Kauai Day 7: lets go sightseeing!
After spending all weekend in bed, I woke up with a low grade fever, but antsy to get out of the condo. We started the morning out with feeding the fish and enjoying a relaxing cup of coffee. Our friends were flying out today so we said our very sad goodbyes too early in the day (and from a distance). Then after breakfast we packed the car and headed north for some sightseeing.
Stop one: Kīlauea Lighthouse
The road that leads to the lighthouse was closed for construction through the month, but you can still drive to the view point. Even though it was a total downpour the entire stop, it was still very serene and captivating. It was pretty to see all the white birds taking refuge from the rain in the trees; it was a bright contrast to the darkened rained on trees. By the parking lot, there was a small forest alcove that we peeked into. It was so lush and dense we just stood in it for several minutes. On the road back to the highway we saw a ton of Nene, this was a special treat because I don’t know if I have seen them before – they also didn’t give any mind to the vehicles which was pretty funny.
Stop two: Hanalei Pier/Black Pot Beach
When we drove up to the parking lot we were a little overwhelmed with how busy it looked and how many cars were parked along the road. But, I was still feeling low energy I was in no condition to walk any further than necessary. So I told AJ to do one sweep of the parking lot and if nothing was available, then at least we did a drive by viewing of the pier. We lucked out! There was a person pulling out with front row parking, so we snagged it. The north shore has been under a high surf warning for several days now so there was a descent swell, especially further off shore. There were a lot of surf schools giving lessons, made for some good entertainment. The pier itself, for how busy it looked, was actually quite large, so you had plenty of space and could sit and enjoy the views peacefully. There was also a massive waterfall in the distance that the pier offered unobstructed pictures of. On our walk back we noticed there was a large fresh water stream that lead out to the ocean so we headed that way. Ayla loved this area, there was a large beach and the water was very calm and warm. It was so quiet, a stark difference from the beach area. This would be great for lying out and reading a book. But I was ready to get back in the car, so we went off to our next stop.
Stop three: Maniniholo Dry Cave & Ha’ena Beach
By this point in our trip I was getting hungry and pretty exhausted. We started looking for food options along the route and were getting discouraged until we pulled into the parking lot for Ha’ena Beach and saw the glorious food truck, Mr. Wagon! We got a plate lunch of coconut shrimp with rice (SOOOO good, even Ayla liked the coconut shrimp) and the Mr. Wagon Special fruit smoothie made of strawberry, banana & pineapple, which was the best smoothie I can recall ever consuming. After lunch we walked across the street to the Maniniholo Dry Cave. The shear vastness of the rock wall and the jungle above the cave was show stopping. Then, once inside the cave it was amazing how quiet everything was. The ground was compact wet sand at varying heights, at some points it seemed like you could touch the top of the cave. It was a lot larger and deeper than I was expecting. This is definitely worth the drive. When you’re almost to the parking lot you go over a bridge and for us it was flooded pretty good on the way in, but by the time we left it had receded significantly – it was a fun adventure.
Stop four: Anini Beach
This beach is known for its large reef protecting the beach from waves. This beach is great for family fun, snorkeling and other water activities. I couldn’t believe how much of this beach was protected by the reef. There were a lot of people out enjoying themselves in the water; I can only imagine how good the snorkeling is here. Ayla took right to the ocean and wanted to go swimming so bad. But since it was a sightseeing day, we were hopeful we would come back another day. After enjoying the beach we drove further down the road to check out the other parking lots as well as the campground (quite the eclectic group of campers). This beach was impressive, and I cannot wait to have a beach day here. The only downside I noticed was the sand wasn’t the fine Hawaiian sand that Maui spoils us with; it was a little grainier. A special surprise from this beach was you could see the light house from the other side. It was gorgeous in the distance.
Stop five: Tiki Tacos
By the time we got into town I was feeling pretty worn out, my fever was making a big comeback despite my medication attempts so I was ready to get home and Ayla was worn out, sleeping in her car seat. We decided to go to Tiki Tacos for takeout. I got the fish taco. Their tacos were large enough that I felt very content after one and the tortillas are made fresh daily (although a little thick for my preference). Overall I thought it was a decent taco, but I would be interested in trying other fish tacos for comparison.
It was quickly off to bed for me in hopes of waking up feeling better in the morning.
Highlights: