Kauai

 To celebrate Ken's retirement, we went to Kauai for two weeks.  It was such a fun, relaxing vacation.

 We left early on Friday morning and drove to Vegas to catch our plane to Hawaii.  It was supposed to be a direct flight to Honolulu, but when we got over the ocean beyond California, the pilot turned around and took us to L.A.  He said it was minor mechanical problems that they needed to check out.  Those “minor” problems took about four hours to sort out.  For the first half of that, we were just stuck on the plane.  But then they gave us meal vouchers and turned us loose in the airport to go and get lunch.  They said to be back in one - two hours.  We got back at one hour, and they were loading everyone on.  It still took another hour to get us going.  Anyway, I guess they got it fixed, because we made it to Honolulu just fine.  They had arranged for our flight to Kauai to be changed, and we had just a short wait.  We were very pleased with the gorgeous resort – Kauai Coast Resort- and our perfect room.  We were on the first floor, looking out on the garden, just a few feet from the beautiful pool and very close to the ocean.   These beautiful flowers were all around the garden:

We started Saturday morning by going to a Farmer's Market.

Only in Hawaii!!!!  Whole Roasting Pig.  Great for Smoking, Grilling or Roasting

We then went to Costco and the grocery store to get all stocked up for our two-week stay.  We had to try out our favorite Hawaiian treat: Shave Ice.

Over our two- week stay, we saw so much beautiful scenery,  Wow!  Kauai is one of the most beautiful places on earth.  It's how I imagine the Garden of Eden.

Wailoa Falls

Beautiful Country

What is this? you ask.  Dollar bills stuck to the ceiling of a restaurant.  Why?  I don't know.

We ate so much delicious food.  I felt that my contribution to society should be to conduct research on fish tacos- where you could get the best ones.  I ordered fish tacos at least five or six times.  My conclusion:  they were best at a little shop just next door to our resort.  Unfortunately, I can't remember the name of it.  I guess I'll have to go back!  These were good, though.

We did a lot of beaching and snorkeling;

Eel

I LOVE to snorkel and take pictures.  We bought an underwater camera and had so much fun snapping pictures of the under ocean life.

This poor guy must have had a battle with someone or something.

This turtle was very large and must be very old.  You can see the growths on him.

Ken feeding the fish.

My underwater selfie.

"Really?  It's all gone.  Let me see for myself."

We visited the Kilauea Lighthouse a couple of times.  It was so beautiful out there and there were many rare species of birds to be seen.  We met a very nice wildlife photographer out there who gave Ken the name of a guide who would take him on an adventure.  I'll tell you about that in a minute. . . 

Being from the desert, the green was breathtaking to me.

Taro fields

These chickens are EVERYWHERE on Kauai!

Wai'oli Hui'ia Church.  It's one of the most famous churches in all of Hawaii.  Their choir is well-known.

Sunset on Ke'e Beach

Napali Coast at sunset

We went up to Waimea Canyon- the Grand Canyon of Kauai - one day and up to the beautiful overlooks above there.  

The beautiful Napali Coast 

This one's for you Shonna and  Patty!

The pictures don't adequately capture it and it's impossible to describe the beauty of the Napali Coast from above.

We ate at the restaurant right at our resort a couple of times.  The food was delicious.  This is a seafood grill in a coconut-chili sauce.  No, I didn't lick my plate.  Yes, I wanted to.

Ken's favorite cream brulee'

Molten Chocolate Cake

Tunnel of Trees

Back to the Lighthouse.

Red-tailed tropic bird- a rare bird.  Ken got a great in-flight picture. 

Kind of hard to see, but those two white specks are fledgling Layson Albatross getting ready to go on their very long flight out over the ocean.  The wildlife photographer was sure excited about this sighting.  He said he thought they had probably tried the flight and came back.  He said that Albatross stay out flying over the ocean for many days at a time.  

Hidden or Secret Beach.  This beach is hard to get to.  Ken later hiked down to it.  He said it was the most beautiful beach we went to and no one was there.  

A nesting Wedge-tailed Shearwater

It's hard to tell in this picture, but all of those little white specks are nesting birds- Red-footed Boobies.  The mountain was covered with them.   

The best meals we had were two we barbecued at our resort on Sundays.  Ahi Tuna with mango salsa.  For the recipe go here.

More snorkeling pictures taken at Tunnels beach.

As mentioned earlier, Ken spent a day with this man- David Kuhn.  He is a wildlife guide and took Ken up on the volcano to see endemic species of birds.  On previous trips to Hawaii, Ken has sought, but never seen the illusive I'iwi  bird.  Finally, with David's guidance- and a lot of hiking- Ken saw the I'iwi and a lot of other new lifelister birds.  It was a great day for him.

We arranged for a tour of the Hindu temple and monastery on Kauai.  It is in a most beautiful setting, but we didn't enjoy it much.  We went with open minds and a desire to learn more about Hinduism, but came away from the guided tour with dark feelings.  My conclusion from that two hour experience: Hinduism is idol worship.

Our guide.

They are building this temple.  It is all intricately carved stone and will take many years to complete.

The setting was absolutely gorgeous.

We watched a brief Hindu ceremony.  Part of it included spilling rice and scattering it to feed the birds.  It was kind of a Pavlov experience.  The birds came flocking as soon as they heard the bells ringing.

Our beautiful resort

More delicious food at our restaurant at the resort- the Hukilau.

My dessert- Macademia nut tart.  Oh yea!

More snorkeling pictures- really?  . . . sorry.  You should see all the ones I didn't include.

Hawaii's State Fish:  Humuhumunukunukuapua'a

Yes and more Hawaiian shave ice at Hee Fat General Store.  

David Kuhn, the bird guide, told Ken that if went to a beach park near our resort at sunset, we could see the Dark-rumped Petrel.  Each night they gather near the shore at the mouth of the river and fly up the mountain to roost.  So we went out our last night there and we did see them.  It was absolutely gorgeous out there at sunset.

A Hawaiian fisherman was there and we watched him catch a fish from the shore.  

The saddest day of every vacation.  Waiting for our flight home in Honolulu.

ALOHA!!!!!