R and R around Kauai

 

I didn’t take this picture, but we have been watching a population of up to 5 anoles at one time near our river pool. Two Brown anole males were bobbing heads and flashing their orange dewlap yesterday.  One did pushups, and others ran adjacent ones off their rocks.   Sometimes we see only three, but they are always out on the rocks in the same place.  Anoles are a type of fence-lizard sized iguana.  Little Hawaiian doves, cattle egrets, and a long-legged shore bird are always around the river pool with its draping tropical greenery and beautiful flowers.

We are having a lazy last few days— going on small hikes near Kapa’a and just lazing about in the river pool and hot tubs. On one of the beach trails, we saw whales again in close but none were leaping, only occasional backs revealed. 

Today we will enjoy the resort again, then organize and finally pack as we have to leave early tomorrow. 

Allerton and Resort Life

We enjoyed the river pools and being lazy around the resort after visiting Waimea--generally we are exploring one day and lazing around this lovely resort on alternative days.  The next trip is to Allerton, one of five National Tropical Botanical Gardens (one is in Florida, and the rest are in Hawaii).  We have been to several before, but Allerton is always a lovely place to visit, so we scheduled a morning excursion that involves about a three hour walk through garden spaces designed to surprise.  Our docent guide, Dr. Bob (a retired dentist), was delightfully informative about the history of Allerton and impact of native and invasive species, destruction of tropical forests, and more.  The original Jurassic Park movie had several sequences filmed in Allerton, including the huge tree roots of the banyan:

We tasted pomolo fruit--tree ripened and deliciuous, and wandered around statuary, water features, interesting fruits, golden bamboo, and gorgeous blooms which abound:

Pomelo is the ancestor of the grapefruit, but was much sweeter.  

We lunched in Poipu at an interesting sports club (as road closures and detours seemed everywhere that day--we took the first restaurant we could find after our morning at Allerton) with a humorous young man as our waitor, and enjoyed our pulled pork sandwiches and burgers.  That evening, Lizzie and I used the river pool after dark, enjoying the lighted ambiance which gave it a totally different feel.

We again stayed around the resort on Friday, enjoying the beach and pools.  Tidepools adjacent to the resort were abundant with fish, and I identified seven different types swimming near me.

Friday evening we dined at the Resort's Oasis by the Sea restaurant, as Elaine had asked Helen to buy us dinner with Elaine's complements.  It's an open air restauant right on the beach and the view was lovely through sunset.  I started with a mai tai cocktail, then had the seared ahi, along with a lovely salad, pupus (wontons) and a great chocolate mousse dessert.  The ahi was the best I've ever had.

We finished up the evening with another documentary by Will Smith on his earth adventures--so interesting!

Hanalei, Lydgate, and Waimea Canyon

  At Hanalei, we observed changes from our last visit--the new pier extending out into the bay (picture above and below taken from pier), changed road conditions, and of course Covid19 impacts.

The valley to Hanalei was as lovely as ever, but the pot-hole roads were more severe and driving was dedicated to keeping the car tires out of holes.  We lunched in Hanalei, and the lunch was delicious and the waiter helpful and friendly.  Most people were courteous at the bridges, but every now and then a string of ten cars went over past the signs that said 5-7 cars at a time was common courtesy.  Puff must have been asleep, because we saw no magic dragons this trip...

The next day we stayed at our lovely resort, as Lizzie and I would use the pools multiple times during the day: we would walk the length of the river pools at least three times, basking in the sun in a quiet pool between each trek, and finish up in the hot tub.  Helen generally walks around the land area, but hasn't been in the pool as much as Liz and I.

The next day (Monday) was going to be a beach day, and Helen decided to stay at the condo.  Liz and I went to Lydgate, but the surf was really high.  We first took the paved walk to the Golf Course, and as we walked we passed some feral cats which people were feeding (judging by water and food bowls tucked under the pathway hedges).   One Tom Cat clearly had decided that chickens were not on its dinner plate, and the rooster clearly also had decided that peaceful co-existence was a good plan, as shown on the image below:

Kauai chickens and little chicks are everywhere, as we remembered. At another location on the coastal path, we stopped and watched whales playing--breaching and splashing.  By the time I managed to get my camera ready and snap a picture, all I could catch was a spout, but the whales were in quite close to shore. 

I got ready to snorkel at Lydgate, but the current was so strong that day, even in the protected lagoon (see image below), that my balance in the water was topsy-turvey so I followed Liz' pattern and just sat partially submerged on rocks--we didn't see a single fish, and according to our guidebook, that has been the case since the county dredged the pool.  So sad because we used to see lots of tropical fish at Lydgate.

We returned to the resort and enjoyed the calm river pools instead, heading later over to the Lemongrass Restaurant for another lovely meal and my first MaiTai of the the trip.  Helen had a virgin cocktail, which was also very pretty.

The next day, Tuesday, we drove south to the Waimea Canyon Park--a long drive but such a lovely park, with spectacular canyon views--helicopters are moving up and down the canyon, bird-like specks in the distance and flying below the lookout points.  It is easy to see why this section of Kauai is roadless--the terrain is deeply rugged.

We lunched late in Hanapepe, and relaxed that evening at our resort.

Kauai in 2022

 

Helen, Liz, and I arrived in Kauai on February 2nd, journeying to the Waipouli Beach Resort at Kapa'a, and settling in to F202 (view fron lanai, above). A brief walk past the river pools takes you to the beach front.

  

We were tired after our flights, and decided to eat out at the Lemongrass Restaurant, located across the street and down about a block.  Liz and Helen had the pork ribs and took home half of the large servings, and I had a steak--all were delicious.  Next we stocked up on supplies at the nearby Safeways and returned to the condo for an early night.

The condo is a 2 BR/ 3BA unit, with a roomy lanai opening off both the living room and the second master bedroom.  A small lanai opens off of the primary master bedroom, and a third narrow lanai (on which I am standing in the photo below) is also off the living room allowing for plenty of ventilation from the trade winds (but the unit also has A/C, which we are not using, and ceiling fams, which we are).  The kitchen is lovely, mostly well equipped but could use a few more basic bowl sizes, additional silverware, and other standard items.  No condiments are left from past visitors because of COVID, which meant everything had to be purchased.

On Thursday, we decided to stay around the resort and familiarize ourselves with its offerings.  We explored the beach, walked around all of the flagstone walkways, located an elevator in building G just around the corner from our unit. Liz and I later went swimming in the fun river pool for the first time, and that evening relaxed in the condo with a chicken dinner.

On Friday, we decided to explote the near vicinity, pick up snorking gear, etc.  We drove up the Wailua River watershed to the Opaekaa Falls, and an overlook of the river looking downstream, away from Fern Grotto.

 

Next we continued to the end of the road and the Keahua Arboretum, where a large grove of rainbow-barked Eucalyptus can be found by the trailhead.

On the way back we stopped at the ABC where we purchased some odds and ends and again at Safeways to pickup the things we missed earlier.  That night we watched Batman Begins on the living room big TV (both bedrooms also have a TV).  It was very good. 

On Saturday Feb 5th, we again stayed at the resort for the most part, with Helen going into the river pool  for the first time, and  Liz and I later returning for the second time when I braved coming down the high water slide.  Unfortunately, I submerged at the end and splashdown, and my glasses (on a Chums retainer string) floated off.  The retainer was tourquois blue, the same color as the bottom of the pool, so I couldn't see it....But then, a nice man saw my glasses on the bottom and gave them back to me.  Since Lizzie had warned me to leave them with her, but I said my strings glass retainer would hold them in place (wrong), she got to say I told you so.

On Feb 6th, we headed to Hanalei and end of the road.  The Hanalei valley is still one of the most lovely places in all of Hawaii.   More on that trip to be posted tomorrow!