Arrived on Kauai!

[DaveNV]

This morning's sunrise, taken from the H2 lanai. These clouds are pretty wild.

Dave

 

[slip]

I love it when the sun comes through like that, it’s really cool.

 

[DaveNV]

We went north today to check things out, and to see if the weather would clear up. It didn't. Sporadic rain squalls, sometimes torrential showers, happened all the way to Hanalei. Those poor folks up there can't catch a break.

We stopped in Kapa'a to check out the WorldMark location. Since I own WM, I wanted to see if that is a viable place to stay, and I'm happy to report that it definitely is. The nice lady in the Office was very pleasant. She shared lots of information with us, and even gave us a key to check one of the rooms. It's a very nice place, not over the top, but in good repair. It looks like most rooms have a water view. I could definitely stay there, even though the units don't have air conditioning. They have ceiling fans and floor fans, and security screen doors at the front door of each unit. Leaving that screen door locked, but the entry door open, as well as the sliding door at the other end of the condo, would provide good cross-through ventilation.

Leaving WorldMark, we soon passed Pono Kai, so we waved Hi for Slip.

We had planned to stop at the Kilauea Lighthouse, until we remembered today is Memorial Day. We made the mistake of stopping there once before on Memorial Day, and it's closed. So we didn't stop today.

Everything was normal till we got to the Hanalei Overlook. You can definitely tell there are some differences from the way things usually look. The taro fields are mostly empty, where we'd expect them to be filled with growing plants. Things are definitely green, but there is a lot of standing water. These three images are taken at the Overlook, and can be stitched together. They are left, center, and right views looking down on Hanalei.



The One-Lane bridge is fine, and the roads into Hanalei Town are clear. There was a group of kayakers on the river by the bridge. There is standing water on the edges of the roads, that made serious rooster-tail splashes. With the ongoing rainfall, things are pretty soaked.

All the businesses in Hanalei appear to be up and running. We stopped for lunch at Kalypso, a favorite for their fresh fish & chips, and their ice cold beer. Today was no exception. The place was packed, so business, for them, seems to be just fine. I'd post another picture of an icy cold Kona Brewing Longboard, but it's getting redundant. LOL! The Mahi Fish & Chips were excellent.

After lunch we drove over toward the Hanalei Pier. The road is blocked just after the Pavilion, marked "Closed to All Except Local Traffic." If you want to access the Pier, which is open, you can park at the Pavilion and walk along the beach to the Pier. It was pouring torrential rain, so we didn't go. Maybe another day.

Back at the main road, we turned to continue on past Hanalei, but the road is blocked just after the school by the green church. That sign also says "Closed to All Except Local Traffic." We turned around at that point, and came back to Lihue. As we got closer, the weather improved, so I'm guessing the better weather is along the South Shore. We'll try that direction tomorrow.

Dave

 

[slip]

Sounds like it hasn’t changed since I was there. Those repairs may take a while. Hanalei seem very crowded while we were there. They are still asking for people to head up there so maybe the people going aren’t spending, I don’t know.

Thanks for the wave to the Pono Kai, I just filled out my survey from my last stay. We miss it a lot.

 

[lizap]

This morning's sunrise, taken from the H2 lanai. These clouds are pretty wild.

View attachment 6906

View attachment 6907

Dave

We were there week before last. Was supposed to rain all week, but we lucked out. I've never seen clouds this dark in Hawaii; these look like these might contain thunder/lightning.

 

[lizap]

We went north today to check things out, and to see if the weather would clear up. It didn't. Sporadic rain squalls, sometimes torrential showers, happened all the way to Hanalei. Those poor folks up there can't catch a break.

We stopped in Kapa'a to check out the WorldMark location. Since I own WM, I wanted to see if that is a viable place to stay, and I'm happy to report that it definitely is. The nice lady in the Office was very pleasant. She shared lots of information with us, and even gave us a key to check one of the rooms. It's a very nice place, not over the top, but in good repair. It looks like most rooms have a water view. I could definitely stay there, even though the units don't have air conditioning. They have ceiling fans and floor fans, and security screen doors at the front door of each unit. Leaving that screen door locked, but the entry door open, as well as the sliding door at the other end of the condo, would provide good cross-through ventilation.

Leaving WorldMark, we soon passed Pono Kai, so we waved Hi for Slip.

We had planned to stop at the Kilauea Lighthouse, until we remembered today is Memorial Day. We made the mistake of stopping there once before on Memorial Day, and it's closed. So we didn't stop today.

Everything was normal till we got to the Hanalei Overlook. You can definitely tell there are some differences from the way things usually look. The taro fields are mostly empty, where we'd expect them to be filled with growing plants. Things are definitely green, but there is a lot of standing water. These three images are taken at the Overlook, and can be stitched together. They are left, center, and right views looking down on Hanalei.

View attachment 6912 View attachment 6913 View attachment 6914

The One-Lane bridge is fine, and the roads into Hanalei Town are clear. There was a group of kayakers on the river by the bridge. There is standing water on the edges of the roads, that made serious rooster-tail splashes. With the ongoing rainfall, things are pretty soaked.

