Hawaii Diary: False Starts

Sunday we tried and failed to go to several different attractions around the north shore of Kauai, because they were all closed for various reasons. We did get a better feel for where things were, but nothing particularly notable happened. I am pretty sure I can still write over 500 words about it.

We started off Sunday wondering if we could find the nearest beach to our condo. There was no direct beach access from our condo area, and the nearest beach we saw mentioned in any guides or maps was Hideaways beach. We decided that we just wanted to walk and scope it out, rather than spend the morning there, but I don't remember why. It ended up being a 15 or 20 minute walk from our condo, and hard to find since the access was hidden at the end of a parking area within another condo complex. Only a "private beach access" sign gave any sign that it was there.

A steep and slippery walk down the cliff ended in a small picnic area, with a short dirt path down to the actual shoreline. It was an attractive and secluded beach with nice views, but it was hard to tell how good it would be for swimming. There were many rocks on near the shore, and it was hard to see whether there was a good reef for protection against waves. The view across Hanalei Bay was excellent, and there were some surfers way off in the distance.

After returning home and eating lunch, we tried to go to Limahuli Gardens, which is on the northwest corner of the island, near the end of the road. The road (Route 560) is mostly narrow and winding, with at least a half dozen one lane bridges between Hanalei and the end. It's only 7 miles and about 15 minutes to drive, but it feels longer. After finally getting to the gardens, we found out they were closed on Sundays. D'oh! Should have called first.

With that plan busted, we decided that maybe it would be a good time to get snorkel gear for the week. Several people had recommended that we try snorkeling, since it is easy, low-impact, relatively cheap, and very fun. The condo activities coordinator pointed us to the local adventure supply shop, with rates of around $25 per week. However, Edith found an ad in one of the activities guides that claimed to have rentals for $9 week. We were pretty sure this was a teaser offer, but after calling them and having the woman rattle off 4 different options, all of which sounded cheaper than $25, we decided to go down and talk to her. Only problem was that it was in Kapa`a, 30 minutes away including the island's worst traffic, but we figured we'd add the Kilauea Lighthouse onto the itinerary on the way home to make it worth it.

The $9 offer was indeed a teaser, it was for the really basic, K-mart quality package. After explaining all the different types and how to get started, she eventually talked us into getting one of their better packages, again for $25/week. After all of this discussion we went to the lighthouse... which was closed at 4PM. We took some pictures at the overlook, but more on the lighthouse in a future entry.

Just as well that the lighthouse was closed, since it started raining again and we had to retreat to the car. We drove down to `Anini Beach, which was recommended to us for learning to snorkel and decided to go back later in the week. We headed home and tried to figure out dinner.

Our choice was the Lighthouse Bistro in Kilauea. Some Internet reviews seem to be mixed, but Frommers gave this restaurant a good review, and we had a very good experience. I had fish for like the third time in 4 days (ginger crusted Ahi, I think) and Edith had the Bistro Chicken (chicken with mac-nut and panko crust, with mac-nut pesto). Both were tasty and nicely presented. They had music on another night when we were in the same shopping plaza. We recommend it.