Terri

Greetings and aloha…from the beautiful (and very wet right now!) island of Kauai….we are actually sitting in the airport, waiting for our flight to Oahu and from there, we have one more flight, back to Seattle! It’s been a GREAT stay and we’ve thoroughly enjoyed our time here…and explored this wonderful, tropical location. As I’d said before, it was our first visit here and we will return, there is more to see. We didn’t “go-g0” on this vacation as we wanted some time to just relax and soak up a bit of the sunshine, so it’s been a nice blend of relaxing and sight-seeing…just perfect! Last night the rain arrived and did it ever rain…really hard, making us feel almost like we were back home in Puyallup!! This morning it was lighter rain as we loaded the car to head across the island to the airport, but by the time we arrived at the airport…it was POURING!! Oh well, I guess it’s just a way to make it easier for us to say “goodbye” to Kauai for now….and although we are returning to rain (and cold!) at home…it’s time, we miss the comforts and routine of home…well, not totally, but some things we miss!

Here are some photos from the middle of our time here…I’ll post another blog in a few days with the last couple of days here…so as to not overwhelm you right now! We did take a helicopter ride over the island on Monday and WOW…was that ever spectacular!! When we awoke that morning, it was quite cloudy and there were a few sprinkles on our way there, but it all worked out just great. This wasn’t a “doors-off” ride (next time, definitely!!), but it was still amazing…and we were lucky enough to get the front seats and therefore some wonderful photos to share with everyone the amazing view from “above” of this glorious island! So…here we go…..

One of the first scenic shots from the helicopter, just after we took off and started our tour of the island!!

Here we are –  after a “first” for us…but certainly not the last time we’ll do this…it was SO worth the cost….highly recommended!!!!

If you have followed me at all, you’ll know that I’m a “sun star” sort of gal…and so here’s one of many that I took while on the island…how could I resist….palm tree, sun, blue sky and some nice clouds!!

We were lucky enough while walking on Poi Pu beach to see this monk seal, just sunning himself! It was pretty neat…I have a book I’d bought my granddaughter a few years about about monk seals and now I can share this photo with her (and a short video I have of it as well).

Another spectacular view from the helicopter…there are so many great waterfalls on this island, but many are not easily found or seen from the ground…so this was a real treat to see them from above!!

Again…from the helicopter…the canyons were stunning…and the change in terrain was incredible to see from the air…even with the clouds (and rain) we had during the flight!

The Na Pali Coast, from the air…I just LOVE the waters…and the contrast from the white of the waves and the black and green of the cliffs on the coast…truly breathtaking!!

This is Wailua Falls, which is one of those you can reach by car (and we did), but from the air…wow, a whole different perspective!!!

Sunset…one of our favorite parts of each day…not ever day had the color of this, but it was still beautiful being on the coast…we would usually sit on the patio and watch the surfers, the waves, sometimes the whales as the sun set…that’s just about perfect!!

Coming in, at the end of our helicopter ride….another view of the coast (the other side of the island)…I would never tire of seeing something like this…our pilot, Ben (Jack Harter Helicopters) was so knowledgeable and gave us great information about the island…and it was of no surprise, that he’s originally from Seattle!!

At a distance out, the view from our patio of the condo…we saw spouts nearly every day from the whales…and here, you can see, there are at least five of them together. Sometimes they would flip their tales and occasionally come out, but mostly it was what you see here!

Underneath the pier at Hanalei beach…loved the view and perspective…and of course, being around the water was a huge bonus…we came down to this beach several mornings and walked from one end to the other, about 3 1/2 miles round trip…such a GREAT walk, but then again, when walking on a beach, when isn’t it great!!!

Couldn’t resist this…love watching the kids at the beach and this little girl was just evaluation her sand castle…and from the back, I knew this had to be taken…so I did my “drive by shooting” which is “walk and shoot” as we strolled along!

When I found this snag on the beach, I knew I had to spend some time with it…and I did, on two occasions…so interesting and it definitely added interest to my photos…and the blue sky…it was that blue and so beautiful!!

Simple is sometimes the best…when I saw this leaf floating along, I couldn’t resist…and add the ripples of the water and the color of the sand….it was a MUST shoot kind of shot for me!

Another of the pier, this time, from above!! It was funny as the locals all park on the beach and surfing was quite popular around there…and many visitors were taking lessons…fun to watch and what a great beach to check out if you are ever on Kauai!

Time to return home…we are waiting for our first flight to Oahu, it’s running a bit late, I’m guessing because of the rain and winds…just hoping we get out on time, or close to it, so we make our next flight to Seattle. Not that being stuck an extra day in Hawaii is such a bad thing, but when your luggage is all checked and you just have the clothes on your back (oh, of course, the computer and the camera gear!)…it wouldn’t be nearly as much fun, and especially if it continues to rain….at this point, we are ready to return home…and get back to routine (well, sort of!!) and even if it’s colder at home, spring is on it’s way and it HAS to get warmer (and drier) soon!!  I hope this finds you all doing well and looking forward to the weekend, if it’s your weekend…Aloha, for now!

Aloha from the beautiful island of Kauai…where it’s currently in the low 70’s and sunshine with a comfortable light breeze. I know you are all hating me right now because it seems that most of the country is either dealing with cold and snow, or winds and floods…I’m sorry…I truly wish everyone could enjoy this beautiful weather and scenery right now. Hey, we have an extra room at our condo…come on over and stay for a night or two! 🙂

This is our first trip to this beautiful island and so far, we are really enjoying it and taking in all that we can…that is without doing too much, because, after all, it is a vacation! One of our favorite parts about Hawaii, whatever island it is, is the beaches…the sand, the sounds of the waves coming ashore, the people watching and of course, the warm and gorgeous waters!! We’ve found a couple of beaches in our driving and walked along, barefoot, of course and plan to explore and find a few more before its time to head back home. I love the clouds, especially against the deep blue skies…and the details and patterns in this is just amazing…it’s truly incredible the glorious “art” that nature provides for us!! From our condo patio, we see the ocean and have been able to watch some whales breaching and spouting…they are fairly far out there, but it’s still fun to watch!

Our second night here there was quite a thunderstorm that lasted for hours and sounded as though we were in the middle of a war zone…truly, I don’t think I’ve ever heard a thunderstorm so loud and last for so long…and we lived in the South for several years and some some really good storms…this definitely topped it!! The next morning…blue skies, warm and gorgeous…talk about paradise…

I’ll share a few photos from our first few days here…and I hope you enjoy them…and maybe it will warm you up a bit if you are in a deep freeze right now (which is what it is at our home…talk about perfect timing in leaving!!). Have a great weekend and if I get a chance I’ll post a few more photos again before we head home…that is, if we aren’t too busy….relaxing and enjoying the beauty of Kauai