All the businesses in Hanalei appear to be up and running. We stopped for lunch at Kalypso, a favorite for their fresh fish & chips, and their ice cold beer. Today was no exception. The place was packed, so business, for them, seems to be just fine. I'd post another picture of an icy cold Kona Brewing Longboard, but it's getting redundant. LOL! The Mahi Fish & Chips were excellent.

After lunch we drove over toward the Hanalei Pier. The road is blocked just after the Pavilion, marked "Closed to All Except Local Traffic." If you want to access the Pier, which is open, you can park at the Pavilion and walk along the beach to the Pier. It was pouring torrential rain, so we didn't go. Maybe another day.

Back at the main road, we turned to continue on past Hanalei, but the road is blocked just after the school by the green church. That sign also says "Closed to All Except Local Traffic." We turned around at that point, and came back to Lihue. As we got closer, the weather improved, so I'm guessing the better weather is along the South Shore. We'll try that direction tomorrow.

Dave

If time permits, I would definitely return to the Lighthouse. The views are gorgeous from the area around the Lighthouse.

 

[DaveNV]

If time permits, I would definitely return to the Lighthouse. The views are gorgeous from the area around the Lighthouse.

I agree. I've been there a number of times. Looking forward to going back. Did you know it's the northernmost point in Hawaii?

Dave

 

[DaveNV]

We were there week before last. Was supposed to rain all week, but we lucked out. I've never seen clouds this dark in Hawaii; these look like these might contain thunder/lightning.

That picture was taken very early. As the sun got higher, it rained like crazy, then the clouds kind of dissipated. By this afternoon it was mostly sunny in Lihue. They were/are saying thunderstorms in the local forecasts for this week. Strange weather.

Dave

 

[lizap]

I agree. I've been there a number of times. Looking forward to going back. Did you know it's the northernmost point in Hawaii?

Dave

Interesting. No I wasn't aware of that.

 

[DaveNV]

Well, today is the day after the long weekend. And EVERYBODY came out of the woodwork. Traffic was horrendous, no matter which way we tried to go. Initially, it was toward the Poipu area. We didn't even get out of town. Just before Kilohana, the traffic came to a full STOP. After about fifteen minutes we'd only moved a few hundred feet. As far as I could see leading out of town, the traffic was bumper to bumper. And not moving.

I decided that was enough of that, and I made a U-turn at the first chance. Coming back toward town I turned on Nawiliwili Road, thinking we'd head for Kalapaki Beach to hang out for awhile. It was scattered rain showers, and no sunshine, but I figured it was off the beaten track. Not to be. They were doing road resurfacing construction, and traffic was backed up for that. I turned off toward the Menehune Fishponds, to try and see something, anyway. At least that was nice.



We worked our way back up to the highway at Kipu Road, hoping we'd come out past the backup. No such luck. It was still backed up as far as we could see, in both directions. Even WAZE couldn't tell us where it ended. It showed a solid red line forEVER. So much for the south shore! We turned back toward town, and decided to drive to Kapa'a.

No sooner had I made that decision, than traffic came to a full stop on the road through Hanamaulu. After we got past that, and turned left to head up to Kapa'a, traffic again got very heavy, very slow, and eventually came to a stop. <sigh>

We finally got to Kapa'a, and dropped into Specialty Lumber, where we'd bought the raw Koa wood for my clock. I was hoping they'd have some curly Koa my clock guy wants. No such luck. They had some, but they were very big pieces, and selling for a lot more money than we were expecting to spend. My clock guy will have to keep looking.

Back at the main road, and traffic in both directions was heavy. The weather was threatening to rain some more, and I was tired of the traffic. We headed back to the condo for a little peace and quiet. It's nice here. It's not so nice out on the roads. I still have no idea what was happening on the road heading toward the south shore. That was crazy.

The high point of the day was stopping at McDonald's for another Haupia pie. Life is good.

Dave

 

[slip]

I was hoping you would have better luck at the lumber yard. Sounds like you got the same story we did.

We were pretty lucky with traffic and never ran into what you did. We had a couple of slow ups but nothing like what you described.

My wife likes those Haupia pies so much that it doesn’t even bother me going to McDonald’s on Kauai.

 

[DaveNV]

I was hoping you would have better luck at the lumber yard. Sounds like you got the same story we did.

We were pretty lucky with traffic and never ran into what you did. We had a couple of slow ups but nothing like what you described.

My wife likes those Haupia pies so much that it doesn’t even bother me going to McDonald’s on Kauai.

The lumberyard guy remembered us buying the wood ~18 months ago. He was quite impressed with the picture of the finished clock. I asked if he'd be willing to lop an end off a piece of the curly Koa wood, and he said No. Oh well. It was worth a shot.

This was a first for us, traffic-wise. Something major must have been happening down south. But it did make me wonder if the day is coming when traffic here is all gridlock. With only one main road to get around, it could get really bad.

The Haupia pie thing is a seasonal one, I guess. Wonder what they'll replace it with?

Dave

 

[slip]

We’ve had the Taro Pie too and liked those as well.

