Marjories Inn lives up to its word – breakfast is served on the lanai with a gorgeous view of the valley. Sarah our host has prepared a spread of sweetbreads, fresh baked bread and jams, fruit and granola. Today’s special entree is eggs benedict with artichoke and spinach hollandaise sauce with crisp bread. It is an incredible meal and we leave well fed and Sarah has armed us with many hiking tips.
We drive toward Waimea, making note to stop at The Right Slice for pie in the near future. The west side of Kauai island has a dramatic and colorful landscape. The weather is hot and dry, the area rural where sugar plantations used to exist. The towns have a slow and easy feel. Hanapepe, once a community for taro farmers, still has salt ponds that have been harvested since ancient times. Waimea is where Capt. Cook first landed.
The gradual ascent along Waimea canyon the Grand Canyon of the Pacific, has many turn outs and the views are spectacular! Across the 2 mile wide, 10 mile long canyon, the walls are striated red, below is the snaking Waimea river, rocky promontories peaks rise from the edge and to the north, a lovely ribbon waterfall.
Sara had instructed us to head to the top Kalalau lookout At 4200 ft. first as the clouds tend to roll in at mid day. Our lingering at each lookout point, Puu ka Pele and Puu hinahina as well as turnouts, gets us up there too late and it is misty and totally socked in. Since it has been raining for 3 weeks, the 1 mile Pihea trail to the Alakai swamp trail is pretty muddy. We see people slipping and sliding, their legs covered in red mud, and decide to forego this adventure. We drive back down and attempt the Cliff Trail but walk less than half a mile before reaching a stream which we are reluctant to cross so we turn back.
By this time, the sky has miraculously turned blue and we decide to head back up the canyon road. Low and behold, the view at the Kalalau Lookout is spectacular. We see the Napoli coast, down at the mouth of the canyon and out to Nii h’au island, which we later learn is inhabited by about 200 native Hawaiian fishermen.
We debate about staying for sunset but decide to head down before it gets too dark. At the end of the road, outside Kekaha, we find a papaya stand, manned by an asian boy who tells me their orchards are across the road.
I buy 4 big papayas and head down to the beach for sunset, ending the day at Chicken in a Barrel!