There are so many adventure tours available on Kaua'i, I couldn't resist signing us up for a couple of them during our time here. One day, we went to Kipu ranch (where a lot of movies requiring tropical island scenery have been shot) for a day of kayaking, hiking, zip-lining, and jumping into freshwater swimming holes.
The next day, we took a beautiful bike ride from Waimea Canyon ("the Grand Canyon of the Pacific") downhill 12 miles to the coast.
I am especially entranced with all the views we've gotten, from the southwest side of Kaua'i, of the island of Ni'ihau, 17 miles away. I remember having to memorize Ni'ihau as one of the main seven Hawai'ian islands in social studies class in elementary school. But I didn't know until this trip that Ni'ihau is entirely privately owned, is not open to tourists in any way, and is home only to about 200 native Hawai'ians who are preserving a traditional Hawai'ian culture and way of life there.
I'm totally fascinated and I think all of the questions I've been asking about it (and especially about if/how uninvited guests have made attempts to visit, simply because it is forbidden) have my mom and the locals nervous that I'm planning to go rouge. I'm not, really. I'm just captivated and will continue to stare from afar and ponder all my questions about this land across the channel until I'm dragged away by our Hawai'ian Airlines flight to Hilo. Next stop: The Big Island!
