Chickening out on the Garden Isle
Tuesday, March 11 – We had debated a winter break location. The Caribbean? Costa Rica? We opted to spend a little more, return to Hawaii and spend all our time on Kauai rather than island-hop as we had on our previous visit. The fates appeared to be conspiring against us. First Jim received a jury summons and had to get a postponement. Then, when starting to check in for our flight, we discovered that somewhere along the line, Lynne’s name was spelled without the “e” so it didn’t match her identification. Michelle dropped us at CVG a little early so we could deal with the latter. The agent at the American Airlines counter said it wouldn’t be a problem, got us cleared through, and we ended up with TSA Pre-Check boarding passes. That allowed us to bypass the regular security line, we didn’t have to remove our shoes or coats, and the CPAP didn’t need to be swabbed, just run through the x-ray.
American 2943 was an Embraer ERJ-135 and the flight was uneventful but a bit bumpy. In Dallas we took the train to the next terminal for our next leg, a 767 to Honolulu. It was a little late boarding because they “had to reboot the software”. Warm and fuzzies. A long flight with a happy ending as we spotted the Big Island, Maui, Lanai and Molokai before arriving at Oahu. We were able to see Pearl Harbor, Diamond Head and Waikiki as we touched down. The third leg was a codeshare with Hawaiian and the walk between terminals felt wonderful after the hours of sitting. It didn’t hurt that the breezeway connecting the terminals passed a lush garden. We had time for a cup of coffee and a hamburger before boarding the 717.
Flying Hawaiian was as pleasurable as we remembered from our previous visit. We touched down in Lihue late in the afternoon, collected our luggage and headed for the rental car pickup. We had booked a midsize and Alamo gave us a Ford Fusion. Although we had both driven Fords for years, we’d been driving Hondas recently and Ford had rearranged the controls. Darkness fell as we left the airport and made navigating to Kiahuna Plantation in Poipu a bit interesting with one wrong turn at a roundabout sending us a bit off course and a poorly marked driveway making us miss the turn into the complex. Finally we were able to find the office, check into unit 421, and collapse into bed.
Wednesday, March 12 – Roosters starting crowing well before sunrise. Kauai does not have mongooses so the chickens have no predators to keep their numbers down, and they are everywhere. The chicken is Kauai’s official bird and alarm clock. We ate breakfast at Poipu Tropical Burgers in the shopping center across the street from the plantation. It was very good and like so many businesses in Hawaii, open-sided. Lots of birds besides the chickens were very interested in our food. Back in Kiahuna we walked around the complex a bit and strolled through the Moir Gardens. The gardens started as a hobby for Alexandra Moir, wife of the manager of the sugar plantation in Koloa, and are considered one of the best cactus and succulent gardens in the world. We headed over to Lawai to see the Spouting Horn, a blowhole where the surf enters an old lava tube and erupts like a geyser with an impressive roar.
Koloa is the next town inland from Poipu. An old sugar mill town, its main street buildings have a western look with false fronts and wooden sidewalks. We went to the Big Save market for some supplies and had our card declined when we went to pay but a backup card worked. We figured we’d call the bank when we got back to the condo but Michelle called Lynne while we were still driving and relayed a message the bank had left on our machine at home. Jim called and got the card unlocked. We always call beforehand when traveling outside the country but didn’t anticipate a problem in Hawaii, plus this was the same card we’d use to book the trip in the first place.
Having survived that crisis, we discovered that our two iPads didn’t use the same charging cable and had to drive to Lihue to find a replacement. The island’s Walmart didn’t have any in stock but the K-Mart did. Still suffering from jet lag, we ate in and tried to stay awake.
Thursday, March 13 – Decided to head west after breakfast at the condo. Our first stop was Fort Elizabeth, built by the Russians in 1817 at the behest of Kaumualii. Kaumualii had ceded sovereignty of Kauai to Kamehameha I after the latter’s bloody conquests of the other islands and hoped an alliance with the Russians would restore control of the island to him. Unfortunately for Kaumualii the Tsar did not back his vision and the fort was taken over by Kamehameha’s followers. Today it is largely an overgrown ruin.
