Believing that we'd only have a couple of trips and a handful of weeks in Hawaii while Jeff was working here on a project, a long weekend to Kaua'i was booked. It isn't far to the garden isle, just northwest by plane for less than a half an hour, and the amazing attractions are fewer than the larger islands. Just in case we ended up back out to Hawaii for a longer vacation, we saved Maui and the Big Island for another time. The weekend was supposed to include a snorkeling trip, a plane ride to see the cliffs on the Napali Coast, a beautiful hike on the North Shore, scenic lookouts, a visit to the Waimea Canyon, swimming, and relaxing. Unfortunately, torrential downpours cut our to-do list dramatically.
Rainy skies greeted us upon arrival on an early Friday morning that Jeff had "taken off" of work, though his trusty computer did not have much downtime. Since it was so wet and chilly, the pool at the hotel was not enticing. We decided to drive counterclockwise around the coast in hopes of taking in some of the magnificent scenery, having to reschedule our air tour of the Napali Coast.
Too bad that much of the gorgeous cliffs around the island were hidden by thick clouds. Several of the scenic lookouts left us imagining what we would have seen had the sky been clear. Damp, grey, and long bouts of downpours left us crabby and uncomfortable, since we continued to try and experience the verdant island outside of the car. A slow drive back to the hotel in heavy traffic lowered our morale even further.
Hot showers and long pants raised our spirits for dinner reservations Friday night. Jeff offered, very kindly, to run and get the car while I waited in the lobby. I was confused to see him exit the vehicle and hand the keys over to a valet. Soaked pants up to the middle of his thighs was the first clue that it was raining too hard to make the trip out of the hotel. He was so soaked through, even his rain jacket, that we had to go back to the room for a change of clothes. Red wine with dinner did the trick to warm us up and turn our frowns upside down.
Saturday morning started off wonderfully, though still soggy, with a trip to the southern tip and a highly recommended breakfast spot. Jeff and I both loved Joe's on the Green. I wasn't too hungry, so we ordered one meal to split. With large portions of eggs, bacon, potatoes, pancakes, and toast, leaving the restaurant hungry was impossible. Strawberry pancakes were available, a new one for me, so we ordered one of those and a traditional pancake (Jeff has yet to find a taste for fruit). The kitchen accidentally served us two dinner plate size strawberry pancakes. The waitress realized the mistake and promised to rush out a fresh plane one for the fruit-a-phobe and also suggested that I try the coconut syrup. A couple of forkfuls into the cakes, I was unimpressed. Everything else was very delicious. At this point, Jeff twists my arm and pours coconut syrup on my cakes. Having absolutely no option, I try the new combination. Suddenly, I realize that more than half of the plate is empty. I'm sure the coconut syrup melted the pancakes away. I probably should've asked for my money back.
Our car accelerated a little slower after our glutenous breakfast and was probably relieved when we stopped a couple of times to walk around the coast on our way to Waimea Canyon. The rain continued on and off, fairly heavy at times. A benefit to so much precipitation is that the waterfalls gush and with so much water, new waterfalls pitch in to move the water down the high, steep peaks of the cliffs.
Waimea Canyon is a sight to see. The deep valleys seem endless. At any moment, I half expected to see a pterodactyl swoop below us or the head of a brontosaurus pop out of the canopy. We snapped lots of pictures, counted and recounted waterfalls (I'm remembering 28), and bounced around a few of the paths. OK, one of us bounced around; the other one walked normally.
By the time we began our descent, the temperatures were finally rising enough that we could peel our jackets off. The rain held off, allowing us a little light hiking at different elevations and view the "Grand Canyon of the Pacific" from multiple vantage points.
A stop for some great tacos included a call to find that our flight to see the breathtaking, rugged coastline was canceled again. Wings Over Kaua'i assured us that if the conditions were good to go out the next day, our third and final day, we would not be disappointed in having to reschedule. This is the activity we were most looking forward to and is a must-do on Kaua'i. I tried to stay optimistic.
Day two of our trip ended with a short visit to the pool before more rain forced us to take a nap. Dinner that evening at another of the hotel's restaurants included two guests. Jeff's coworker and his wife happened to be on the island for a long weekend and stayed at the same hotel. Matt and Erin's company was thoroughly enjoyable. We laughed, ate, and shared a decadent dessert before calling it a night. We went to bed with visions of parting clouds, blue skies, and shave ice.
