Day 1 - waimea Canyon
Waimea Canyon is probably one of the sites Kauai is most known for. It is often referred to as "The Grand Canyon of the Pacific." It's located on the western side of the island, so it is a bit of a drive from the hotels in Poipu, Lihue, and Kapaa. But, this drive is worth it and a must-do adventure when coming to this island.
Going to Waimea Canyon was at the top of my list of things we had to do, so I made it our first adventure for our first full day on the island. We got up early because we were still on Pacific Standard Time, which is three hours later than Hawaii time. Because we were in a condo, we had picked up some things for breakfast and grabbed a quick bite before loading up in our cars and heading off.
Going to Waimea Canyon was at the top of my list of things we had to do, so I made it our first adventure for our first full day on the island. We got up early because we were still on Pacific Standard Time, which is three hours later than Hawaii time. Because we were in a condo, we had picked up some things for breakfast and grabbed a quick bite before loading up in our cars and heading off.
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We drove straight to the canyon, wanting to make it there early. From Kapaa, the city our hotel was located, it took us about an hour and twenty minutes to get to the state park. This drive seemed to go by quickly, as you tend to be busy taking in the new sites and the drive up to the canyon has some spectacular views. My advice is find yourself someone else to drive so you can look out the window the whole time and not miss the breathtaking views all the way up. As we got closer to the park, we saw several cars parked to the side with people getting out and hiking. This area is also a very popular hiking destination for many.
Once we got to the parking lot, parking was easy to find. There is an entrance fee, which currently is $5 per person, if you are not a Hawaiian resident and children under three are free. The fee for parking is an additional $10. Personally, it's worth the fee. I know that places such as state parks, that were once free or on the very cheap side, have either started charging a fee or have increased it significantly. Since the pandemic started, this is more common than ever. |
View to the left at the Waimea Canyon Lookout
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You then take a quick walk up a paved path to the lookout area. Once you are up there, it will most likely be busy, but we didn't have a hard time finding a spot to take in the majestic canyon and take some photos. The view itself is surreal. The bright red striped canyon is truly a site to take a while to just soak it all in.
For the kids, this was not the most exciting thing to do. But, there were chickens and roosters roaming everywhere which provided some good entertainment for Reagan and rocks to climb for Carson. And speaking of chickens, they are everywhere on Kauai! It was one of Reagan's favorite parts and she enjoyed seeing them all over.
For the kids, this was not the most exciting thing to do. But, there were chickens and roosters roaming everywhere which provided some good entertainment for Reagan and rocks to climb for Carson. And speaking of chickens, they are everywhere on Kauai! It was one of Reagan's favorite parts and she enjoyed seeing them all over.
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After spending enough time at the Waimea Canyon Lookout, we wanted to check out one other lookout I had read about. The most popular lookout that most people go to is the Kalalau Lookout. But, after doing my research, I found out the better lookout point is the Pu'u o Kila Lookout. Both provide stunning views of the Na Pali coastline.
Once there, we got out of our cars and walked up to the lookout area. I'm not really sure if I have ever seen a more terrific view. Nothing really compares to being able to see the green of the mountains meeting the stunning blue of the Pacific. The sky was clear and you could see out for what seemed like forever. An older gentleman was standing near us and he turned to us and said, "I've been coming to this viewpoint every year for the past ten years and I've never seen it this clear." We had been able to witness something pretty special that day.
Once there, we got out of our cars and walked up to the lookout area. I'm not really sure if I have ever seen a more terrific view. Nothing really compares to being able to see the green of the mountains meeting the stunning blue of the Pacific. The sky was clear and you could see out for what seemed like forever. An older gentleman was standing near us and he turned to us and said, "I've been coming to this viewpoint every year for the past ten years and I've never seen it this clear." We had been able to witness something pretty special that day.
View from Pu'u o Kila Lookout
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After spending the whole morning up at Waimea Canyon and feeling forever changed after seeing those stunning views, we headed down to find some lunch. My brother had recommended a place called Da Booze. They serve Hawaiian plate lunches and are located in the town of Waimea, which was about a 30 minute drive from Waimea Canyon. When we walked into this restaurant, I will be honest, I was a bit concerned. It's a rundown and appeared a bit sketchy. But the reviews on Yelp were good and my brother had been there before, so I just went with it and I'm glad I did. They served up some great chicken katsu that my kids devoured, the service was friendly and quick, and my dad even met a local who he chatted with the whole time about his experiences living on the island. You know when locals dine at a place, it's probably a sure bet!
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After lunch, another stop I wanted to make in Waimea was to a shop called Aunty Lilikoi's. This shop specializes in jellies, mustards, syrups, and several other things. When we stopped in, we were able to sample the different items. Their products are delicious and often have the starring ingredient of passion fruit. We bought several different items and my parents even had a bunch shipped back to the mainland right then and there from the store. Now that we have used up our supply, we still fantasize about these delicious treats. The tropical taste is unmatched by anything else we have ever tried.
Before leaving Waimea, we had to stop at one more place and get the kids a treat. It was our first full day in Hawaii and when in Hawaii, you have to get shave ice as much as possible. No one can make shave ice like they do in Hawaii. A place that had really good reviews and was located in Waimea was Jo Jo's Shave Ice. I won't say it is the best shave ice I have ever had because that was in Maui. But, the kids loved it and it was refreshing on the hot day. |
Shave ice at Jo Jo's Shave Ice in Waimea
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Visiting Kauai Coffee Company
By this point in the day, it was already getting to be later in the afternoon and I had one more stop that we had to make and that was at Kauai Coffee Company. We had passed this on our way to Waimea Canyon in the morning but were in too big of a hurry to stop. This was only fifteen minutes from Waimea, so we made sure to stop on our way back to the hotel. They have a visitor's center where you can sample their coffees, get some coffee for the road, take a tour, and learn all about coffee. We spent time sampling and walking around on our own, and of course, buying some coffee to take home with us.
We finally headed back to our hotel and by the time we got there, it was dinner time. Since we had eaten a later lunch, we decided to forgo dinner and head down to enjoy the swimming pool, which the kids had waited for all day.
The next day, we were ready to get our toes in the sand. Read about our day at Lydgate Beach Park, riding the Plantation Railway, and tasting rum here!
We finally headed back to our hotel and by the time we got there, it was dinner time. Since we had eaten a later lunch, we decided to forgo dinner and head down to enjoy the swimming pool, which the kids had waited for all day.
The next day, we were ready to get our toes in the sand. Read about our day at Lydgate Beach Park, riding the Plantation Railway, and tasting rum here!