Day 15 - Allerton National Botanical Gardens, Spouting Horn (pt. 2),Random Stops, and Kilauea Lighthouse (pt. 2)

This morning did not go as smoothly as yesterday getting to my destination.  I followed Google, get to within 4 miles of my destination, and then ended up back on the main road to turn onto a road that did not exist.  I had to call the National Tropical Botanical Gardens...twice.  I finally got there.  Ended up going the same way I went the first time, but I missed a QUICK turn after a turn.  Ugh.  I got there 10 minutes late, they had already started, so a nice man drove me to meet them.  GPS....FAIL! But I finally met up with the group, it was a pretty garden.  I was expecting more flowers, but Allerton did not want color.  He wanted texture and to tell a story with landscaping, design, and statues. It was very pretty.  Really HOT!  Very little wind blew where we were.  

One of the pretty gardens.  Allerton liked to design "rooms" with plants, water features, and statues. 

Here is a beautiful part of the gardens.  This is the location of where Pirates of the Caribbean 4 was filmed.  Well, part of it.  Our guide said that Johnny Depp really took in the Kauai life and culture.  Our guide said that Penelope Cruz was flown in daily - come to find out, she was pregnant during the film. 

Jurassic Park Trees. It was here where they looked over the tree and saw some dinosaurs.  I'll have to go back and watch it to see exactly where that part was. I tried to hug this tree, but it was too big.  This is as close as I got. 

A view from the drive back. Beautiful!  I would not mind having this as my yard!

Since I did not get to see the Spouting Horn with the school group, I saw it after my tour.  It is just across the street. The wind was light today = waves were light = not much of a Spouting Horn.

On the other side of the Spouting Horn.

I decided to check out the town over by the Gardens and Spouting Horn.  I found this place to eat and there was some shopping too.  Nice area.  EXPENSIVE! This is in the ritzy part of Hawaii!  Lunch was not too bad.  The Cheeseburger (their special burger) was not too bad. 

I drove back to Kapa'a where my hotel is and kept going.  There is a scenic view that in the winter, you can see the whales.  One of these days, I will get to Hawaii in the winter to see the whales! No stranding network, but a number to NOAA to call if you see a whale in distress. 

I drove back down to the Kilauea Lighthouse.  It was closed, but that is ok.  I wanted to see the Red-footed Booby Rookery. The Ne Nes we all over.  They are such a cute bird.  They are the State Bird - descendant from the Canada Goose. 

I came back to rain and ate at the restaurant at the hotel - the Bull Shed.  It was ok.  I got some Potato Skins (more like wedges) and came back to my room to eat.  My stomach has had it fill of eating out.  I am ready to eat at home...something boring! 

It is hard to see, but this is the window in the restaurant. We were so close to the ocean.  It felt like we were almost in the ocean. The water would splash up on the windows every once in a while.  Yikes!  A stiff wind could be dangerous!

Back to the room to eat and pack.  It is bitter sweet.  I love this Island, but I am ready to go home. Maybe one day they will be one and the same!

Random thoughts about the Radio...

Maybe one of my favorite things were in Kauai is listening to the radio.  The music is fun - Hawaiian and Reggae music, but the most interesting thing is the local news.  They talk about the community a lot.

There was a dog at the pound that workers had worked with to make him adoptable.  He was finally adopted and got loose the day he went to his forever home.  The radio put out an announcement to the entire island to look for this dog.   I really hope that they found him!

I know when and were to register for school (if I were in grade school here).  There is a $25 registration fee to shoot off fireworks.  And you can only shoot them off on private property.

One DJ's daughter is the Miss (maybe Jr. Miss) Hawaii.  She talked about that for a while and she is in the most photogenic running, how to vote for her, etc.

Anyway, I enjoyed listening to the radio.  I don't normally get to do that here.

Day 14 - Captain Andy's Catamaran Sail and Snorkel...and other random things

My alarm went off at 5:30 AM today...hit snooze and then got up at 5:40 AM.  Ugh, but I got to go on a Catamaran Sail and Snorkel to the Na Pali Coast. You can only get there by hiking in (a 9/10 difficulty rating...not for me!), by air (too expensive!), or by boat.  

I guess they don't see single parties much.  I think that I freaked them out a bit.  They did not know what to do with me...especially when we went snorkeling.  I did not have a snorkeling "buddy", so someone on the boat kept a watch on me.  I apparently was not with a lot of fish.  I was the first one in the water and the last one out.  The snorkeling was OK.  I have definitely seen better. BUT, I saw a humuhumunukunukuapua'a (Hawaiian State fish) and a Green Sea Turtle. On the way out we saw a couple of spinner dolphins, but on the way back in, we saw quite a few.  None of them spun for us, but some were playing.  They are so cute and little and have such a long snout.  We also saw a couple of rays splashing around at the surface of the water...mating? fighting? a bit of both?  The captain and the crew said that they had never seen that before. 

