Waimea Canyon Wandering - Day 13
One of the top recommended activities in Kauai is to drive to the top of Waimea Canyon and hike the Pihea Trail. Cheryl and Joe had done this hike before and highly recommended it, so the four of us headed out this morning toward Waimea. We stopped at a little roadside shop to grab some breakfast and then drove a little over an hour to get up the canyon. We stopped at some overlooks along the way to take in some stunning views but the real payoff was along the trail as the fog lifted and we were rewarded with an amazing view of the canyon and the ocean below. The trail would be very difficult in the rain as it was steep and rocky in areas with clay-like dirt covering the trail. No worries though, we were lucky to have a beautiful day for the hike. Check out images on the Photos and Videos page. Absolutely stunning! After our hike, our plan was to head to the Kekaha Beach Park and relax on the beach, but the same winds that caused our boat tour to be canceled created a challenge for that activity as well. We opted for another pool day instead, but on the way we stopped at a couple local eateries for lunch and dessert. Porky’s on Waimea road has to best pulled pork grilled cheese sandwich I have ever eaten served with a delicious spicy sauce. All of us were moaning in delight. Next we stopped at Jo Jo’s Shave Ice Shack for some shave ice with macadamia nut ice cream on the bottom. It was another recommendation we wanted to be sure and check out as we had heard it was the “best shave ice on the island”. We were glad we did! The Root Beer Float, Tropical Breeze, Banana Split and Ha Coffee were all excellent and the small is REALLY large. You might want to ask for them to cut down the shave ice or by the time you get to the ice cream on the bottom, you are too full :)
This is our final night on Kauai. Tomorrow we head to the Big Island to meet our friends Katherine and Steven and will be staying at the Kings Land Hilton Grand Vacation. Another island of adventures are in store and we are looking forward to it, but we have to say goodbye to our two-week travel companions, Joe and Cheryl. Thanks for the great memories and helping me celebrate my retirement. It has been a great trip. I can’t wait for next time.
Aloha Joe and Cheryl!! Lots of love., Deb