March, 2012:

I wanted to share the great experience we had visiting Waimea Canyon in February,. It was a gorgeous day driving there from Lihue. We went to the top and visited the Kalalau Lookout. It was clear and there was an incredible rainbow. I am posting pictures of the gorgeous vistas we encountered.

Gorgeous view from Top of Waimea looking at the Napali coast.

Rainbow from Kalalau Lookout

The gorgeous view we were so blessed to see on this clear day from the wettest spot on earth!

Vibrant rainbow we encountered on our way back down the mountain.

We spend a lot of time eating out in Kauai . Some of our favorite places we revisit each time we are there.  Thought I would share a few with you.

-Kauai Pasta in Lihue has great pasta and fish dishes. My favorite dish is the steamed clams. The sauce is to die for.

-The Garden Isle Bar-b-Que is a favorite with locals and with us. Great Chinese food awaits you with good prices and service is fast. Not much atmosphere.

-Lihue Bar-b-que Inn is a top favorite for us. They have great food at reasonable prices. You can get authentic Hawaiin dishes here. My favorite dish is the Ahi Tuna salad.

-Monico’s in Kapaa has the best fish tacos on the island in my opinion.

-Tomkats grill in Koloa has the best mussels on the island. It is a fun place to eat with great fish dishes and burgers. It is a real family oriented restaurant.

I will never tire of this island, the beauty and the people all make it one of my favorite places in the world. Hope you can use some of my information to make your visit a memorable one.

We were lucky enough to have 3 glorious weeks in Kauai right before all the heavy rain and floods. The last week we were there we had rain, but it was on and off, It did not affect our time at all. The Garden Isle is definitely one of the most gorgeous places on this earth. Every time I return I find something new and revisit all my favorites from past visits. Below are a few things we did that made our trip memorable.

One day we decided to check out The back country on ATV’s. I had never been on an ATV before. We found Kipu Ranch Adventures and decided to book a trip with them. What a great time we had with our 2 great guides Eric and James.

“Kipu Ranch is a 3,000 acre property extending from the Huleia River to the top of Mt. Haupu. It is home to many movie sites and wildlife! The ranch has seen many changes through the years, from a sugar plantation to the working cattle ranch it is today. Kipu Ranch is a private ranch – not accessible to the general public. Ride through the ranch on your very own ATV or kick back, relax and take a ride on one of our passenger vehicles! Come and let us share some of Kauai’s hidden beauty with you and your family.”

Ready to take off and see the Ranch.

The beautiful view of the beach that is part of the Ranch. Same view we saw in the movie "The Descendants".

The other fabulous experience we had was with the ” Napali Riders”. This company had a wonderful staff that has been taking Groups whale watching for over 20 years. We began our experience at 6 am watching the sunrise as we headed out to the Napali coast. We saw over 50 whales that morning and an amazing double breech!

Napali Coast at Sunrise

What an incredible feeling to see whales so up-close. They are Magnificent creatures!

I highly recommend this company. They give a thrilling day and the ride is a blast. If you have a bad back it might not be a great choice- otherwise the staff is knowledgeable, friendly and in love with what they do.