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| Spouting Horn Beach Park |
The school year is off with a BANG, and I am missing those lazy summer days. Our family trip to Kauai was a departure from our normal vacation mode of cramming in as much sightseeing as possible. On this tropical Hawaiian island, we took things slow and made sure we had time to relax. I already told you all about Finding Paradise in Hanalei on the north side of the island and how stunning Waimea Canyon "The Grand Canyon of the Pacific" on the west side is. This week, I'm showing you around the south side. Whereas the north side is lush and rainy, the south side of Kauai is drier and sunnier.
Spouting Horn
The blowhole at Spouting Horn Beach Park (pictured at top of post) is a must see place. As the waves roll in, water rushes under a lava shelf and bursts upwards through a hole in the rocks. I enjoyed watching the size of the waves and trying to guess just high high the water would shoot into the air. It's nowhere near as high as the geyser at Yellowstone's Old Faithful, but the cycle is much, much shorter.
Po'ipu Beach
After Spouting Horn, we headed towards Po'ipu Beach because it has lifeguards and was recommended for families with children. Granted, all three kids are taller than I am, but the mama in me still makes me prioritize safety. It's also one of the most popular beaches on the South Shore, and there seemed to be many local families having large gatherings there.
We were set to hit the water when we noticed a crowd around a cordoned off area of the beach. Was it some celebrity? It was an endangered Hawaiian monk seal! I guess too many do-gooders become concerned when seals look totally zonked out on the beach and try to get them back into the water. Beaching is normal behavior, and there were signs up saying "Seal is Alive and Well. Seals need to rest on the beach. Do Not Disturb." Along with a hotline number, the sign also posted particulars about this individual. It's a 6 year old female who had been there since 7AM yesterday morning. It was late afternoon when we arrived, so she'd been there about 34 hours already. She was also molting skin. No wonder people mistakenly think something is wrong. The fines for disturbing a Hawaiian monk seal can get up to $25,000, so stay away.
Koloa Tree Tunnel
On our last day, we had time to kill before heading to the airport, so we did a little bit more driving around the island. We headed back towards the South Shore to catch one place we had somehow missed the first time through. Turning off of Highway 50 onto Highway 520, also known as Maluhia Road, between Koloa and Po'ipu, we passed through the famous Tree Tunnel.
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| Koloa Tree Tunnel |
In the early 1900's, a man named Walter Duncan McBryde had a whopping 500 eucalyptus trees leftover after landscaping his homestead. He donated them to the county, and they were planted alongside the road. Over the years, the trees have gown until they tower over the road with their branches intertwining at the top to form a tunnel.
Beach House Restaurant
Hubby's boss declared Beach House Restaurant as his absolute favorite place to eat on the island, so I wanted to pass along the recommendation to you. Our trusty Ultimate Kauai Guidebook also described it has having the "best oceanfront location on the island." It's supposed to have an amazing view at sunset. Alas, I have no photos because we did not dine there. In addition to it being too early for dinner, our bellies were too full of shave ice. Reservations are recommended, and the prices put this into the splurge category for me.
One of my friends bought a timeshare on the south shore, and I can definitely see the appeal. Who wouldn't want to return to this incredible island again and again?
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