The only bad part is that Hawaii has silly dog quarantine laws and we had to leave Noel in the care of Jen3, Penny and Beth:
We started in Oahu, an area that was paradise back in the early 1900’s, but has turned into a concrete jungle, more reminiscent of Manhattan than a tropical paradise. When we were in Waikiki they were hosting the world championship surfing championships, and you could see hundreds of surfers in the water between the skyscrapers. If you ever go to Waikiki, remember that the room rates are proportional to the “views”, and we opted for the partial view, between the skyscrapers:
Before our fun lecture at the Univ. of Hawaii, and our great visit with Byron and Lisa, we we headed to Kauai, staying at the Marriott resort.
I’ve learned that “resort” means “expensive”, and like all hotels, a balcony and view cost boatloads extra:
The Kauai Marriott is very nice and boasts the largest swimming pool in the islands:
Our goal was to find local to help contribute to a new book “Kauai Insider Adventures”, and we found plenty of locals at the Oki Restaurant, a “real deal” Hawaiian eatery where you can dine on native disked like Pork Lau Lau, Portuguese fare, and the spectacular Kauai coffee, fresh from the fields. It’s highly recommended:
The area is lush, and because we are farmers, we were taken with all of the agriculture on the south area of the island, where acerage is still affordable at under $20k per acre in remote areas:
Make sure to tour the Kauai Coffee plantation and grab some beans fresh from the tree, just like Juan Valdez:
You can drive to Waimea Canyon which is just as spectacular as the Grand Canyon, a riot of color and spectacular waterfalls:
If you go, take the extra 30 minutes to drive past Waimea all the way to the end of the read to be treated to a spectacular view of the Napali coastline:
Much of Kauai is inaccessible because of the sheer cliffs, and a helicopter ride is the only way to see the amazing inland sites.
