North Shore

Spent a week on the North Shore of Kauai, my favorite place in the world.  I've been there many times, so I know the area well, but it's always nice to poke around and enjoy the sublime scenery.  This is Hanalei Valley with its taro patches.  This pic was taken from a well known viewpoint shortly before the highway descends to cross the Hanalei river over a 100 year old wooden one lane bridge.  I first stopped here in 1980, and I remember that I was blown away by the countryside I saw in the next ten miles to the end of the road.  The towns were idyllic, the beaches out of a fantasy, the countryside amazingly green and lush.  The sense of peace and tranquillity was overwhelming.  I had never been to such a fine spot in my 29 year life up to that time.  I loved Hanalei and Haena at first sight, and still do.  It's significantly busier than it used to be here, but it's still awful nice.

My last several days here, the trades died, so I went to my favorite sunset spot on Kepuhi Beach, within an easy walk of my resort.  You set up your beach mat on the sand, pull a bottle of wine and a glass out of your pack, sip, revel in the beauty, and let the dopamine flow.

One night I realized that nobody had passed by in awhile, and there was quite a bit of stuff on the beach, washed up by large surf.  I went and took a look, and promptly picked these large cowries right off the sand!  They're both about two inches long.  I did my Big Cowrie dance...think Elmo Wright, for old timer football fans.

Just another crummy sunset on my favorite beach in all the world.  And I've been to a LOT of beaches.

Even the water turns pink during a fine Hawaii sunset.

Lumahai Beach.  North swells were powerful here as usual, but it was calm enough in a rocky cove at the far east end of the beach for some nice ocean swimming...always a treat for a Monterey resident.

The arrowhead shaped mountain on the left is Makana.  Long ago, the ancient Hawaiians would climb this mountain and throw burning logs off the summit.  Made of lightweight wood, the logs would rise on the updrafts created by the tradewinds hitting the mountain, and soar out to sea, still aflame. 

Kepuhi Beach during the day.  I've been coming to the North Shore since 1980, and to this beach since 1990. 

Last evening on the North Shore...for this trip.  I had been away for five years.  I'll return a helluva lot sooner than that!!

Sunrise from my lanai at the Hanalei Colony Resort.  The first time I stayed here was in March 1990.  It was cold and rainy the entire time, for five days straight.  This time I was here for a week...there were brief showers the first two mornings, but otherwise the weather was dry and mostly sunny...perfect.  This was my last morning here...by late evening I was back in Monterey, after a flight with hordes of squalling ankle biters.  A hassle, but absolutely worth it to travel to Kauai.

I've just been hangin' on the North shore.  When I stay here, I don't go anywhere else.  Why???  This sunrise pic was taken from my lanai at Hanalei Colony Resort.

A couple days ago, for old times sake, I hiked a mile of the Kalalau Trail.  Did the whole 11 miles three times in the '80s, but those days are long gone.  Even the first mile is spectacular, though, as this view of the coast shows.

Trail is almost always muddy in spots.  If I had hiking boots, I could still have made it to Hanakapiai, two miles in...but with sneakers, no.

Classic view of Ke'e Beach from the trail.

Secret Beach.  I have been here many times over the past 30 years.  Back then, everybody here ran around naked, and many folks camped for months at a time.  Today, very few nudies, camping strictly kapu.  But it's still beautiful.

Hanging taro patches on the cliff walls of Secret Beach.

Ah, it's hora feliz.  My resort has a couple chaises planted on the beach...very convenient. 

At dusk, everything assumes a pinkish hue.

The Limahuli Gardens, near the end of the road on the North Shore.  The ancient Hawaiians settled Limahuli Valley intensively, planting taro in these terraces, estimated to be 700 years old.

Limahuli Stream, with the primeval mountains of Kauai in the background. 

Makana, known to haoles as Bali Hai since the filming of South Pacific.  The ancient Hawaiians used Makana as a venue for the fire ceremony.  Guys climbed up to the summit, then lit lightweight logs and tossed them over the edge.  Updrafts generated by the tradewinds carried the flaming logs as much as a mile out to sea.  Must have been quite a spectacle.

Classic rugged Kaua'i landscape.

Blow up the pic and you'll see a crab in the center.  These guys hang out in the rocks at Kepuhi Beach.  At low tide they stay in crevices, but at high tide, when water washes over their lairs, they come forth, looking for creatures to devour.  They're quite entertaining.

A monk seal, hauled out on Kepuhi Beach.  The signs are portable; if you see a monk, you just erect the signs around him to keep folks from hassling this rare sloat.