Day 5 - Kaua'i - Last full day

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Well today was our last full day in Kaua'i and I was squashing in as much as we could manage.

First up - today is Fathers's Day in the States and Canada so Happy Father's Day to the few dads I do know who live in those places.

OK - so today is also King Kamehameha Day and there was a parade being held in Lihue for him, so I wanted to do something 'local' rather thn touristy so off we set early this morning. We actually got away earlier than we needed to and so we headed back to Kukui Grove Shopping Centre (where Maddy & I got our great Macy's bargains) to buy a pair of toe nail clipper for Jordan who was at the point of possibly being not allowed to get on the next flight for attempting to bring on board dangerous weapons. Well ... he was beside himself as we pulled into the carpark. Wouldn't you know it there was a showing of 'Kaua'i Classic Cars' in th eparking lot. Neeless to say, he chose to stay and look at the cars rather than assist us with our shopping.

Jordan has been in car heaven since we arrived on Kaua'i. New mustangs, classic mustangs, new cameros, trucks (not utes) with suspension so high I couldn't figure out how they got into the cabs - I swear every other car that passed us drew some comment from him, so for him to be able to walk around and see them all up close was about as close to Christmas in July (or should I say June) as you can get. So....being the exceptional parent that I am, we forego the start of the parade to allow Jordan time to admire the shiny toys up close.

OK ... so we eventually get to the parade and I have to say I was a little disappointed. Not sure what i was expecting exactly,, but it didn't deliver. There was the distinct possibility that we had missed the good stuff at the beginning, but at least we got to see the King Kamehameha tribute float that was going to bringing up the rear.

Moving on - next we headed back to Lydgate Park with snorkel gear this time. Unlike our first visit it was a cooler day and trying to convince ourselves to get in the water was an effort. We made do with just putting our faces in the water to begin with, but soon the general awe of what we could actually see was enough to get us in completely. It was amazing! and so worth the $13 purchae from Walmart.

We climbed out and enjoy a packed lunch on the beach and took some time to dry out in the sun. It must have been warmer than it seemed as I manage to get a very slight cas of sunburn on the top of my feet - the only place I didn't later up. Maddy stayed in longest as she was treated to a priceless view. There was a woman there who had a bag of bread and was feeding the fish underwater and they were eating from her hand. Maddy had a front row seat, tho didn't participate.

After lunch she couldn't convince me to get back in and I know she was disappointed, but it was cold - well at least I thought so - so I promised that I would come with her to the hotel pool when we got back, no excuses. Maddy found that a fair compromise, tho there weren't going to be any fish to look at in the pool.

Next and last schedule stop for the day was Kiluea Point Wildlife Park. It is also home to the lighthouse which is on the northern most point on the island. The lighhouse itself is the most photographed and houses the world's largest clamshell lens which sends a beacon of light 90 miles out to sea. We didn't see much in the way of wildlife other than lots of different birds. Tho I am told that you can often see whales (in season) whales, dolphins and monk seals. We weren't that lucky.

Time to head back to the hotel. Time for me to make good on my promise to Maddy. We headed to the pool and Maddy brought along her snorkel gear. Not really sure what she saw down there. There were several other kids there who were not under parental supervision even tho they were supposed to be. Made things a little annoying but what can you do? I sat and read my book for an hour which was the longest stretch I had managed all trip so far.

Pool closed at 6pm (sun down around 7) so we went back to the room and then Jordan & I headed next door to the Coconut Marketplace to see if we could find some hot chips to go with dinner. We were in luck. We scored some regular fries and some curly fries which came with this amazingly delicious sauce - which I have no idea what it was. I was going to head to the laundry and wash our clothes, but the rain decided to come down - hard, so we decided to pass on it till the morning. There would be time before we checked out.

Tomorrow we take back the car and head to Maui. Looking forward to seeing something new. Kaua'i has been nice, but we are ready to move on. Stay tuned.

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