Morning of the second day. After a quick breakfast in the hotel, we go, again, to the information desk. Yesterday we drove down south, so today we want to go north. The information desk have another friendly and helpful agent that show us on the map all the interesting places we can go to. We start driving around 11am (11am in Hawaii, is it 9am or 1pm in California?). Well, this is a relaxing vacation so we want to take it slow and enjoy it.
The first stop that was recommended at the information desk for a flower lover like me is an Orchid Store next to Pono Market. She said the owner of the store also transplants orchids to create new variation that we wouldn't be able to find anywhere else; they took orders from all the states in the US, and shipped to the customers since you were not allowed to carry plants and fruits out of Hawaii. Well, the main reason we want to stop by this orchid store is that I love flowers. Besides, it's pretty close to the hotel and on our way to the north.
We park on the street close to Pono Market and walk to the Orchid Store. It's a regular store, so don't expect it to be very big. But yes, there's some very interesting orchids that I haven't seen before. We are not planning on buying anything, so we just spend here about 10-15 minutes, and then walk to Pono Market and other stores in the area. Oh, I get a colorful flower neck wreath.... and we're on our way to the north!
The next stop is supposed to be Kilauea Light House, but on the way from Pono Market to the Lighthouse, we do quite a few stops in beaches along the way. So many people swimming and playing in the water. There's actually a very nice beach with a beautiful view just next to our hotel, but we've been so busy exploring the south shore and the north shore that we haven't had a few moments to enjoy it yet LOL... Anyway, if you want, you can swim anywhere around here. So many wonderful beaches everywhere.
After getting lost a little more, we finally we get to the Lighthouse in the National Wildlife Refuge. When you walk to the lighthouse, the views are amazing. There is $5 entrance fee per person, which is not too bad at all, right? Even though they don't let anyone into the actual lighthouse, from the peninsula we could enjoy a spectacular view of the Secret Beach nearby. We could also use the binoculars for closer look at dolphins, birds...., or watch and hear the waves crashing against the shore. What a gorgeous moment!
Kīlauea Lighthouse is located on Kīlauea Point on the island of Kauai, Hawaii in the Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge.Built in 1913 as a navigational aid for commercial shipping between Hawaii and the Orient, Kīlauea Point Lighthouse stands as a monument to Hawaii's colorful past. For years, it guided ships and boats safely along Kauai’s rugged north shore with it’s signature double-flash.
This place also functions as a bird sanctuary, that is home to seabirds, Nene (Hawaiian geese) and the like. Each year, thousands of migratory seabirds use Kīlauea Point National Wildlife Refuge for nesting, foraging, or resting. Laysan Albatrosses, Red-footed Boobies, Brown Boobies, Red-tailed and White-tailed Tropicbirds, Great Frigatebirds, and Wedge-tailed Shearwaters all visit the refuge. In addition, migratory shorebirds, such as the kōlea, can be seen August through May.
Well, we're here just before X'mas so, it's not the right time to see birds. Mostly some dophins, Hawaiian geese, and some far away whales... We mostly enjoy the marvellous vistas from the lighthouse. 30-45 minutes later, it's time to move on. We have a busy day ahead of us.
It's a little late for lunch and we are craving some food. On the way we found Princeville, with a little shopping center, Princeville Center, right on the side of the road. You might want to shop for beautiful things or sit down and relax with some good food. Since we don't want to waste a lot of time sitting down, we just picked up something quick to fill up our empty tummies.
Before we continue west along the north shore on Kuhio Highway, we pull into the Hanalei Valley look-out that is just across from Princeville Center. It's just a vista point, but the view of taro fields and the mountains behind them is incredible. With the sun shining through the clouds, the view really's amazing. Just 5 more minutes to enjoy this fantastic view, take some nice shots, and we're back on the road.
After the lookout, the road goes down to the valley, and goes just next to the beach in the area of Hanalei Bay. Just one row of big trees between the road and this beautiful beach. It was still sunny and we decide to stop for a while. At this point it's easy to tell that nice beaches are abundant in Hawaii, hm....even right next to our hotel.
Our last stop for the day is at Haena Beach Park, which is close to the end of the north shore. Even though Ke'e Beach (the last beach that is accessible by car) is not far from Haena Beach, we still want to come back another day for the beautiful trail.
The sun was going down, but we still have a good time at the beach. There are many reefs/rocks as you can see in pictures below. Walking in the water was great, we have a lot of fun to play with water, just be careful when you step on slippery rocks underwater. Sitting back to enjoy the view atop the huge rocks that are jumping out of the water. Smell the fresh ocean air and listen to the waves crushing against the rocks we are sitting on. Such a peaceful moment cannot be expressed in words....
Haena State Park is a state park located on the north shore of the Hawaiian island of Kauai. It lies at the "end of the road" and marks the end point of the Kuhio Highway.The park provides access to beaches, trails, and severalancient Hawaiian sites, including sea caves estimated to be more than 4,000 years old. It is a scenic wildland park, and is an extremely well-known destination for both visitors and locals.
It's getting late. Around 6:30pm, we decide to head back....hm....It will take an hour and a half to get back our hotel.. a really long day with a lot of driving. In return, we had a really good time exploring Kauai's north shore.
When we get back to the Kapaa area, about 10 minutes from the hotel, we stop at Bubba Burger for dinner. We're very hungry, and it's so warm inside. A chance to sit down and relax after a long day. I like sitting at our table and watch the cooks grilling the meat patties and making burgers for customers. Waiting for the food and warming up from the cold night outside, we look around this small but nice burger stop. They have a very interesting decoration and slogans.. But the main thing is - "our burgers and french fries are so yummy". We really want to back here a few more times before leaving Kauai.
Back to the hotel room. Again, we get rid of the shoes and put on some flip-flops. Take the laptop to the big lobby to smell the fresh air while surfing the internet. Return the old dvds and pick up some new ones. We also talk about the rest of the trip - which places we want to go to, and which day to do each. So we pretty much have it all planed.... and now.... it's so nice to let the body fall down on the matress after a long day.... hm.... sweet dream everyone!