Kauai - The Garden Island

Hola from Kauai - our last island stop on this Hawaiian adventure.  Kauai is called The Garden Island and we see why.  It's lush and gorgeous!  However, that means a bit of rain which also means rainbows!

What's perfect about this island is you have both lots of hiking and lots of beautiful beaches!

And with rain comes beautiful waterfalls!  Some easy to get to and some tucked away in the canyons.

Wailua Falls

take note of Waipoo Falls off in the distance  in Waimea canyon

this is from the top of those falls (a nice hike to see this treasure - it's much better in real life!)

the short falls at the top

Waimea Canyon

There are even a few lighthouses on the island.  Mary Ellen has been waiting for these for 2 weeks!

Kilauea Lighthouse

Ninini Point Lighthouse

the view from Ninini Point - the airport is right here and the planes fly directly over the lighthouse to land

Coffee is huge on the islands and today we stopped at the Kauai Coffee Company so Tom could enjoy a few samples (I believe a few too many as he was ready to run a marathon by the time we left) and take home some beans.

My new "office" comes with a nice view.  Several people have asked where we found all of the great places for our stays.  VRBO.com

We are here until the 20th and then fly to Phoenix to start our drive east and back to PA for the summer.

Til next time...Happy Trails!

Maui Wowie

Maui Wowie was Tom's saying on the island but not referring to marijuana!  He had heard the saying and just liked it!  Plus there's a candy bar, WowWee Maui.  Fitting!

Another great little place to stay on this island.

Road to Hana - We survived the drive - 52 miles, 617 curves, 56 bridges (one lane mostly)!  It's beautiful and well worth the drive to see all of the scenery along the way as well as in Haleakala National Park (Pools of Ohe'o and the waterfalls).

bamboo forest on the way to the falls

Ohe'o Pools

Molokini Crater is a submerged volcanic cinder cone which is a great place for snorkeling.

look closely to see the octopus on the coral

Haleakala - Hiking and Biking!

I love being above the clouds!

We survived the 23 mile bike ride down the mountain and back into the town of Haiku.  Unfortunately, the companies no longer take bikers to the very top as there have been fatalities.

Til next time...Happy Trails!

Big Island Adventures

9 days flew by and we packed a lot into that time frame.  What a great island!

Volcanoes National Park - Incredible place to visit to see where the flow went into the ocean and to view the fumes and glow from the active lava lake.

The fumes are coming from the lava lake in this deep crater

The glow from the lava lake.
After dark is the only time to see this glow as the lake is too far down to see from the park except via a helicopter ride

the small crater - not active

a hike in the crater

Tom's glasses are all fogged from the steam vents throughout the park

where the lava flowed into the ocean - last time was 2 years ago

Beaches - even though the Big Island isn't known for the biggest white sand beaches, it sure does have some unique beaches right up our alley!

Black Sands Beach - a popular spot for swimmers and sea turtles

they planted palm trees on this black sands beach after the last lava flow wiped everything out

Green Sands Beach - the only way to get here is on a local's 4WD vehicle (these roads beat up the vehicles and it's a maze to find your way through) or a 6 mile round trip hike.  We opted for the hike along the beautiful coast.

Snorkeling - we found a hidden little treasure of a cove to snorkel in.  While the mass of people were all crowded about a mile down the road we had this little gem almost to ourselves.

The TRUE southern most point of the US - it's not in Key West!

Waterfalls!  The east side of the island is full of beautiful waterfalls due to all of the rain.

Boiling pools

Rainbow Falls

Akaka Falls

 While we are enjoying island time, Ed and Sandy Smith are enjoying doggie time.  They are taking great care of our little Moxie and send us daily updates and pictures.  Here is one of my favorites - Ed taking Moxie for a run.  She's having so much fun at the Smith's Summer Camp!  Thanks!

Til next time...Happy Trails!