Waimea Canyon

There are two roads that take you up, the 550 and the 552. Personally, I think the 550 from Waimea has better views.

Keep going past the initial lookout points to the end of the road, which affords you two amazing vantage points to peer down into the Kalalua Valley.

The hiking in adjoining Koke’e State Park is accessible by the same road. The Na Pali overlook trails are beautiful but deceptively hard: you have an easy time going downhill for three miles, but then it’s uphill the whole way to get back. Leave yourself enough time on these trails so that you can get to your car and get out of the canyon before dark.

On our treck around the canyon our rental car managed to lose every single one of its hubcaps. Fortunately, we managed to find all (plus one bonus!) hubcaps. I got the impression this was quite common. Beyond the hubcap graveyard, the canyon was beautiful, moreso by hellicopter.

If you go to Kaua’i, you absolutely must rent a car and drive up Waimea Canyon to the end of the road. The view at the top cannot be described with words or mimicked with pictures. It’s absolutely breathtaking.

Romantic, beauty, romantic. Whales, diving, fishing, whatever had to do with the ocean, it’s there. Did I mention it was romantic?

No pictures, X-rated.

The view is amazing! And vast! And you can hike it! Or do a chopper tour, but beware of Mt Waialiali…it can be dangerous to choppers!