More Fun on Kauai

OK, so let’s jot down some moreof the highlights of the FUN part of my visit this year…

Rico and I had another couple full days of fun to have, since the ceiling was up already!  We did spend a day doing more around the house, those fun filled days are exhausting.  On one of those days I asked Rick to build a corral for the folks’ trash cans.  He couldn’t quite figure out what exactly it was he was building but he did a great job!  Just something to keep them all in one spot and standing up.  I think I did yardwork while he did that…

So the fun Thursday was spent on the other side of the island.  But first we had to shoot the little shack at Waipouli beach, right where all the drug deals go down.  That’s my opinion anyway, there’s always some dude hanging around and usually on his phone.

Then we blasted over to shoot the tree tunnel on the way to Poipu.  Just outside Poipu was the National Botanical Garden that I’ve been wanting to visit.  That was about a 2 hour visit.  It began and ended with a short tram ride which, of course, was Rick’s favorite part.  We got to see the plants that provide us with chocolate, vanilla and black pepper.  It was pleasant and relaxing.  I don’t think Rick totally hated it…

But, at last it was over and we could go veg in the sun at one of my fav beaches on the island, Salt Pond.  Rick stripped down to his little bikini skivvies and toasted in the midday sun.  I took the opportunity to take mom’s glass float ball for another visit back to the ocean that he spent so much time in,  He always enjoys my visits because I take him to the beach.  This time he got to visit a waterfall, wade, and ride some small waves in a tide pool.

I wanted to catch the sunset at Waimea so we headed in that direction and looked for someplace for dinner.  We found exactly 2 places in Waimea.  A “Steakhouse” and the other I think was a burger joint café that was a real dive.  Steakhouse it is.

So, the Wrangler Steakhouse in Waimea.  Hmm.  A little pricey.  Can we just have the salad bar?  Not too impressive.  Itty bitty salad bar.   What’s this?  Pickled onions?  Something orange.  Lettuce.  Ooh!  Snow peas.! Nope, they’re wooly and woody.  Well, we managed to eat enough to not be hungry any more, and we had drinks.  

So we headed to the beach after that barely adequate meal and pulled right up onto the sand.  We were parked right next to someone’s imu, getting ready for the luau.  The sunset was not where I expected it but we got some nice shots nonetheless.  I spotted a sandpiper running down the beach and caught him in the sunset light on the wet sand, pretty nice shot!


Our next full day out was, I think, our favorite.  We headed down the street to the local beach to grab some coral for mom’s garden and found the whole beach where the coral can be found roped off for a mama and baby monk seal.  We got some shots of the pair and did a little beachcombing.  There were TONS of man-of-war on the beach but we both managed to avoid stepping on any and getting stung.
It’s getting harder to find new places to explore on Kauai but I found one and near Anahola.  The book calls it “the Pools of Mokolea”.  It’s just a rock outcropping full of tidepools and backed by a cliff teeming with tropicbirds, shearwaters and even an occasional albatross!  We thoroughly enjoyed meandering on the black rock.  Rick dared to swim in a large tidepool right on the ocean’s edge.  We made our way to the end of the trail where we were looking across a bay to the Kilauea lighthouse.  

To get to the trail we had to ford a freshwater outlet on a beach called Kahili.  It was an interesting beach and the fresh water was warm so we decided to scare up some lunch in Kilauea and come back to lay in the sun, swim and grab some color for Rick to take home with him.  As it turns out we already had plenty of color from our trek on the rocks. . . oops.

It was one of the nicest spots, I really enjoyed laying in the sun and when I got warm enough to want to get wet (even my HAIR!) I wandered over to a rope swing Rick had already tried out.  I can’t recall if I’ve ever done one before but this time it sure felt good!  Not the coughing fit I had as soon as I got my head out of water, but the cool, but not too cool, water.

So we decided we’d gotten enough sun and then drove to the end of the road, Ke’e beach.  I really don’t care for that beach, I’ve been there a number of times, stay a few minutes and leave, disappointed.  Maybe it would be better with high surf or during a storm.  I think it’s just always too crowded with tourists.

Rick still had some gifts to pick up for his mother and daughter so we went to Hanalei next to look at some of the shops there.  He found a cute bag for Sarah and I coerced him into buying me a really nice dress that I won’t wear nearly enough to warrant what he spent on it!

The plan was another sunset next to a pier, this time Hanalei.  The sun was much better situated!  We were hovering near a couple with a Canon on a tripod.  I finally noticed it was a 7D (my dream camera) so struck up a conversation with the woman handling it.  We had a nice visit with the couple from New Zealand.  Turns out she’d just bought the camera, her step up from the same camera I just moved up from and for the same reasons I moved up.  But her camera was a much bigger leap financially.

Rick’s last day we decided to attempt a hike.  The soil there is very clay-like so if it’s wet it’s downright treacherous.  It had been dry for a few days so we figured it was our best opportunity.  

The trail I was eyeballing was up one of my favorite roads, Kuamo’o, the Kuilau trail.  Apparently there was a trailhead that had been abandoned but was still marked as though it’s the trailhead.  We got to it and I stopped dead, I couldn’t even begin!  It was steep and slippery!  But then we found that there was a better, smoother, drier trail.  We ended up hiking in probably a mile and a half.  There was some light rain and slick spots but overall it was nice.  We enjoyed seeing the natural Kauai, and discovered that the chickens are out there in the woods, away from the city as well!

Since it was Rick’s last night it was dinner at Duke’s.  Maybe that’ll be the last time.  Prices are going up and personally, I would rather do a plate lunch at Hanalei and watch the sun set…

0 cats hacked up hairballs:

About Me

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After 2 unsuccessful marriages I spent 12 years as a divorcee, only to fall prey to another man's wiles. We had a fun 5 years together and then he decided he wanted more freedom so once again I'm single.

So I'm freshly divorced at 57 and have 5 great kids and now 7 grandkids. My kids are still a major part of my life but I'm busy helping my aging parents on Kauai.

I've lived in California, Hawaii and Oklahoma before finally settling here in Washington. I love Washington and come back to visit family, friends and take care of my garden often but will be temporarily a resident of Kauai.

I've moved 30 times in my life (no, my parents weren't in the service, at least not since I was about 2) and finally planted roots when I got my little house that I've owned since '91.

My family are Jehovah's Witnesses, I've been one since '72.