Hawaii pics

Just thought I'd share a few shots from a recent venture.  First off, Simone had racked up a few miles to get a ticket.  I had a few miles but not enough.  Then for the heck of it - I looked into my Capital One account to see if I had any deals there - turned out I had enough points for a ticket as well!  So, if anything this thread could hopefully have some of you look into your credit card benefits that you may not know you had.  Otherwise - I've seen round trip tickets to be as low as $650.

First stop - Kauai.  used Airbnb to rent a condo pretty much on the beach.  It was $160 a night - in Kapaa - we would definitely stay there again.  A couple highlights:

Hiked to the top of Sleeping Giant:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60616-d1122958-Reviews-Sleeping_Giant_Trail-Kapaa_Kauai_Hawaii.html

Waimea Canyon:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g60627-d247664-Reviews-Waimea_Canyon_State_Park-Waimea_Kauai_Hawaii.html

Lovely

very nice

Here's my favorite breakfast - coconut french toast with a side of Kahlua pork.  We also had a celebrity sighting - 2 tables away from us was Robin Wright from House of Cards.  I think a lot of celebrities try to hide out on this remote island.  Zuckerburg has recently bought hundreds of acres on the north shore.

Wai Koa Loop Trail - Mahogany forest.  Visitor center closeby had a mini golf course going through a botanical garden - taco truck was good also.

Chocolate factory closeby - we missed the tour.  You can see the cocoa pod (fruit) here.  The bean is in the sweet fleshy part of the pod.

On the Big Island we stayed at Lava Tree Tropic Inn.  $120 a night.  I was here 10 years ago where I first ran into Simone!  

We were happy it survived the recent lava flows.  They had some lava rivers which passed close by flowing at 35 miles an hour.  You can see in a pic here that one of the main roads just ends.  They built a new road to the left of that one - the rocks are still smoldering.  One of Simone's favorite fruit is lilikoi, which is a nice combination of sweet and tart.  Most of the fruit served is grown on the property, one of my favorites are the rambutans.

Some lava flow video - 700 homes were destroyed

Currently there are no visible lava flows.

Here's some pics from the Waipi'o Valley.  You cannot drive down in a normal car - we took a tour down.  Judging by the looks of the people walking back up - I'm glad we did.  Taro root grows in the valley for poi.

Oooh, thanks Jamie!  So glad you could go.

And your pix are just what i needed on this cloudy, drizzly, 35 degree day! : )

lilikoi = passion fruit or as translated into Chinese, 百香果 (fruit of 100 fragrances).

Looks fabulous! Photos just don't do Waimea Canyon justice, do they?

What would you say is the best island to visit after Oahu? Say for a 10-12 day trip with the first 6-7 days in Honolulu. Is Kauai the next best place?

It really depends on what you like to do.  The hikes in Kauai can be a bit advanced.  I hear you need to get a permit for some of the trails as well.

Maui is it a bit bigger and more diverse.  We went to Maui last time.  We may go back there next time.

Each island has their own charm and you can probably find enough things to do on each.  Waikiki is the most touristy place.

No matter where you are - it's just a great place to be.

Here I am in Kauai a few years ago in a powered hang glider

Smedley said:

What would you say is the best island to visit after Oahu? Say for a 10-12 day trip with the first 6-7 days in Honolulu. Is Kauai the next best place?

 We went to Oahu, Maui and Kauai. I loved Kauai best of them; such diverse landscapes: dry, hot beaches, rain forests, the Grand Canyon of the Pacific, Hannalei. Although, I did love being in Maui because I got to see my brother and there are some really cool places there, like Lahaina, Haleakala, Big Beach (and Little Beach), Road to Hana (stop in Paia for lunch... ).