As we continued west we saw Niihau, the Forbidden Isle, so we had now seen all the major islands. We continued west to Waimea where Captain Cook was the first European to make landfall on the islands in 1778. In Waimea we turned north and started climbing to see Waimea Canyon and Kokee State Park. Mark Twain dubbed Waimea “the Grand Canyon of the Pacific”. While nowhere near as large, it is impressive in size for the island, shares similar geography with its continental counterpart and boasts some very pretty waterfalls. The drive up went from near sea level to 4,000 feet with dramatic changes in the flora as we gained altitude. Construction narrowed the road to a single lane resulting in a backlog that ensured all the same cars were reaching the same overlooks at the same time. As a result we were treated to a middle-aged shirtless guy wearing a bright orange Cooley hat all through the canyon and on to Kokee and Kalalau Lookout. Kalalau Overlook features the iconic view of Kauai that graces just about every guidebook and website about the island.
The drive back down the canyon was one long winding slope. We spent much of it behind a minivan that came to a near stop for every turn. Back in Waimea we turned east and headed to Hanapepe for lunch. Everyone else must have had the same idea and we couldn’t find a parking spot anywhere. Ele’ele just next door did have parking and Grinds Cafe. Just east of Ele’ele is the Kauai Coffee Company’s Estate, 3,000 acres of coffee plants and the facilities to roast and package on site. After tasting a couple of samples we stocked up for the condo. After a late and large lunch we opted to misbehave and had Puka Shave Ice for dinner at Poipu Shopping Village.
Friday, March 14 – Took a sightseeing flight around the island with Wings Over Kauai. It was a private flight in a small Cessna, just the two of us and our pilot Bruce. Bruce is a retired PhD agronomist who ditched a desk job and endless meetings for the open sky. He took us over Poipu to see Kiahuna Plantation, Hanapepe and Waimea canyons and the Na Pali coast, giving us insights to the geography, people and history as we flew. We had asked if any whales were still hanging around and he circled a group of three he spotted off Na Pali. We had mostly clear skies with some clouds shrouding the tops of the cliffs. At the north shore he pointed out a couple of his favorite beaches and the houses of Pierce Brosnan and Charo in Hanalei. Turning inland we saw Wailua and Opaekaa falls before returning to Lihue airport.
After the flight we headed north from the airport through Wailua and Kapaa and experienced the traffic jams all the guides warn visitors about. Our destination was Duane’s Ono-Char. We missed it on our first pass, had to turn around, and almost missed it again coming the opposite direction. One of the most recommended eateries on the island proved to be a small red shack next to a Whaler’s General Store. The hamburgers there were delicious. All through lunch we were mobbed by chickens looking for handouts.
On the way back south we saw the ruins of the Coco Palms Resort. The setting of the wedding scene in Elvis Presley’sBlue Hawaii had been shuttered since taking a direct hit from Hurricane Iniki in 1992. At the resort we turned on to Kuamoo Road to see Opaekaa Falls. Back in Poipu we headed to Poipu Beach Park to watch the sunset, a popular activity. It was gorgeous. After our very late lunch we opted to be bad again and headed to the Shops at Kukui’ula for gelato from Lappert’s.
Saturday, March 15 – Having seen the north shore from the air the day before, we set out to see it from the ground. Our first stop was Wailua Falls. According to all the tourist info it was used in the opening of “Fantasy Island” but neither of us remembered seeing it. The falls were very pretty although the day was clouded over. In Kilauea we headed makai (toward the sea) to Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge. We saw several nene (Hawaiian geese) and lots of seabirds wheeling in the updrafts of the sheer cliffs that form the point. The lighthouse on the point was thronged with tourists. Continuing north we passed through Princeville and across a one-lane bridge into Hanalei. Rain was falling as we continued to the end of the road at Kee Beach just past the wet and dry caves. We saw papaya trees growing wild along the road.
We planned on stopping for lunch and sightseeing in Hanalei but the rain was coming down in buckets as we started heading back across more one-lane bridges and a twisting road much like the Hana Highway on Maui. We ended up back in Kilauea at the Kong Lung Market Center where we had some of the chewiest pizza we’d ever encountered at the Kilauea Bakery and Pau Hana Pizza. Today marked the start of celebrations for Prince Jonah Kuhio Kalanianaole’s birthday, a state holiday, and Kapaa was even more backed up than usual because of the festivities. As we reached Lihue the sun reappeared.
