Jun

6

Visit to Kauai

Filed Under Designers, Hawaiian, Patterns, Quilt shops | 4 Comments

As I’ve written before, Dana and I had our 20th wedding anniversary on May 19 and we decided to go to Hawaii as our special celebration. The Starwood people sent us an offer for a cheep package at one of their 5-star resorts on Kauai, which is where we wanted to go anyway, so it was kismet!

westin.gifThe Westin Princeville Ocean Resort and Villas

kiddiepool.gifThe keiki pool

One of the first places we went was Limahuli Botanical Gardens, not far away on the North Shore.

taro.gifTaro (kalo in Hawaiian). The roots are the main starch of the traditional Hawaiian diet and the source of that poi.

limahuli.gif

rock-vine.gif

hala.gifDana in some hala trees.

pineapples.gifPineapples grow on the ground, not in trees.

koa.gifCrescent-shaped koa leaves.

A most special and beautiful spot on the island was Hanalei Bay. You remember Puff the Magic Dragon, who frolicked in the autumn mists in a land called Hanalee? Well, there’s no proof that Hanalee is really Hanalei, but Hanalei has claimed Puff. In fact we heard someone say that the best sunsets are when the sun goes down behind Puff’s nose in the bay, so of course we had to see if we could make out a dragon in the cliffs. We think we can.

hula-hanalei.gifHere’s Dana practicing his hula on the beach at Hanalei, in front of Puff. Picture it as a dragon’s head, with his lower jaw submerged in the water. You can see the top of his head, and there’s a bare patch that looks like his eye, and then the snout goes off into the ocean.

We visited the Kilauea Lighthouse, an old lighthouse in need of restoration. Today the area is a preserve for marine birdlife and we saw many different kinds of sea birds as well as some spectacular coastal views.

kilauea.gifLooking left from the lighthouse, back toward Princeville.

more-please.gifIn a nearby shop I found a Jack Russell terrier who’d never met a stranger.

chickens.gifEverywhere on the Kauai lowlands, and I mean everywhere, you see these chickens. According to my bird book, they’re “Red Junglefowl.” Here’s a typical fancy rooster with his plainer lady friend.

Zipline! So much fun! We took the Kauai Backcountry Adventures zipline tour and loved every minute of it.

zipline3.gifMe on the zipline. The guide said I had the most relaxed posture of anyone in the group.

dana-zipline.gifDana zipping along. His posture was likened to that of a cat about to be put in the sink for a bath. I think the red shorts and white socks really add to the effect.

luau1.gifOf course when you’re in Hawaii you can’t miss going to a luau. On the recommendation of some friends, we chose the Smith Family Garden Luau.

peacocks.gifOne of the great things about this luau (besides the plentiful mai tais, the delicious feast, and the multinational show) is that you get to a take a tram tour of their lovely gardens. There were gobs of tame peacocks who, I swear, loved to show off their plumage for the visitors.

x28l.gifYou can’t miss the aloha shirt on the wall outside the Waimea Canyon General Store in Kekaha, just before you start up the road alongside Waimea Canyon. It’s a size 28XL.

waimea-canyon2.gifWaimea Cayon, from not very far up.

stitchery.gif
And now the stop that you’ve been waiting for… the Kapaia Stitchery!

bento.gifNot one step inside the front door, I saw Tracey‘s Bento Box hanging up.

hula-huts.gifHappy Hula Huts by Lisa Boyer, a Kauai resident.

keiki.gifAnother of Lisa’s patterns, Keiki Hula.

batiks.gifThey have tons of batiks.

batiks2.gifMore batiks.

asians.gifAsians.

hawaiians.gifHawaiian prints.

bolts.gifLots of bolts.

bolts2.gifMore bolts.

kimono.gifKimono.

pillows.gifPillow tops.

gifts.gifGifts.

lei.gifLei. Check out the one made out of yoyos!

As you can see, it’s a fabulous shop, very friendly, and of course you must go there when you visit Kauai.

wailua-falls.gifRight next to the Stitchery is the turnoff for Wailua Falls. About 4 miles up the road all of a sudden you’re beside a beautiful rushing waterfall.

Thanks for coming with me on my tour of Kauai.

Until next time,
Kay
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