We spent our first night at the Waimea Inn just steps from the beach. Though we were both exhausted from the two long flights followed by an hour drive in island traffic, there was a nearby festival and we were hungry.
We walked over and enjoyed some fire dancing, street vendors and some burgers and fries from Da Booze House that were good and reasonably priced.
This morning we were up early thanks to the time difference, nearby rooster, and kittens outside our window. As a result we did get to enjoy sunrise on the beach.
Here are some photos from last night and this morning
After a nice breakfast at Brew Braddahs in Waimea, we started up Waimea Canyon Drive not sure what to expect. We had read before coming that there might be a lot of road construction going on and that the main lookout was closed. We were pleasantly surprised to find that there was very little work or traffic and there were some great places to pull off and see some amazing views of both the canyon and Waimea. Despite the main lookout being closed for construction we were able to visit the Puu Hinahina Lookout which also had some great views.
We continued driving as far as we could and made it all the way up to Koke’e State Park, which is about as far as you can drive on that part of the island. At this point we were only about 10 miles from where we would end the day in Princeville, but the road ends and requires about a 70 mile drive around the island. While there we did a short nature trail while waiting for the Lodge and gift shop to open. The museum wasn’t opening until later in the morning so we skipped that and started back down the mountain as it was beginning to rain and the crowds were growing larger.
After a fun morning in the Waimea area we waved goodbye to the Captain Cook statue and enjoyed seeing all the scenery we missed on our night drive in to town. Our next stop was the Kauai Coffee Company in Kalaheo, which offered a short by nice self-guided tour of their plantation, as well as free samples of coffee. Kim tasted the Red Cautauri and Peabody Dark Roast, eventually choosing to get a small bag of the Red. She also said walking through the coffee trees smelled like coffee grinds and kind of a stinky smoke smell.
Next it was on to Poipu Beach where we had Puka Dogs for lunch. Kim said they were, “mai Ono” (very much delicious). She had the Polish Sausage with Pineapple Relish, “mild” garlic sauce all inside a toasted homemade Hawaiian bun with a hole at the top to keep it all inside. Andy had the same except with a Mango Relish. Super good with the sweetness complimenting the dogs and not weird at all!! Fresh squeezed lemonade was worth a few minutes of extra wait time
We also explored Poipu beach where we saw Monk Seals, Hawaiian Green Sea Turtles, fishermen, snorklers, surfers and lots of bigger, cooler waves crashing into rocks. It was easy to see why people love this beach. We probably would have stayed longer and done more if it were not rainy and overcast.
After a couple hours at the beach we decided it was time to head towards the resort in Princeville to meet up with our friends. On the way we stopped at the local Walmart in Lihue. We continued on from there with a nice but rainy drive, probably missing lots of great views from the clouds. Every now and then part of a mountain would reveal itself for a few moments. We are looking forward to seeing more on clear days.
We finally arrived at the Bali Hai Villas, got checked in, met up with our friends and after settling in and catching up, we enjoyed a nice pizza dinner overlooking Hanalei Bay at Wiki Pizza. After some great food we returned to the resort and went to the hot tub to relax before calling it a night.
Tomorrow we are looking forward to worshiping at a local church and probably exploring the nearby town of Kilauea.