Back in Poipu high winds started kicking up in the afternoon. We had parked the car in the shade and found a large branch had fallen in the parking spot next to the car when we headed out for dinner. High winds were forecast for the rest of the evening and all through the next day. Puka Dogs for dinner with mango relish and lilikoi mustard. Hawaiian junk food at its finest. Puka Dog is in the Poipu Shopping Village so we stopped by the Whaler’s General Store for essentials like musubis and dried mangoes. The power went out briefly while we were shopping. Back at Kiahuna we made sure to park away from the trees. The winds howled and gusted all night long.
Sunday, March 16 – Strong gusty winds continued all day with clouds and high surf making the beach untenable. We went to Kilohana Plantation outside Lihue. Gaylord Wilcox built a 16,000 square foot house back when sugar was king. Now it’s a restaurant and the centerpiece of the complex. The old railroad that hauled cane from the fields now takes visitors on a tour of the estate through the orchards, fields and a bit of rain forest. Partway through the trip the train stopped and we fed some feral pigs, goats and the omnipresent chickens. After returning to the station/museum we walked over to the Koloa Rum Company to see about a rum tasting but their next opening wasn’t for another three hours so we settled for purchasing a bottle of rum punch at the company store.
Hamura Saimin, a Japanese noodle shop, is one of the most recommended eateries on Kauai. We got in line, waited and waited, and finally decided to get ours to go. By the time we got our takeout back to Kiahuna it smelled liked dead fish. Lynne couldn’t even try hers. Jim managed to eat his but tossed the other container as the condo was rapidly started to smell like cannery row. It was funny how there had not been any fishy smell at the restaurant. The afternoon brought off and on rain to complement the wind so we ate in for dinner.
Monday, March 17 – The wind finally died down. We drove upland to the Kalaheo Cafe for breakfast and it was delicious. Continuing west we were determined to stop at the overlook for Hanapepe Canyon, having overshot it on our way to and from Waimea Canyon, but there was a tour bus blocking the parking lot. Continuing past Waimea we drove over unexpectedly flat ground to the end of the paved road by the Pacific Missile Range Facility. That was as far as we could take the rental car. The west end of the island is still mostly agricultural land and each farm field had a portolet in the middle. We also saw lots of horses tied up along the road with big buckets of water so the locals must take advantage of free grazing.
In Waimea we headed mauka (inland) to see the Menehune Ditch. The Menehune are the little people of Hawaii, somewhat like elves or sprites. They are credited with several ancient construction projects around the island. The ditch is not that remarkable until it enters a tunnel carved through the rock – the hand-carved tunnel is only about 2 1/2 feet high. Across the street from the ditch is the Waimea swinging bridge. It was gloriously unstable to walk across and a lot of fun. We continued eastward to Hanapepe and enjoyed their swinging bridge across the Hanapepe River. Finally we swung down through Ele’ele to the Kauai Coffee Company for some more coffee. Once back on the main highway we realized our detour for coffee meant we missed the Hanapepe overlook again.
Back in Kiahuna we donned our suits and headed to the beach. It was very crowded as the tide was in so everyone was pretty much in a single line along the strand. Shortly after we got there the clouds moved in but we did have a little bit of surf and sun. Lynne had been yearning for some Italian so we ate dinner at Pizzeta in Koloa. Our waitress spoke in little more than a whisper and we had a hard time understanding her. After dinner we shopped a little in the Old Town, buying some souvenirs at Island Soap & Candle Works.
Tuesday, March 18 – The umpteenth time’s a charm. We finally managed to stop at the Hanapepe Overlook outside Ele’ele and take a few pictures of Hanapepe Canyon. In Hanapepe we stopped at Talk Story Books which promotes itself as the westernmost bookstore in the United States. Housed in the 1920’s era Yoshiura Store, it’s a funky collection of new and used books with a lot of personality. In Ele’ele we stopped at a Long’s Drug to pick up a pair of tweezers because Lynne had gotten a splinter from one of the swinging bridges. It was easily the smallest drugstore we’d ever been in. Next door to Ele’ele, Port Allen is an industrial harbor town and home to Kauai Island Brewery, the westernmost brewery in the world. They run a pub alongside their brewery so we ate lunch there and Jim sampled a couple of their works.
