Kauai Not?

Tired of winter? Wondering when the myth of the start of spring will finally become a reality? Willing to skip spring altogether so that you can jump right to the summer vacation? Still pondering where to take that vacation? Why not Kauai, Hawaii? Now, I realize everyone has probably at one time or another thought about going to Hawaii. So this post isn't really going to tell you something not already lurking in your sub-conscious. I'm just telling you to finally listen to your sub-conscious. Stop making excuses and settling for the same convenient yearly vacation destination, because I promise you, there will come a day when you look back on your life and regret not being a more adventurous traveler.

Let me tell you a secret. Hawaii is beautiful. Not really a secret I guess, but picture it. White, red, and black sand beaches. Arguably some of the most picturesque waterfalls in the world. Turquoise waters teeming with vibrant underwater life. Lava flows hissing and smoking when they reach the water. Lush tropical landscapes best explored on foot, or more lazily from high above in a door-less helicopter. And the food? Wake you taste buds kalua pig, lomi lomi salmon, poi, and the sweetest, juiciest fruit you've ever tasted. There's something for everyone on the Hawaiian islands and it can be as affordable as you want it to be. Flights and lodging won't be cheap, and unless you do some kind of group tour, you'll need to rent a car to thoroughly explore any of the islands. But these options don't have to break the bank either. If your schedule allows, fly mid-week and go during the off-season to save a few bucks. If you can convince other friends and family to join you, splitting the cost of a house rental can also allow you to splurge elsewhere. I'd plan on exploring more than just one island if you've taken the time to go all that way, but you can certainly enjoy a Hawaiian vacation if you only have the time and money to explore just one.

Once on the islands, much of Hawaii can be enjoyed for free. All beaches have free public access, and if you pack your own gear, you can snorkel for free until your heart's content. Hiking allows you free access to much of the varied scenery as well. Shop at farmer's markets to enjoy unique local cuisine, and when you do splurge, I'd spend your money on a helicopter ride, lava cruise, whale watching (when in season), and a luau. During any vacation, try to spend your hard earned money doing things you can't do at home and during your typical yearly vacation.

If my words haven't yet convinced you to take a trip to Hawaii, perhaps these images can do the convincing for me. Cheers.

One of the prettier Kauai sunrises we saw just outside our oceanfront condo.

A sunning seal making its way back into the water on Larson's beach.

Albatross mating ritual

Our February visit to Kauai was the mating and subsequent birthing season for the albatross.

I see you peeking out from under the wing.

A breaching humpback whale seen from the shores of the Kilauea Lighthouse. I've never seen whales so close to the shore, but it's not uncommon at that time of the year to see breaching whales from the shore and during a typical whale watching trip.

Red Cap Cardinal

Pink Hibiscus

Another sunrise with the clouds reflecting in a pool of ocean water on volcanic rock along the shoreline.

Preparing for an early morning helicopter ride above the island of Kauai. No doors is definitely the way to go. It's a bit chilly, but you don't have to worry about glass reflections in your pictures. We chose Jack Harter Helicopters for our tour. Most tour companies are priced similarly but you might not always get the length ride you're promised. These companies advertise trips between 45-55 minutes but often count your time boarding and disembarking as part of the included trip time. Jack Harter made it a point to have 60 minutes of in air time and had a clock on the dashboard of the helicopter displaying how long we'd been in air. Definitely a worthwhile splurge.

Views from high above. Definitely pack warm clothes for your Hawaiian vacation. A door-less helicopter flight will be chilly and if you go to the top of a volcano for nighttime star gazing or an early morning sunrise, temperatures can be near freezing. 

When you're taking photos from a fast moving vehicle, make sure to use a really fast shutter speed and medium aperture to get the clearest pictures with sufficient depth of field.

Waip'o Falls in Waimea Canyon. This canyon is known as the Grand Canyon of the Pacific. 

Much of the coastline of Kauai is only accessible by foot. This is one of those areas. Look at the color of the water. We could even see whales and dolphins during our flight.

It was certainly beautiful flying above the clouds and still having amazing views of the terrain.

Hanakapi'ai Falls as seen from above. Take note of the trail of water from high atop the mountains and follow it to the bend in the lower quarter of the picture just before it plunges into the pool below. 

This is the portion of those same falls in the lower quarter of the photo above. We were able to access this portion of the falls during our 8 mile round trip hike to Hanakapi'ai Falls. Easily one of the 2 or 3 best hikes I've ever done.

You have to be a bit adventurous climbing along the canyon walls to get the viewpoint for this picture, but it's so worth it. It's amazing to me looking back at that picture I took from the helicopter, that this 300' portion of the falls is so small in comparison to its entire length.

That water was really cold at the base of those falls, but so refreshing.

Sunset silhouette 

More sunset

Panoramic sunset from the beach outside our condo. (A picture taken by Sara using our Panasonic Lumix).

A bit too much light in the areas around our condo to get amazing views of the stars, but it was nice there wasn't any wind blurring the leaves of the palm trees. This was a nearly 2 minute exposure using a flashlight to illuminate the trees for the first 20-30 seconds of the shot.

More delayed exposure fun. The sun might not have been great for sunrise pictures that morning, but because of the lack of sun, it was easy to take ethereal pictures of waves as they swirled around volcanic rocks.

Waimea Pier

Renting cheap snorkel gear only cost a few bucks for the week. I'd still advise bringing your own so you can snorkel at a moment's notice with higher quality gear.

These surf pictures were taken at Hanakapi'ai Beach. After the waves crashed into the volcanic rock shoreline, the surf would then return to the deeper waters. When the regressing surf collided with the incoming surf, you'd then get waves in these fun shapes seen here and in the pictures below.

A little creative editing.

Tiger tortoise

Sara enjoys her baby animals.

These trees were featured in the movie, "Jurassic Park." They are known as the Moreton Bay fig tree. Their roots are massive and nearly came up to my shoulders at the base of the tree.

There trees can be found at the Allerton National Tropical Botanical Garden.

The beautiful Orange Jade.

Hawaiian Luau. This pig was cooked for hours in an earth oven covered with banana leaves, scalding hot volcanic rock, and dirt. 

The Smith Family Garden Luau was definitely a worthwhile splurge. It is held on the grounds of a beautiful botanical garden, the food is absolutely amazing (open bar as well), and the evening entertainment features traditional song and dance representing the nationalities of the various people who settled on Hawaii all of those years ago. While they're all going to be a bit touristy, I'd avoid doing your luau at a resort, and instead opt for this type of touristy option instead.

More contributions from Sara and the Panasonic Lumix.

I miss those sunrises.