On the Crown: 28 Days in the S. Pacific and it Wasn't Bora Boraing

[SailorJack]

We are now in Kauai! It is the geologically oldest of the Hawaiian Islands and the 21st largest island in the United States. It is also the island where Captain Cook first landed. In less than 10 minutes after leaving the ship we had hired a guide along with two other couples and set about to explore the island. As Waimea Canyon was on our "must see" list, we first set out along the southern coast.

 

 

The scenery was breathtakingly beautiful. The next shots are of the mountains as we drove along the coast. This first picture was taken less than 5minutes after leaving the port area.

 

 

 

 

Further along the highway.

 

 

 

 

This is the Huleia River at the bottom of this photo.

 

 

 

 

This is the Alekoko Menehune Fish Pond. It was built on the Huleia River to catch fish nearly 1000 years ago. Legend has it that it was built by the mythical Menehunes - who were purported to live on the island before the arrival of the Hawaiians. The walls of the pond are made of lava stone and are set so flush that they do not leak. The stone walls extend for 900 feet in total length and are 5 feet tall. According to legend it was built by the Menehunes in one night! The pond is on the National List of Historic Places.

 

 

[DavyJoneses]

I just reread your review...LOL...I see you are a fan of Jefferson Airplane.

:D Missed that one first time around.:D

[SailorJack]

Been there and done that. On our cruise to Can/NE fall of '13, I was in such a hurry to get to a location, I missed my step, fell, scraped knees & Busted my New Camera!

 

As for posting pictures, I have them on Flickr.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/122061682@N04/sets/

 

Just Mike

 

GREAT! I will look them up. Sorry about your camera, but it appears you got a new one.:)

[SailorJack]

Been there and done that. On our cruise to Can/NE fall of '13, I was in such a hurry to get to a location, I missed my step, fell, scraped knees & Busted my New Camera!

 

As for posting pictures, I have them on Flickr.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/122061682@N04/sets/

 

Just Mike

 

Those were really neat pictures you took from the plane - gave a different perspective to Waimea. Some of your other photos looked like we stood in the same spot to take a picture - especially at Rainbow Falls.:)

[RetiredNTraveling]

Those were really neat pictures you took from the plane - gave a different perspective to Waimea. Some of your other photos looked like we stood in the same spot to take a picture - especially at Rainbow Falls.:)

 

The flight was so great that we plan on doing it this trip! As for "touristy photos" :p well it seems like we went to the most common site on our 1st trip. But such is life! We have been scanning through some of your other pictures vacations. Living vicariously through other peoples photos and reviews.. :eek: :D

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/122061682@N04/sets/

 

Just Mike

[SailorJack]

I just reread your review...LOL...I see you are a fan of Jefferson Airplane.

:D Missed that one first time around.:D

 

You caught the white rabbit reference LOL. I couldn't resist having a little fun with that. I like to watch her performance at Woodstock on UTube.

[KruzeKrazy!]

And after 40 years with my wife Im so greatful that I was able to "Find Somebody to Love..."

 

Now there's another reference to Grace that was pretty Slick...! :- )

[sssteele]

Slick...we saw Airplane for $2 at Rec Hall, PSU when she was pregnant. What a show, and great story about how she got about half the audience to leave just 30 minutes into the concert.

 

Joanie

[SailorJack]

After leaving the fish pond, we crossed over to the coast and spent some time wading in the ocean. As you can see, the beaches are spotless and nearly empty. We also saw a number of sea turtles riding the waves into shore. This was a really enjoyable spot. To bad we didn't have a picnic lunch with us.

 

 

 

 

 

 

After the beach, our driver took us through a neighborhood to see local architecture. While this picture looks like it is advertising a car, the photo was really of the hanging plants on the eave of the house. This was pretty common in the area and we were told that these plants were actually alive. Hard to believe. I forget their name, but I think it had something to do with "beard."

 

 

 

Next stop was at Ke Kahua O Kaneiolouma. This is an ancient cultural site that was the location of the Hawaiian village of Po'ipu - dating from the mid 1400's. It covers 13 acres and is currently under restoration. The four totems each face one of the four compass directions. A very interesting stop.

