Kaua'i Weekend - Part 2

Normally, I love waking up to the sound of rain.  By the last morning of our brief stay on Kaua'i, my cup had runneth over, quite literally, with the inches of precipitation that ruled our mini-vacation.  My mood was very melancholy while Jeff and I dressed to go out for breakfast.  With rain jackets and umbrellas, we walked a short way to a small cafe.  Just before getting inside, another drenching downpour began, so we rushed inside, thankful for an open table.

While waiting for our food, watching the raindrops streak the windowpanes, a semi-permanent scowl took over my face.  I was so disappointed that the rain would not let up and was sure that our flight to see the Napali Coast would be canceled.  Just prior to leaving the restaurant, the downpour grew in intensity, curtaining the road.  My phone rang at about the same time.  The tour company was calling to confirm our flight that was set to take off in two hours.  The kind lady on the phone comforted my fears by telling me that the radar reports the office had projected that the system was breaking up and should be moving off island within the hour.  I was hopeful.

On our way to the airport, Jeff and I stopped at a rushing waterfall that was easily accessible from the road and drove down a few country roads.  The clouds were, indeed, beginning to part.  By the time we pulled into the airport, most of the blue sky was visible, and the hot sun forced us to take off our jackets.

The Napali Coast must be seen from the air or a boat.  Since a bucket list item of mine was to see an active volcano from a helicopter, we chose to go the more cost effective route and take a small plane.  Wings Over Kaua'i garnered great reviews on TripAdvisor and was very easy to communicate with, so we booked through them.  From the first moments of our arrival to the final goodbye, the customer service was great.  The seating is computerized using each passenger's weight to properly balance the plane.  Jeff got to sit in the seat next to the pilot with me directly behind.  I was a little jealous but mostly really excited for him.

Jeff was put to work in the co-pilot's seat, going through the pre-flight check-list with the pilot.  I got a kick out of listening to the exchange on the headset.  Our pilot was nice enough and shared quite a lot of information throughout the flight.

The sight of the island from above is unique and highlightes the changing landscape, vibrant colors of the farms, and the picturesque coastline.  By far, the Napali Coast was the most scenic part of the tour and well worth the cost for the tour by air, which is a little pricier than a boat ride.  Photos can't do this amazing geologic wonder justice (especially with low level clouds nearby).  The cliffs rise thousands of feet vertically from the ocean, black and green against the surreal blue of the Pacific. 

 

Thanks to the rain I'd been cursing, dozens of new wispy waterfalls cascaded down the cliffs.  The scenery was so impressive.  Rounding the leeward coast on our way to the northern side, the mist over took the tops of the cliffs, giving it all a dreamlike feel. 

After our safe, smooth landing, Jeff and I were new people.  The fantastic tour cured our irritation with Mother Nature and set us up to make the most of our last hours on the island.  Driving counterclockwise up the coast, we made our way to the Kilauea Lighthouse, the northern most point in Hawaii (main islands).  The views were spectacular from this point.  While scanning the waters for whales, Jeff readied the camera. Being patient...and lucky...paid off.  We were thrilled to see fins flapping and water shooting from blow holes.  We saw at least three whales off the coast.  Though difficult to tell without zooming in, Jeff captured photographic evidence of a whale tail.  The day was just getting better and better.

Before leaving the north point, we walked around a wildlife refuge and saw thousands of birds and more gorgeous breaking surf.  About halfway back to the airport for our return trip home to Honolulu, we found a path along the coast to stroll.  Within easy walking distance was a shave ice stand, one of the best we've had even months later.  With ono shave ice in hand, we enjoyed our walk along Kaua'i's windward coast.  

The last day of our trip held my favorite moments of the entire time on Kaua'i.  I'm thankful that it wasn't a wash afterall.

Kaua'i Weekend - Part 1

A pretty wet day in Honolulu is reminding me of the soggy weekend we spent on Kaua'i in March.  The island is notorious for being wet, but "passing blessings" were not what we experienced.

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.