Monday morning we got up and hiked to Ho'opi'i Falls. We were the only ones one the trail for most of the hike, except for a rooster.
There were lots of smaller, scenic falls to see on the way to the main waterfall.
Abandoned automobile parts
Exotic-looking textured leaves
Flowers,
. . . and more flowers. We eventually figured out that the yellow ones were up in the trees and the similar-shaped red ones were scattered all over the ground, leading us to believe that the yellow ones turned red when they fell off of their vine.
Like autumn leaves--undergoing a spectacular transformation at a certain point of maturity.
Finally we made it to Ho'opi'i Falls--and we had it all to ourselves.
The water was cold but refreshing.
We spent the afternoon at Secret Beach. Probably my favorite of the beaches we visited.
I loved how quiet and serene it was, and the path to and from the oceanfront was exquisite.
Once we got cleaned up, we headed south for luau time. This part of the itinerary was a little bit outside our comfort zone, but it seemed like everyone was telling us we really had to experience a Hawaiian luau at least once.
It was very tourist-y, and the food definitely tasted like it was prepared for the masses, but the entertainment was truly impressive and unique.
At our table, we sat with a newly engaged couple from the Midwest and a middle-aged couple from Las Vegas who brought their four children with them. We had seen them earlier at the beach. The kids looked like they were in their teens-early twenties, and seemed to be getting along fabulously. I asked if they always got along so well, and they quickly replied "No," but their mother explained that lots of quality time together eventually led to them becoming close friends. I hope our kids can be that close someday.
As dinner came to a close, spotlights shone on the center stage, and the theater portion of our luau began.
The fire dancing was pretty mesmerizing.
So there is is. Our first ever luau. Not a bad way to spend our last evening in Hawaii.
Tuesday morning, packed up our things, took one last glance at the ocean view from the balcony, and left our little condo . . .
Next we visited the Kilauea Lighthouse and Wildlife Refuge. We had been admiring it from a distance all week, and finally got to see it up close.
We probably didn't know enough about bird watching to fully appreciate the place, but we did learn a little more about some of the animals we saw on this trip.
Although we didn't get a close look at any dolphins that week, we did spot a pod of them splashing alongside a boat while we were up by the lighthouse.
Wildlife enthusiast or not, no one could complain about the views from that place.
Our final lunch on Kauai did not disappoint--poke bowls from a tiny sushi restaurant hidden inside a grocery store:
When it was time to go, we rinsed as much sand off of ourselves as we could, and headed to the airport.
Of course, there were chickens there to greet us before we boarded our flight.
So long Kauai . . . you ridiculously gorgeous gem.
No comments:
Post a Comment