 

[DaveNV]

This morning we finally had a nice sunrise. It's been very rainy and overcast. Today looks to be a very nice day.

Dave

 

[Greg G]

Very Nice. Sounds like you're having a great time. So what are your snorkeling plans?

Greg

 

[DaveNV]

Very Nice. Sounds like you're having a great time. So what are your snorkeling plans?

Greg

I'm having fun, thanks. Unfortunately, the weather has been so poor, and surf so high, snorkeling isn't likely to happen this week. I tried it yesterday at Poipu Beach, thinking that was going to be the calmest beach, but the lifeguards were telling people to stay out of the water on one side of the beach, because it was too rough and there were undertows. On the side where people were allowed to swim, the surf was so rough I couldn't get past the rocky area. I got tossed around, and finally gave up. The people who did manage to get out there were coming back saying they couldn't see anything. We went down to the beach opposite Lawai Beach Resort, and it was even rougher. Unless something on the northern end of the island works out tomorrow, I'll have to save the snorkeling for another trip.

Dave

 

[DaveNV]

We drove out to Waimea today, and went up the canyon. At the Canyon Overlook, things were clear, and we could see quite a distance. The waterfall across the canyon had more water in it than I've seen before.

On the way back we drove through Hanapepe Town, and then stopped in at the Kalaheo Cafe for lunch. Fresh grilled Ahi with pepper jack cheese and spicy fresh mango salsa, served on garlic flatbread as an open-faced sandwich, with a pasta salad on the side. It was most excellent!



Stopped at Costco for gas, and picked up another package of their excellent School Kine Cookies, "Cornflake Butter Crunch Nibbles." These are made on Oahu, and are only sold in Hawaii. Very addicting!



And speaking of unexpected finds, this morning we had a great breakfast at Kauai Beach Resort, the Aqua-managed hotel adjacent to Kauai Beach Villas. As we were leaving the gift shop (mandatory drop-in shopping. Duh!) I saw these strange things on a wall. Can anyone tell me what they are?



Dave

 

[LisaH]

Haha. These phones will soon become antique...
Will have to try the Cookies in a couple of weeks.

 

[DaveNV]

Will have to try the Cookies in a couple of weeks.

We're finishing our second bag. Started on Maui last week, got another bag when we arrived on Kauai. We bought a bag to take home, and I got one today to send to Hawaiian friends who live in Virginia. They can't get these there. The company sells them on their website, but a 26oz bag is $22.00. Costco sells them for $10. No brainer.

Dave

 

[DaveNV]

All great things come to an end, and sadly, this trip is on its last leg. Today is check-out day, and time to fly home. We'll have one last breakfast next door at Kauai Beach Resort's Naupauka Terrace cafe, then load the car and make our way to the airport.

The last few days have been one of driving around and seeing sights, catching up with a few friends who live here, getting last minute things we're taking home, sunset dinner last night at the Beach House Restaurant, and generally winding down at the end of our vacation. It's been a very relaxing time away, and we're ready to face the real world again.

If there has been a negative to our time on Kauai, it's about traffic. Over the years, I've expected and experienced backups along the main road between Lihue and Kapa'a during rush hour. But this trip has seen massive backups between Lihue and Kapa'a and beyond heading north, long backups in both directions all the way through Kapa'a, and from the Kauai Beach Villas resort to Lihue, and for long distances past Lihue when heading south. Yesterday we spent probably an hour or more in stop-and-go traffic in three locations, and none of it had anything to do with rush hour. It was just too many vehicles on the road. There was no construction, no accident, or anything to cause it, other than plain old gridlock.

The woman working at The Kauai Store on the north end of Kapa'a said that the recent flood has shown them the damage the huge volume of traffic has done to the roads at the north end of the island. She said they're looking at implementing a shuttle system to move people around up there, to reduce the traffic volume.

Whatever they do, this island needs to address traffic concerns while they have options, and before it becomes a total gridlock.

One last picture. Over the last week I've enjoyed seeing the little lizards that crawled out of the ground cover next to the lanai at our condo. The little guy pictured below has been a frequent visitor. Yesterday morning he was sunning himself, while lowering and raising his skin flap under his chin. With the rising sun behind him, it made for a great picture. He's about six inches long, counting his tail.

Thanks for reading along, and joining me on this vacation. It's been a good one. Thanks to everyone for the tips and hints. You've helped make this trip very nice.

Dave

 

[slip]

Thanks for taking us along!! Looked like both legs were great!!

 

[DaveNV]

It was very, very relaxing. I could do this again.

Dave

 

[geist1223]

Remember if you like Kauai (Patti's favorite Island) tell all your family and friends to go to the BI, Maui, or Oahu. Too many visitors will destroy all that is good on Kauai.

 

[geoand]

The only thing mo betta than Spam is Portuguese Sausage Spam!!!

 

[lockewong]

Haha. I grew up with something similar in China so I like it in sandwich

Same here, except is was my Cantonese Mom who made Spam Fried rice for us as a special lunch. Did not know growing up in San Francisco that there was an Asian, Pacific Islander, Northwest, Minnesota connection.