Kauai is the fourth largest Hawaiian island and the oldest at 6 million years old. One of the wettest spots on earth, with an annual average rainfall of 460 inches, is located on the east side of Mount Waialeale. The high annual rainfall has eroded deep valleys in the central mountains, carving out canyons with many scenic waterfalls. On the west side of the island, Waimea town is located at the mouth of the Waimea River, whose flow formed Waimea Canyon, one of the world's most scenic canyons, and which is part of Waimea Canyon State Park. At 3,000 feet deep, Waimea Canyon is often referred to as "The Grand Canyon of the Pacific."
We stayed at the Sheraton Kauai in the south where the people could not have been nicer. The road goes around the island like a C, going everywhere but through the Napali Coast. We took the northern route one day and the southern route to the canyon the next day. The beaches on the northern shore are beautiful, the surf unpredictable like the weather. January is rainy season so we had some rain and then it would clear up. But a few storms made the water too rough to go in. The surfers use boards. Norman is an Atlantic Ocean body surfer so he had a hard time finding the right beach with the appropriate waves and flooring for body surfing.
More in the next post about the southern route.
Photographs: From the top: Route 56 north beach, Route 56 north beach, Sheraton Kauai Palm Trees,, Sheraton Kauai view from our room.
My favorite parts of Kauai are on the Napali Coast, especially a section called The Cathedrals, pointy cliffs covered in green that look like gothic cathedrals, and Poli Hale Beach, accessible only by 4-wheel drive.
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