 

 

 

 

This is the Prince Kuhio Park Monument. He was the last royal heir to the Hawaiian throne and later served as a delegate to the US Congress. The park contains the foundation of his home as well as a fishpond. His birthday, March 26, is a state holiday. You can just make out the foundation of the house in back of the monument.

 

 

[SailorJack]

And after 40 years with my wife Im so greatful that I was able to "Find Somebody to Love..."

 

Now there's another reference to Grace that was pretty Slick...! :- )

 

Very Good! With our combined knowledge Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now.:)

 

Jack

[yukongold]

Slick...we saw Airplane for $2 at Rec Hall, PSU when she was pregnant. What a show, and great story about how she got about half the audience to leave just 30 minutes into the concert.

 

Joanie

 

Jefferson Airplane played at UCSD when I was there. The concert was held in he gym and they had placed mats of the floor where we were sitting so we would not scratch the basketball floor. About half way through their second song, Grace stopped singing and told the audience, "We are not a concert band, we are a dance band - so get up and dance!" Everyone cheered, got up, threw the mats to the side (much to the dismay of the admin officials there) and rocked out. I have been a fan of hers ever since.

[SailorJack]

OK... I am going to get one of those cameras before my next cruise!

 

If you do, don't do what I did. I bought it just two days before I left and as a result, I lost a lot of pictures because I didn't understand underwater photography. Get it in plenty of time to experiment and get used to it. Good Luck.

 

Jack

[SailorJack]

Jefferson Airplane played at UCSD when I was there. The concert was held in he gym and they had placed mats of the floor where we were sitting so we would not scratch the basketball floor. About half way through their second song, Grace stopped singing and told the audience, "We are not a concert band, we are a dance band - so get up and dance!" Everyone cheered, got up, threw the mats to the side (much to the dismay of the admin officials there) and rocked out. I have been a fan of hers ever since.

 

Great story. I first saw the Airplane at a school function also - they must have played a lot of campuses. Their opening act was a group called "The Seeds" which sort of fit in with the 60's.:D

[SailorJack]

These were our last two stops before we head into the interior of the island to see Waimea Canyon.

 

This is Spouting Horn Beach Park on the Poipu coast. It is said to be the most photographed landmark on the island and nearly every tour bus stops here. The blowhole is a favorite stop for tours and you can watch as each oncoming wave forces water into a lava tube and up through the blowhole - creating a hollow hiss and roar. The water spout that is created can reach as high as 50 feet.

 

Another explanation: Legend has it that a giant moo (lizard) lived here and ate people who tried to use the beach. Then a young boy outwitted the moo by attacking the moo and then swimming into the lava tube and escaping up through a small hole. The moo followed the boy and got stuck in the lava tube. Thus, today you can hear the moo's roar and see her breath spraying from the blowhole. So much better than the scientific explanation!

 

 

 

This is a shot of the Poipu coast near the blowhole. There were very nice picnic grounds here and it is a very beautiful area.

 

 

 

 

The State Bird of Hawaii is the Nene - or Hawaiian Goose, but on Kauai people joke that the island's "official" bird in the Moa - or Wild Chicken. Originally brought to the island for other purposes, they were freed when hurricanes ripped apart the chicken coops - freeing the birds. With no natural predators they now roam everywhere and this one came up to us looking to be fed.

 

 

 

 

This is the Old Sugar Mill Monument. This is the sight of the first successful sugar plantation in Hawaii. It is now designated a National Historical Landmark. According to the attached placque, the bronze sculpture honors and depicts the 8 principle groups that brought the sugar industry to life - Hawaiian, Caucasian, Puerto Rican, Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Portuguese , and Filipino. It is located in Old Kola Town which is (according to Jill) a delightful little village with boutiques, unique little shops, and delightful restaurants, galleries and gift shops.

