Kauai - The Garden Island

Kauai, known as the "Garden Island," is the fourth largest and oldest of the Hawaiian Islands, celebrated for its lush landscapes, dramatic cliffs, and rich cultural heritage. It covers an area of 562 Sq, Miles and is located 73 miles northwest of O'ahu.

It is characterized by it's stunning natural features including emerald valleys, sharp mountain spires and jagged cliffs. The island is home to Waimea Canyon State Park and the Na Pali Coast which offer breathtaking views and numerous hiking opportunities. With all the rainfall it’s claimed that Kauai is the wettest place on earth, and there is a good argument to be made that the island is still one the wettest.

The red shows the route we took for our road trip

We rented a mini-van today and Jan and myself, along with two other couples took a tour around as much of the island as possible. We had to be back at the ship by 4 PM so we decided to do the basic tour. We started by dropping by Poipu Beach, which is on the south side of the island and this area does not get much rain. It is called the sunny south.

Our first stop was at Brennecke's Beach which is located adjacent to Poipu Beach Park and is a popular boogie-boarding and body-surfing spot. This slight stretch of Beach is popular with the locals and visitors. Today at the beach we saw some large turtles as well as two monk seals sleeping. In the evening many turtles come to shore to rest and at times we have seen over 30 turtles at one time. Oh yes, there was a rooster there as well.

We left Brennecke's Beach and drove to the Lawai Beach Resort where we have a time share. At the resort we checked out the latest updates to the landscaping and proceeded to visit the Spouting Horn blowhole, one of the most photographed spots on Kauai. The surf channels into a natural lava tube here and releases a huge spout of water that can reach as high as 50 feet into the air. You’ll also hear a hiss and a roar that is the basis of a Hawaiian legend.

Another landmark was the Tree Tunnel which is a beautiful canopy of over 500 Eucalyptus trees which create a natural gateway to Kauai’s South Shore and leads to the towns of Koloa and Poipu. The original 500 Eucalyptus trees were a gift from Pineapple Baron Walter McBryde to the community in 1911. The trees were leftover from a large landscape project of his estate home, now the Kukuiolono Park and Golf Course grounds in Kalaheo. McBryde co-founded McBryde Sugar Company and managed the Kauai Pineapple Company.

After leaving the sunny south of the Kauai island, we drove north to Princeville and Hanalei Bay, famous for Puff the Magic Dragon and where the movie South Pacific was shot. The beaches are perfect for surfing and it has a very quaint village.

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No day would be complete without a stop at a Walmart to restock items that we believe we might need over the next four months. Everyone on our drive had something on their shopping list.

After our tour we made it back to the car rental by 4 PM, and they gave us a lift back to the ship in the Enterprise Shuttle bus. We just made it back in time for the Sail Away Party.

Tomorrow is when Jan and I get to tick one item off our bucket list. Ever since we started travelling to Kauai, we have wanted to visit Maui and tomorrow our ship arrives for the day. We have an exciting schedule planned and can't wait to report on how it turns out. It is always sad to leave the Garden Island of Kauai but we continually take more memories home when we depart.