Poipu

We stayed in Poipu, on the southern point of Kauai, for our first few days on the island. 

We spent the day at Shipwreck Beach.

Makawehi Point is popular for jumping.

Even daschunds surf in Hawai'i.

Brian intensely hydrated for our walk up to the point.

The view onto Shipwreck Beach.

The view from the top was outstanding.

That evening we watched the sunset from the Beach House Restaurant in Poipu.

It got mixed reviews.

The next morning we drove down an unpaved road that reminded us of our time in Costa Rica to reach Maha'ulepu Beach.

We came upon an endangered Hawai'ian Monk Seal.

There were posted signs to prevent people from going to close. A group of volunteers patrolled the area.

More respect for the word of the year.

We took a hike to see the Makauwahi Sinkhole.

The sinkhole!

The views were, once again, great!

We headed back out to the beach...

... and were on our way, through the "Tunnel of Trees" north to Kapa'a.

Waimea Canyon

In January we traveled to the island of Kauai, known as the Garden Island.

We last visited in 2001 - flying 6 weeks after September 11 - hitchhiking and hostelling to hike the Napali Coast trail. We saw more of the island this time.

The first think you notice about Kauai are the roosters. They are everywhere, and they crow. There are a number of theories about this. 

Not unique to Kauai, but a striking sight, are tornado sirens. 

The first night we wandered to a beach park at dusk. 

The next morning, we spent time on the lanai planning our first day's hike.

We drove to the central western side of Kauai to explore the Waimea Canyon. The views on the drive up to the top of the canyon were striking.

We set out to do the Awa Awa Pui Trail, which promised views of the Napali coast. Within a few feet of beginning the trail, we observed the first of many warnings for hikers.

The trail was lush.

Brian stopped to smell the wild ginger.

And we stopped to pay homage to the 2013 word of the year. 

The trail ended at the top of a ridge with great views of the ocean.  

If you look closely at the above picture, you can see one of the ubiquitous helicopter tours in progress.



A great hike! On the way back, we paused at various lookouts for incredible views of Waimea canyon.

We learned about the secret Hawai'ian Island - Nihau.

Not so secret anymore - you can see it on the horizon.

Año Nuevo State Park

In early November, we visited Año Nuevo State Park, about 15 miles north of Santa Cruz with the fabulous Kay Todd.

Año Nuevo Island is home to elephant seals who return to this island twice a year.

 We were in luck, it was the season for the "juvenile haul out" of the resident elephant seals. After about a 2 mile hike in along the coast, we saw hundreds of elephant seals.

During this time, juvenile males play in shows of dominance.

Most of the times, the seals bask in the sun, using their flippers to throw sands on themselves, in an effort to cool off.

A beautiful hike!

This is a 5-ton piece of wreckage from one of the many ships that have crashed along these shores.

A great trip for any future visitors to the Bay Area!