Kaua'i Exploration Part 2: North Shore

It's been a little over a week since we have returned from our weekend getaway to Kaua'i, and I'm still thinking about it.  The lack of freeways and traffic.  The increase in charm and coffee shops.  The  beaches, the mountains, the breeze---Kaua'i had a personality all her own.

Our first excursion included the lovely Kilauea Lighthouse.  It was just the beginning of our fun filled day.  After our history lesson, tour, and lunch in Kilauea, we drove on to beaches, hiking, and caves.

In order to fulfill everyone's wishlist, we started making our way to Anini Beach for snorkeling...only to discover that it was cloudy and raining. So we kept on driving.  And we drove all the way to the end of the road.  It ended up being the perfect change of plans.  We parked at Ke'e Beach (a place we had been before with good friends years ago).  Snorkel equipment, towels, snacks, and water in tow, we made it (looking suspiciously like tourists) down to a shaded and non rainy spot of sand. And that's when the boys left me.  For fish.  They left me on my own to search for fish underwater.  I wasn't lonely for long, I had chickens to keep me company.  

After several hours of fish sightings, one turtle sighting, a sprinkle of rain, and an end to the snacks on the beach, we decided to get changed for the next adventure---hiking in Kaua'i.  We weren't prepared to do a super strenuous or lengthy trail, so of course we headed to Kalalau Trail (right next to the beach we had spent a good portion of the day at).  If you have heard of the Kalalau Trail, you will know that it is both lengthy and strenuous.  So we just did a little and turned around...but I'm itching to return and continue where we left off.

The portion of the trail that we hiked was beautiful...I can only imagine all of the beauty the rest of the trail offers.  From our mini hike we caught glimpses of the beach we were just playing at, old cobblestone paths, lush dense forest, and a ton of dirty, sweaty, tired hikers (clearly they had gone the entire way...or very close to it).

After hitting our turnaround spot along the trail, we hit the road to our last destination of the day, Manini-holo Dry Cave.  This was another destination we had briefly visited before, but it was a first for our five year old, and honestly, a cave is cool, whether you've been to it before or not.

 
Snorkeling, mini hike, cave exploring, not to mention cool sights along the road as we drove.  It was a Saturday well spent.  For the adventurer, all three spots we hit along the North Shore of Kaua'i were great.  We met the needs of the water lovers, the hike lovers, and the myth lovers---it's said that Manini-holo Cave was a tunnel leading to Waimea Canyon. According to legend, Menehune would escape from Polynesians through the secret tunnel.  After safe passage through the tunnel, the Menehune collapsed the ceiling, effectively trapping those chasing them from Waimea to the Northshore.  What a great tale! Lucky for us, no chasing or trapping...just fellow Instagramers, struggling for the right shot.

We learned so much about Kaua'i from this mini trip...and there's still one more big attraction to share.  Until next time...