Or maybe the Wild Chicken Isle?
We stayed in Lihu’e at The Kaua’i Inn, opened as Hotel Fairview in 1890, the oldest hotel in Hawai’i, other than Volcano House on the Big Island, where we’ll be staying for a couple of days. It has “plantation-style rooms”, is near Nawiliwili Harbor and the Hāʻupu Mountains. It is also where John Wayne, Lee Marvin, and the rest of the cast and crew stayed while filming Donovan’s Reef in 1962, where they were known to swap stories with locals by the pool. And…we actually stayed in John Wayne’s Room!
After checking in, we did a short drive around Lihu’e to the Menehune Fishpond Overlook, the Ninini Point Lighthouse, and the Kuki’i Point Lighthouse before grabbing an early dinner, where Gail started her Hawai’ian adventure with an excellent Poke Bowl.
Lihu’e, Kaua’i – Menehune Fishpond Overlook 
Lihu’e, Kaua’i – Ninini Point Lighthouse 
Lihu’e, Kaua’i – Kuki’i Point Lighthouse 
Wild Chickens keeping Gail company on the patio of the Kaua’i Inn room, drinking coffee, waiting for sunrise 
Sunrise from the patio of the Kaua’i Inn room 
One of several peacocks keeping us company at breakfast at the Kaua’i Inn
Best Laid Plans
Note, Kaua’i is still recovering from Hurricane Lowell, September 7-8. Many State Parks and Wild Life Refuges we passed in our drives are closed and we saw lots of downed trees and low hanging power lines. It also contributed to our 3 planned tours (airplane, boat, & kayak/hike) becoming 1 tour, which was more than fine.
Tuesday
The morning Airplane Tour: Na Pali Coast, Waterfalls was canceled due to High Winds, so our day became:
- Visit the Kaua’i Museum for a couple of hours and then drive partway up Kaumualiʻi Highway (to where the state park was closed) and get a peak at the Waimea Canyon. And being a nice day, we got to do it with the top down on our Mustang Convertible.
- Take the (not canceled) Na Pali Sunset & Sightsee Boat Tour on a 65′ catamaran. It was a bit windy and wavy, so we did take some air a few times, but it was a lovely afternoon, cruisijg around to the north side of Kuau’i. Great views, good food, ending with a gorgeous sunset.
Kuau’i – Gail driving the Mustang convertible on the way to Waimea Canyon Overlook 
Kuau’i – Waimea Canyon Overlook 
Kuau’i – Na Pali Coast from the sea 
Kuau’i – Na Pali Coast from the sea 
Kuau’i – Na Pali Coast from the sea…turn around point 
Kuau’i – Na Pali Coast from the sea…turn around point 
Kuau’i – Na Pali Coast Cruise, approaching sunset 
Kuau’i – Na Pali Coast Cruise Sunset
Wednesday
The aftenoon River Kayak & Hike to Secret Falls Tour canceled the hike, as it was into a closed state park. We canceled the kayaking, to, as we were more interested in the falls. Instead, we spent the day driving the Kūhiō Highway, with a few stops:
- The Kilauea Lighthouse at the Kilauea National Wildlife Refuge
- The Hanalei Valley Lookout and a little walk around nearby Princeville
- The Limahuli Garden and Preserve – National Tropical Botanical Gardens, almost at the end of the highway, where we spent 2 hours.
- A short walk along the beach just a bit before we got back to Lihu’e and visited our 104th, 41st state Costco, to gas up the rental car.
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