Kauai: Kilauea Lighthouse & Hanalei Beach

Thursday evening, after a wonderful Thanksgiving at the McGuires, we left Abigail in these friends' capable though full hands to head off for a romantic and adventurous getaway on the island of Kauai. Our flight left early Friday morning, at which time we (including our neighbor who drove us) were very thankful to live "next door" to the airport, so to speak. Following a smooth, short flight, we received a free upgrade on our rental car and then appreciated early check-in at our hotel. After settling these logistics, we set off to gather information for our trip since we hadn't found much time to do our homework prior to departure. (We booked the trip on the Tuesday prior to Thanksgiving - HA!)

After a little investigation and some lunch (yummy local pizza), we decided to set off exploring the North Shore of the island. Kauai has only one highway and that doesn't actually connect all the way around the island due to the protected Na Pali coast. Anyway, we stopped at several scenic overlooks along our drive and spent a little time enjoying the view from the Kilauea Lighthouse, built in 1913 to guide ships traveling to and from the Orient.




These violent crashes of waves originated from giant swells and culminated in explosive blasts against the cliffs. My best comparison for such a sight is a triple forte crescendo in a symphony (is there such a thing, Jason?) or a prolonged grand finale of fireworks on 4th of July. These waves must have reached 100 feet into the air, at the very least. Truly amazing!

Our next adventure found Karen and Justin relaxing at Hanalei Beach, touted as the best beach in the world. While we do not claim to know the criteria within the community of travel book authors, we can share why WE think this is the best beach in the world. First, even on a holiday, the beach was not overcrowded. Then there are the white sands, surrounding mountains and lush foliage which encase this beach on Kauai's North Shore. Since we had the privilege of visiting at the beginning of winter, we witnessed an incredible surf which had pro-surfers flocking to the waves. These guys swam about 1000 yards out with their boards to catch giant swells to ride "for miles." Since the sand bank was a gradual decline and many of the waves died down before reaching the shore, we were able to frolic in the water sans danger.

What do you think of this sky? Seems to me that God was smiling on us!!!

Thank you to our friend Joe for referring us to the Bull Shed for dinner; it was a little tricky to find (Justin's eagle eyes came in handy), but the fresh fish was worth chasing.

Remember the "click to enlarge" feature? I think some of these photos may warrant such clicking! :)