Napali Coast Hike and Hanalei Bay

 

January 29, 2025 - Reservations are needed for the Napali Coast Hike and we booked them months ago ($40 each).  As we were watching the weather we decided to move our hike up a day earlier since it looked like a full day of rain on Thursday and we were lucky to find spots at 8AM on Wednesday.  It was an early morning, since it's an hour drive from our hotel to the North Shore.  There is a shuttle bus that picks up at the Waipa Park & Ride a 15 minute ride to the trailhead in Haena State Park.   On our drive home from the hike we stopped at Hanalei Beach, and a thrift store in Hanalei (the town of Hanalei is really cute).

We're ready for the hike!

Ke'e Beach is at the trailhead to the Napali Coast Hike.  I love that the lifeguard trucks have surf boards.

Trailhead pic.  We're taking the Kalalau Trail to Hanakapi'ai Beach.  It's 4 miles round trip and 1200 feet elevation.  The trail continues another 2 miles to the Hanakapi'ai waterfall (with an additional 750 feet elevation...so we'll turn around at the beach).  The entire Kalalau Trail is 11 miles with 6500 feet elevation and has a camping at the end.  

There are a few warning signs as we head up

It's rocky, but dry on this part of the up

our first view 

more up

and we found the mud

it's a sloppy mess

but the views of the coast are AMAZING

I've never hiked a trail that has a helicopter landing pad for rescues

we crossed a few streams

that ocean is churning

the trail runs along the ridgeline

the stream that people cross who are doing the Hanakapi'ai falls.  Some people were taking their shoes off to cross and the water was knee deep and some were looking for rocks to jump across.

Our spot for lunch

great spot for a rest

those are some muddy shoes!

I love a lunch with a view

Janet got a nice time lapse of the stream

The waves are really hitting the coast

We're headed back and still enjoying these views

views

and more views (we're getting close!)

We stopped at the Ke'e Beach before grabbing the shuttle back to the car

In the Heana SP they are growing Taro

We stopped at Hanalei Beach on the way home and what a beautiful spot!

The Hanalei Pier is an iconic part of Hanalei Bay

and you of course have to get the iconic shot under the pier

the mountains surrounding the bay are beautiful

love this view

surfers in the bay

you can see waterfalls on a few of the mountains from the beach

an overlook on the drive home (taro fields in the distance)

a stop at a thrift shop (cute bench around the tree, right?)

Our view while we had non-happy hour drinks at Dukes

Kauai - Waimea Canyon Hike and Napali Sunset Cruise

 

January 26, 2025 - Today we flew to Kauai (a 45 minute flight) and then checked into Kauai Beach Club.  Janet and I headed straight to the pool/beach.  For dinner we went to Lava Lava and had a nice beach view (even though it was raining) and then picked up groceries for the week.

we're ready for the beach

Kev joined us on the beach.  (He watched the Commanders/Eagles game with his Teva propping up his phone)

I watched the surfer come in on a wave and then head to his car

lava cake at Lava Lava

January 27, 2025 - The weather later in the week looks iffy, so we need to get our fair weather activities done early in the week.  We drove to Waimea Canyon in the morning to hike the Canyon Trail (at the Pu'u Hinahina lookout).  It is a 3.6 mile round trip hike with 1000 feet of elevation.  The trail winds along the canyon with great views and ends at the Waipo'o waterfall.  The trail was rated as moderate, but seemed  harder because it was so wet, muddy and slippery.  All worth it though...the views down into the canyon were amazing!

Morning coffee (and diet coke) on the balcony

sunflowers on the way to Waimea Canyon

We stopped at a few lookouts (Waipo'o Falls) on our way to the Canyon Trail trailhead.  

we made a few stops along the trail

Our first big views of the canyon

don't back up Kevin!

the next viewpoint

don't they look like cairns on the canyon rim?

We made it to Mini Falls.  Hopefully we saved enough to get back.

It's a long way UP

The muddy hikers made it to the parking lot

muddy shoes and trekking poles all in a row

Next we drove to the Kalalau lookout

lunch at Kalalau lookout

After lunch we decided to hike the road (which is now closed) to the Pu'u o kilo lookout.  We were told it was about a mile to get there.  By the time we got there though the view was gone.  We were in a cloud.

not much of a view, but if you look closely you can see a waterfall through the clouds

On our way back to the hotel, we stopped at a few lookouts we missed and the light in the afternoon was quite pretty.

January 28, 2025 - After breakfast, Janet and I signed up for a group hike.  It was a 1.6 mile walk, through the hotel grounds and next to the airport to the Ninini Lighthouse.  For lunch we drove to Poipu to try a Puka Dog and we ate with a view of the Poipu Beach.  Next we checked out the Spouting Horn Blowhole, that Kev and I visited when we were here on our honeymoon 35 years ago.  For dinner we had reservations with Capt Andy's sunset cruise along the Napali Coast.  The 2 hour boat ride to the coast was a bit rough, but luckily the ride back (with the wind behind us) was much smoother.

The Ninini Lighthouse.  This lighthouse was built in 1932.  

Views from the lighthouse looking back into the Nawiliwili Bay (where our hotel is)

we were there while a few planes landed at the Lihue airport.

The line at Puka Dog.  On the right side of the pic you can see a woman is toasting a Puka (hole) in the center of the freshly made buns.   This is done by skewering the dough onto a hot rod while baking.  Then they add special sauces and tropical relish (I had the pineapple relish) before adding the hot dog in the hole in the bun.     

It was yummy

There were a few turtles on the beach

spouting horn blowhole

Next was the sunset dinner cruise.  We landed a great spot outside in the back of the boat, where we were able to watch Chef Jimmy do all the prep work for dinner.

a few shrimps

We made it to the Napali Coast (at this point the giant swells had made me feel pretty crappy and I had even taken 2 Dramamine before we left) 

I was able to get a few pics, but only from my seat.  I didn't want to risk getting up and feeling worse.

The evening light on the peaks was especially nice

Janet was happy to look out at the views, and Kevin was happy the crew hoisted the mainsail.

I was happy with the view from the back of the boat

dessert (I took mine to go, as well as the filet mignon and mashed potatoes)

By the time we got back to Port Allen, it was time for the sunset (and I was feeling A LOT better)

there goes the sun

beautiful sky