{"id":77,"date":"2017-06-24T14:25:48","date_gmt":"2017-06-24T18:25:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/kimberlyyavorski.com\/expandinghorizons\/?p=77"},"modified":"2017-06-24T17:16:22","modified_gmt":"2017-06-24T21:16:22","slug":"garden-isle-ultimate-salve-for-soul","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/kimberlyyavorski.com\/expandinghorizons\/garden-isle-ultimate-salve-for-soul\/","title":{"rendered":"A Trip to the Garden Isle Is the Ultimate Salve for the Soul"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hawaii’s Garden Isle, Kauai, is a true paradise and the only place I have visited that I could honestly say I could permanently relocate to. With a year round temperature of about 78 F and terrain ranging from powdery sand beaches to mountains and cliffs, it the perfect environment for me. (If only it weren\u2019t so far away from everywhere else!) Despite wicked jet lag (we had a 13-hour flight each way from our eastern US\u00a0 home, with short layovers on the west coast), the relaxing power of this visit lingered for weeks after our return home.<\/p>\n

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Evidence of Kauai’s volcanic heritage can be seen around the island. This is near Hanalei.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\"100_9764\"Kauai gets its nickname by virtue of being the rainiest place on earth, with an annual average of\u00a0 350 to 400 inches measured at Mt. Wai\u2019ale\u2019ale. We happened to visit during the rainy season, in mid November, but this didn\u2019t dampen my appreciation of all the natural wonder the island has to offer. Even though it rained every day we were there, it was not raining everywhere, and since the main road that travels most of the perimeter of the island can be traversed in under an hour, it is easy to just go for a ride to find someplace sunny. We stayed in Lihue, which is fairly central, and over the course of a week traveled pretty much the entire island. (There is plenty more to see, hiking or boating further inland, plus some areas accessible only via 4-wheel drive. We hope to do more exploring on a future trip.)<\/p>\n

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Chickens, as well as wild boar can be found on the island. They have no natural predators and can be seen all over. (The chickens that is, the boar are more elusive.)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It would be impossible to detail everything to do (or even everything we did) in such a small place, so I will focus here on my favorites.<\/p>\n

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\"100_9500\"Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge<\/a> is well worth the admission fee and the 0.2 mile walk from the parking lot. The views are amazing, especially on the south side of the lighthouse, where a U-shaped crater is all that remains of the \"100_9511\"volcanic vent that formed this area 15,000 years ago.<\/p>\n

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This small island is home to many albatross which if you look closely can be seen nesting here.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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This Wedge-tailed Shearwater crept out to say hello<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The area is home to a number of birds, including the Laysan Albatross, which nest on the refuge, and the Red Footed Booby as well as a number of native plant species (signs help identify these). A number of young Wedge-tailed Shearwaters were roaming about, peeking from under the fence that protects them from visitors (there are many notices warning that the birds are protected, and that touching or harassing them is an offense). \"100_9517\"The 1913 Daniel K. Inouye\u00a0Kilauea Lighthouse is the northernmost point of Kauai and is on the National Register of Historic Places; tours are offered on select days, pending staff availability.<\/p>\n

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One of the caves near Hanalei<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We spent another afternoon wandering the shops in Kapaa Town and headed north, up the coast to Hanalei Town. We stopped to take a look in one of the caves (sadly, we didn\u2019t see Puff the dragon) and continued on to where the road ends at the shoreline.<\/p>\n

\"Some
inside the cave<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Though we didn\u2019t go explore it, there is a trail from here that goes along the Napali Coast. There is a bridge on the main road that frequently floods, cutting off access to the rest of the island. It was raining that day, so we didn\u2019t want to take our chances and stay too long. We chose an area restaurant for dinner and had one of many wonderful seafood dinners. (In fact, we didn’t have a disappointing meal the entire week.)<\/p>\n

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Hawaiians take safety seriously<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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The end of the road and the beginning of the Napali Coast<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Though people say that Hawaii is very expensive, it seems to me that if you eat food grown and harvested on the island, it is no more so than back home. (I did stop in a local grocery store as I like to do when traveling to get a better feel for the true character of a place. Items shipped in from the mainland tended to be pricey, but local foods were very reasonably priced.)<\/p>\n

\"A
Opaekaa Falls<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\"100_9707\"Also on the east side of the island is Opaekaa Falls, which can easily be viewed from the road. Nearby, overlooking the Wailua River, is Poli\u2019ahu Heiau (a place of worship), where we explored some of the sacred ruins of Hawaii\u2019s past. Hawaii Visitor Bureau signs near the\u00a0heiau state that the Hawaiians believed this \"100_9720\"structure was built by the Menehune, an ancient race of small people who inhabited the islands before the Tahitians. There are a number of informational placards explaining the sire and the environment as a whole is peaceful.<\/p>\n

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\"100_9557\"Another day we traveled southwest and found ourselves at the home of Lilo and Stitch, Hanapepe Town. The town is small but considered Kauai\u2019s art capital, with more art galleries than any other place on the island. It was once a busy town and has<\/p>\n

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The Hanapepe Swinging Bridge<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

been the \u201clocation\u201d for films such as The Thornbirds<\/em>, and Flight of the Intruder<\/em> as well as the aforementioned Disney film. We picked up some gifts for family back home and made a trip across the famous Hanapepe Swinging Bridge.<\/p>\n

\"100_9211\"Of course you can’t make a trip to an island without spending some time on the beach. Kauai has many beaches and the sand differs quite a bit depending on location. We tested out the water at Poipu Beach Park, and I sat for over an hour watching the birds run into the surf, then back as it chased them up the beach. Not far from here, on Route 50 (which is the only main road on Kauai) we stopped at The Shrimp Station<\/a>, a roadside stand, for what they advertised as \u201cThe Best Coconut Shrimp on the Planet.\u201d After trying it, I would have to say I agree.<\/p>\n

Also while in Kauai<\/a>, our adventures included hiking the Waimea Canyon and kayaking the Wailua River. These were highlights of our trip and things I hope to do again.<\/p>\n

\"Mountains,
One of the many breathtaking roadside views<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Thankfully I had done my research and knew about Waimea Canyon before leaving home. This is the reason I packed hiking boots for a Hawaiian vacation, causing some to laugh at me. The boots were a must.<\/p>\n

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The Kauai chickens are everywhere<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Waimea Canyon is breathtakingly beautiful, with each roadside vista more impressive than the last. Waimea Canyon State Park<\/a> is the largest canyon in the Pacific. Ten miles long and more than 3,500 feet deep, it is on the western side of the island and is only accessible from the 18 mile long Rt 550. The hiking is rugged. At times we questioned whether we had gone off trail; unlike many other state parks I have hiked, there are no guardrails.<\/p>\n