 

 

[7leagueboots]

Really enjoying the photos. By the way, the Old Town IS a great place to shop!:)

[SailorJack]

We are now starting up into the mountains and we stopped at an overlook to look down on the town of Waimea. The mouth of the Waimea River is the spot where Captain Cook first stepped ashore on the Hawaiian Islands in 1778. There is a nice statue and monument commemorating the event, but there were so many tour buses there we elected to skip the photo op.

 

 

 

 

The island you can see very faintly in the background is Ni'ihau. It lies 17.5 miles across the Kaulakahi Channel from Kauai, and is the seventh largest of the inhabited Hawaiian islands. It is also privately owned! It was purchased from the Kingdom of Hawaii in 1864 for $10,000. It is also known as the "Forbidden Isle" as it is off limits to everyone except the relatives of the island's owners and certain government officials. Recently it has permitted some limited helicopter tours. The current owners have declined all offers to purchase the island - including an offer of $1 Billion from the US government.

 

 

 

 

The landscape going to the mountain was simply awesome.

 

 

 

 

 

Next up - Waimea Canyon - The Grand Canyon of the Pacific.

[callmedeb]

I love you.

 

Seriously. You made my day. Thanks!

[SailorJack]

I love you.

 

Seriously. You made my day. Thanks!

 

 

Blush :) As one Canadian to another...thank you. Hope you are enjoying the pictures...more coming...didn't have a chance to edit any more last night.

[DavyJoneses]

I had no idea that one of the Hawaiian Islands was privately owned! Live and learn - one of the nice things about this site! A geograhy lesson.:)

[SailorJack]

This is Waimea Canyon State Park. The scenery up here was breathtaking and the pictures really don't do it justice. It was clearly worth the long drive up here. The canyon is 3000 feet deep and was caused by two events - the continual erosion caused by the Waimea River and the collapse of the volcano which formed the island. There are numerous hiking trails up here and some very good picnic spots. Next time here, we will probably rent a car and come up and hike - the views are simply spectacular.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[cnd crsr]

Your great pics bring back such good memories of Hawaii! Especially to help warm me up in our Canadian frigid winter. Waimea Canyon was a highlight for us. I can hardly wait to see the next photo installment. Thanks.

[KruzeKrazy!]

While not as grand in size as the Grand Canyon I think in many ways Waimea is more beautiful with so many colors versus Grand which, while very striking due to its grandeur, is more shades of browns.

 

And to me all your photos are award-winning quality. I can't wait for your FP ones as we eagerly await our first cruise there this fall for our 40th.

[SailorJack]

The canyon was so impressive I just had to post a couple more pictures. The waterfall empties into the Waimea River. The water for the waterfall comes from the Alaka'i swamp which is the largest high-elevation swamp in the world. Of note, the Waimea River runs for a little over 12 miles and is one of the longest rivers in Hawaii. The run-off from the red clay and rocks of the canyon actually give rise to the name of the river. "Waimea" in Hawaiian means "reddish water"

 

 

 

 

 

[chamima]

This is Waimea Canyon State Park. The scenery up here was breathtaking and the pictures really don't do it justice. It was clearly worth the long drive up here. The canyon is 3000 feet deep and was caused by two events - the continual erosion caused by the Waimea River and the collapse of the volcano which formed the island. There are numerous hiking trails up here and some very good picnic spots. Next time here, we will probably rent a car and come up and hike - the views are simply spectacular.

 

 

 

 

 

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Jack,

Your pictures are breathtaking!!!

I know you said you'd just rent a car next time but what kind of a tour did you take this time? (If you posted that earlier I apologize)

[SailorJack]

Jack,

Your pictures are breathtaking!!!

I know you said you'd just rent a car next time but what kind of a tour did you take this time? (If you posted that earlier I apologize)

 

Almost as soon as you get off the pier there are a number of taxis waiting for customers. Along with another couple we hired one of the taxis. He charged $60 an hour, so divided among 4 people it was only $15 an hour to get a private tour. We simply told him what we wanted to see and if we saw something we liked we just had him stop. He also suggested some things to see that we did not know about. We used him for about 5 hours so we got an excellent private tour of the island for $75 a person.