around the Na Pali coast but seemed that the more affordable hotels were on the opposite side of the island - so how bad was the drive? just the distance a problem? the roads? traffic?

[yzarCritS]

Driving
In my experience, the driving was a sizeable drawback if you're trying to cram several things in for a short trip. The road conditions were good, however often low speed limits and mainly two lane roads. This is especially true up north. Traffic seemed heavier at times when you would expect based on work commutes. If you're just talking about a day up north, the drive is more tolerable as you enjoy the scenery. If you expect to spend several days up north, my preference would be to stay somewhere up there. Hope this helps. Enoy your visit. The views from the trail along Na Pali coast are amazing!