The Kiahuna Plantation didn’t have swimming pool but had access to the facilites of the Poipu Athletic Club across the street. We headed over there to take advantage of their pool, waterslide and whirlpool. It was a lot less crowded than the beach. Having worked up an appetite we hit Puka Dog for dinner and Papalani’s for dessert.
Wednesday, March 19 – Breakfast outdoors at Joe’s on the Green at Kiahuna Golf Club, a course with a nice ocean view. After breakfast we drove around looking at houses we couldn’t afford. Lynne’s back was bothering her so she skipped the beach. Jim went swimming and saw some whales spouting in the distance. We went to Poipu Tropical Burgers for dinner and neither of us ordered hamburgers. One of the servers there was the same one who waited on us at Pizzeta a couple of nights before but we weren’t in her section. We took home some gelato from Papalani’s for dessert.
Thursday, March 20 – Breakfast at the Kalaheo Cafe again. We watched the Bearcats lose their opening round NCAA game to Harvard making us sorry we figured out where the channels were on the local cable. The Weather Channel kept reporting a 0% chance of precipitation in Poipu even though it kept raining off and on all night and through the morning. When the rain let up we went to see the Spouting Horn again and it started pouring just as we walked up to the overlook. We headed over to Lihue to take a look at the harbor and drove out of the rainy weather, taking the alternate route through miles of farms and almost no traffic. The Pride of America cruise ship was tied up to the dock – the same ship that had been parked outside our window in Kona four years before. The road into the harbor had us coming head-on to the ship before it curved off to the left so we got a view no boater would ever want.
Went to the beach in the afternoon under lots of warm sunshine and hadn’t been down there long before the clouds moved back in. We and most of the other people on the beach were soon all scrambling as the rain started up again. The clouds persisted all evening so no chance for a final sunset. Ate an eclectic mix of leftovers for dinner and chased it with ice cream from Lappert’s in Kukui’ula.
Friday, March 21 – More rain to start the day. Finished off the last of the food in the fridge and started packing. We were all packed by 8:30; our flight didn’t leave until 1:40. It’s just not in our nature to pace ourselves. We left a little early for the airport figuring traffic might be bad, it might take a while to get the rental car turned in, and we had to check in because of the mixup with Lynne’s name on the tickets. Of course traffic wasn’t a problem, the rental return took no time, and the checkin not only was hassle-free but also got us the TSA Pre-Check so security took no time at all. Picked up a couple of sandwiches and bottles of water and ate lunch at the gate.
Our plane (a 757) was a little late getting in. It had more legroom than the 767 we came over on and the headwinds that made it late getting to Lihue meant we were set to arrive in Los Angeles ahead of schedule. We flew into darkness and landed a little early but the plane at our gate hadn’t backed out yet so we sat on the taxiway for several minutes. The captain announced the plane we were waiting on had left the gate but had to return so they moved us off the taxiway but we continued to sit. We arrived at 10:00, were supposed to get in at 10:15, but didn’t actually get to a gate until almost 11:00. We got there just as all the restaurants in the terminal were closing and ended up grabbing junk food from the one store that stayed open until midnight.
Saturday, March 21 – The next leg of the trip was on a 737 departing at 1:20. Our seats were in a row where the middle seat was blocked off – we found out later four seats were blocked to reduce capacity from 154 to 150 so the airline wouldn’t need an additional flight attendant. We were late taking off because of a problem with the pusher that backed us away from the gate.
Still dark when we got into Dallas-Fort Worth. The train whizzed us over to our terminal for the final leg and got us there in time for a cup of coffee before we boarded. There were so few passengers on the flight the gate agent didn’t bother boarding us by groups. Watched the sun rise from the plane and had no problems at all at CVG. Michelle was waiting for us in the cell phone lot and in no time were on our way getting home a little after 11:00.
Milestones on this trip: Farthest west we had ever been. We have now seen all the major islands in Hawaii.
States and provinces we visited: Indiana, Kentucky, Texas, Hawaii and California.
Capital cities we saw: Honolulu.
