Kauai Getaway

Here are some highlights from the rest of our trip with friends to Kauai. We fit a lot in in just a few days. Big thanks to Casey and Millie for organizing and letting us come along!

Obligatory Hawaii sunset beach shot.

For a few bucks you can rent beach cruisers in Kapaa and ride 4 miles north on a new paved path along the east coast of Kauai. The small beaches and sea spray make this a must-do adventure.

Checking out an old relic of the sugar cane industry north of Kapaa. Susie photo.

Casey and Millie take in the sunset at Poipu Beach . Nearly every evening we would sample different beaches near Kaloa, where we rented a house.  Poipu Beach had the best snorkeling. 

Kayaking up the Wailua River toward Secret Falls.

After stashing the kayaks, it is a short hike through the jungle to Secret Falls.

Penn, Nikki, and Dan make their way across the North Fork of the Wailua River.

Lush gardens envelope the rocky trail to Secret Falls.

North Fork of the Wailua River.

First look at Secret Falls. Susie photo.

Millie plunges into the cool waters of the Wailua River.

The Fern Grotto. Thousands of weddings have been performed here, although all of the vegetation including the hanging ferns are small re-growths after the Grotto was stripped bare during 1992's hurricane Iniki.

Tiny gecko at the Fern Grotto.

Opaekaa Falls.

Spouting Horn near Poipu.

Kim and Penn pose at the head of Kalalau Valley.

A small plane disappears into the clouds above Kalalau Valley, near the Napali Coast.

On the edge in Waimea Canyon. Susie photo.

Climbing middle Waipo'o Falls. Susie photo.

Penn cools off in upper Waipo'o Falls.

Casey, Susie, and Millie catch some air along the Waipo'o Falls Trail in Waimea Canyon.

Colorful Waimea Canyon -- the Grand Canyon of the Pacific. Lower Waipo'o Falls in mid-distance.

Checking out the bedding in carbonate-cemented sandstone along the Lithified Cliffs Trail. These lithified sand dunes likely formed many thousands of years ago when sea level was much lower. Susie photo.

Sea and wind have carved the "lithified cliffs" into some amazing shapes.

Exploring the Lithified Cliffs near Shipwreck Beach. Susie photo.

Wave action and sea spray erode the lithified cliffs.

Kim jumps in near Shipwreck Beach.

Our luck with dry weather finally ran out. On my last full day on the island I was hoping to complete the remote Tunnels Hike, but the steady rain we woke up to nixed that plan.  Plan B was to return to the Kalalua Trail and hike the first few miles to  Hanakapi'ai Falls (which I had to bypass during my one-day run of the Kalalua Trail a few days earlier).

There was a light drizzle as we began the hike, but the rain steadily intensified as we headed up the trail along the Hanakapi'ia River. The trail crosses the river several times, and the fact that the river was noticeably rising made the hike all that more exciting, and made us pick up the pace before the river got too high to cross.

Millie puckers up for a giant Cane Toad near the Hanakapi'ai River.

Hanakapi'ai Falls. The volume of water here is probably four times normal due to the heavy rain.