Day 7 (August 25, 2022): Exploring Kauai

By the time we had breakfast and were ready to leave the resort this morning, it was 9:30AM - the latest morning start we’ve had.  (Neither of us had much rest - lumpy mattress, bad pillows, etc.). Despite the late start, we still covered everything on our list for today.  We wanted to cover the south coast to the end of the road in the west of the island.  Then, we planned to explore part of the Waimea Canyon, before working our way back through a few historical communities along the south coast — with an afternoon snorkel inserted somewhere along the way. Check, check check and check!

At 4PM, on our final leg of the drive back to the resort, it started to pour rain.  By the time we made it to the resort, it had stopped enough to permit a late afternoon swim at the resort.  That was followed by a truly wonderful dinner — the best one of the trip.

Tomorrow marks our last day in Hawaii and the start of the long trip home.  We are hoping for a very full day before we board the plane tomorrow evening, however!

The route covered today.

After five mornings of bacon and eggs, we decided to go a bit healthy today.  Having gone to the supermarket last night, we had oatmeal, yogurt, muffins, fruit, OJ and coffee on our patio, watching the waves roll in.

Some scenes from the Kauai Beach Resort.

Vines gone wild!


The west coast of Kauai is not accessible by road.  Known as the Na Pali Coast, you have to access it by boat or air.  However, the road does extend to the start of the coastal mountain range on the Na Pali Coast.  To the left of the ridge shown above is a beautiful beach called Polihale State Park.  When we last visited here in 1997, we went to that beach, which is very isolated and visited by few people, partly because the last stretch of road is a rough, dirt road.  We often talk about that 1997 beach visit, as Pam was pushed down by a powerful wave and sucked out in the undertow.  It was by the grace of God that she survived.  For the last 25 years, it has been recalled as a frightening moment in our lives.  We didn’t make it down the dirt road to the beach today, as the road has deteriorated since 1997 and they now recommend it be driven only by SUV.  But still, seeing the mountain ridge was a sobering reminder of that frightening event back in 1997.

Some sort of melons or gourds growing near Polihale State Park.

Not only is Polihale State Park found at the western extremity of Kauai, this part of the island is also home to a US Military missile facility.  We took a road that led to this gate and sign.  With Kauai representing the western extremity of the United States of America, I guess a missile facility is in order to protect American interests!

One of the most impressive things about Kauai is the Waimea Canyon in the southwest of the island.  The full drive through the Waimea Canyon takes more time than we had today, but we did the first eight miles of it.  And the views did not disappoint!

The rich, red soil of the Waimea Canyon.

Waimea Canyon.

Waimea Canyon.

Waimea Canyon.


The view of Waimea town from the heights of Waimea Canyon State Park.

The sign says it all!

Captain James Cook landed in Waimea in 1778.

United Church of Christ in Waimea, originally built in 1847.  It was destroyed in the September 11, 1992 category 4 Hurricane Iniki and was rebuilt using ohia wood and limestone, and cladded by crushed coral, obtained from the sea floor by native Hawaiian divers.

Unlike all the other beaches along the south coast of Kauai that we saw, the beach in Waimea is a dark-brown sand beach.

The Waimea State Recreation Pier.  The Pier was originally built in 1865 as a landing place for whaling ships.  


At Pa’ula’ula, there is an 8’ bronze statue to King Kaumauli’i of Kauai, who was a high chief born in 1778, the same year Captain James Cook landed in Waimea.  Notice the food offering that has recently been left at the statue, an indication that traditional Hawaiian spirituality is making a comeback.

Also on the Pa’ula’ula site are the remains of a Russian fort - yes, that is correct, a Russian fort!  The fort’s construction started in 1816, when two Russian explorers arrived in Kauai and found a lot of Americans already doing business here.  They formed an alliance with King Kuamauli’i, who actually set up residence inside the fort.  However, the Russians hastily left after a number of years, and the fort was decommissioned in 1864.  What you see above are the remains of the walls.


Salt Pond Beach Park on the south coast.


Hanapepe is a town originally known for its strike in the early 1900s by hundreds of sugar cane workers, which led to a standoff with law enforcement:  16 workers were killed in the end, and four deputies stabbed to death.  Today, the sugar cane industry no longer supports Hanapepe:  artists and “earthy” entrepreneurs have moved in to run the town.

 

A colourful tree in Hanapepe.

The historic Hanapepe Swining Bridge was originally built in 1911.  It was rebuilt after the catastrophic Hurricane Iniki in 1992.  It’s just three planks wide, and the thing shakes and swings as you walk across!

The high cliffs rising up from the river flowing through Hanapepe.

By mid-afternoon, it was time for a swim / snorkel!  Kiahuna Beach in Poipu on the south coast was a perfect spot for both, as it has a protective reef.

Some of the fish at Kiahuna Beach.

North of Poipu is Koloa, an historic town that has remade itself as a cute, old-fashioned place touting its historical buildings and selling everything a tourist would want, from coffee to t-shirts.  The Old Town features a monument to the sugar cane industry.

Hawaiian pride on display by this pickup truck driver in Koloa, flying the Hawaiian flag.

Two life-sized figurines in Old Town Koloa reflect the people of the town back in the day.


Back at the resort, the banyan tree tunnel on the way in to the Kauai Beach Resort feels a bit like something from the English countryside.


Our last dinner in Kauai was quite a feast!  The resort felt badly about a number of things that went sideways with our stay and offered us dinner for two at their restaurant.  (We didn’t even ask for anything!)  Pam enjoyed the rack of lamb, while I had the seared tuna.



The last sunset of our time on Kauai - a pink sky after a downpour.