Hawaii - Aloha State
Aloha! Our trip to Hawaii in 2004 was different from the previous state trips we had taken. Andy and I had been to all four of the Hawaiian Islands before (it doesn’t take long to get there from California), so we decided for this trip to go to just one island – Kauai, our favorite – and stay in a condominium for an entire week. We invited our good friends Nancy and Rich Weichbrod to join us for this relaxing trip, although we managed to fit in an adventure or two.
Our condo was spacious with two bedrooms and two bathrooms and a balcony overlooking the ocean at Poipu Beach. This side of Kauai gets the sunniest weather and the least amount of rain, so it is a favorite for visitors and there are many great hotels, restaurants and condo complexes there. There were two gorgeous swimming pools surrounded by lounge chairs, palm trees, and with a bar nearby at our condo. Some days we just stayed there – why not? – and other days we did some sightseeing and hiking.
Waimea Canyon State Park, also known as the Grand Canyon of the Pacific, is on Kauai’s west side. The depth of the canyon, formed by erosion over millions of years, is astonishing when you first encounter it. The red soil against the bright green of the foliage is dramatically beautiful. It is a hiker’s paradise, although many of the trails are not for the faint of heart because that red soil, when moist, is very slippery. We took the Canyon Trail to Waipoo Falls on a drizzly day that kept us on our toes. The views were fantastic, but it was also necessary to step carefully along the trail, which ends at the top of the falls. This moderate out-and-back trail is only four miles long, but due to the terrain, it took us about 2-1/2 hours.
Another day we went to Spouting Horn, which is a blowhole located on the southern coast of Kauai. Known for its crashing waves, this area of the island can form narrow crevices in the lava rocks from the pounding of the surf. It was exciting to see the water shoot up many feet into the air; it can shoot up to fifty feet, depending on the tide and ocean conditions. We heard that sometimes, if the light is right, it’s possible to see a rainbow in the sea spray. Sadly, the light wasn’t quite right for us that day.
Hawaii is a magical place, and each island is different, worthy of a visit. You really need two weeks to do the islands justice if you see them all in one trip. Be sure to save time to just relax and enjoy the views, the warm water, the trade winds and the delightful tropical evenings. I can almost guarantee that you will want to come back again.