On the way back, I decided to stop down at the Nawiliwili Beach area. I did a little tourist shopping/looking and then headed back towards the hotel. 

I have seen the signs for Lydgate beach Park for years, so I decided to stop there to check it out.  At first, I found the little scary camping area.  I hightailed it out of there.  Then I found the nice part of the park.  It is a pretty beach.  There were quite a few people there. 

After a shower, I ventured out to the restaurant Verde.  Yelp recommended.  It was good.  I got the blackened Mahi mahi and shrimp as recommended by the waiter.  They were both good, but the blackened Mahi mahi taco was better!  

I finally got my Margarita...and it was only $3! I think it is the cheapest thing that I have bought in Hawaii!  They were having a special, so I went for it. I had to take a picture of the Chips and Salsa.  You got the first one free.  Being a Texas, you plow through chips and salsa.  It is a good thing that they were quick with their service because I was chomping down on those chips and salsa.  This is definitely a place that I would go back to.

Afterwards, I went to the Coconut Marketplace and walked around a bit.  I really wanted ice cream from Lappert's.  Really yummy ice cream.  Dark Chocolate Macadamia Nut.  Yummy!

Day 13 - The trip ends and my vacation begins!

I had a lot of plans for today, but my body had other plans.  I went to go check out the place were my Cruise/Snorkel leaves tomorrow.  My check in is at 7:15 AM...if that is not bad enough, it is about an hour drive.  My alarm is set to EARLY!

I also went by Walmart.  I bought a film underwater camera.  I am going to have to be careful.  I am used to a digital, take as many pictures as you want, camera.  And then I have to go send it off to get it processed.  Oh well.  Time to start researching new cameras.

So, what else did I do today...eat and sleep seem to be about it.

I ate at Bubba's Burgers. It was pretty good.  It had a great view of the beach across the way.  They had an article with Robert Downey Jr. after Tropic Thunder came out that said that one of the redeeming qualities of the movie was that he got to eat at Bubba's Burgers every day.  The beach across the way is where they filmed some of the movie.

My cheep hotel is not bad.  If they would update and get an air conditioner, things would be a lot better! The room is fine.  You get what you pay for.  But the view is fantastic!

I got in, took a nap, got up, got something to eat and came back.  The wifi was working until a moment ago, so I guess I will not watch a movie and I will hit the PUBLISH button tomorrow.

Mermaids...yummy. 

A view from the back of the hotel.

Hopefully the sleep will do me good tonight and I will wake up refreshed and ready to go :-)

Day 12 - Blowhole, Natioal Botanical Gardens, Waimea Canyon, Kokee, Kalalau Valley

Our final full day has come.  A quick stop at the Trash Conglomerate (I got gas in stead), the blowhole, and the front of the National Botanical Gardens (which I will be touring in a couple of days!)

We get to go and see the Waimea Canyon. It is considered the Grand Canyon of the Pacific. 

Dr. K talked about how it was formed and then we look at a monument that is in the National Park.  It was "snuck" in as a monument, but it really is a memorial. 

A quick stop at the Kokee Museum. 

And the most beautiful view in Hawaii! This is the Kalalu Valley.  I will get to see it from a boat in 2 days. One of "my" days, I will be going on a boat and snorkel.  I am so excited!

The trail down to the Alakai Swamp was a little muddy. 

On the way down the mountain, we stopped at the Iliau Loop to see the final of the Silversword Alliance. 

Another beautiful view of Waimea Canyon. 

Back to the hotel for Pizza and a shower!

Day 11 - Limahuli National Botanical Gardens

Today we went to the Limahuli National Botanical Gardens.  This is a special place because we have done a service project every year.  The Hale (house) is this picture was our service project 2 years ago.  We helped collect rocks on the beach (walked in between Julia Robert's house and Bette Midler's House to get to the beach). This year, like last year (I missed the hike last year due to an injury...see last year's Activity Day story), the students and professors went into the forest, weeded, and planted some plants.  Over 1/2 of the plants that we plated were endangered species.  Very cool.

This is Merlin, he is telling us about the endangered plants that we were planting.  Uncle Muku 2 years ago (and Merlin here) told us about the ritual where Hawaiians would hike up a sacred mountain, light this plant, and throw it into the wind.  It would sparkle and the wind would take it out at least a mile.  People would try to catch it and would brand themselves with it.  They are hoping that they can get enough of these plants back into the "wild" that they can begin the tradition again.  

Walking into the forest with our plants.

Still walking...

Shelf Fungi on the way out.  Really pretty.

We stopped at a river for lunch.  Some of the students got in the river just down from me.  This was an easier access.  The cold water on my feet felt WONDERFUL! 

Once we were done, we hiked up a hill to see a plant.  Oh my.  Another plant. But this is a highly endangered plant in the wild.  Like ONE in the wild. This is the view from the hill of the gardens. 

I earned a BIG ice cream.  So yummy!