Kauai 2009 Travel Planner - (Page 24) Waimea Canyon can be appreciated from several lookouts along Waimea Canyon Drive. This road continues into the mountains, and ends in the cool forests of Koke‘e State Park, where rare ¯ birds, the only ones of their kind on Earth, sing in the ‘ohi‘a and sandalwood ¯ trees alongside the 40 miles of hiking trails. The Waimea Canyon Trails offer colorful vistas into “The Grand Canyon of the Pacific.” There are trails for both beginner and experienced hikers. At the end of the road, a 4,000-foot overlook peers into Kalalau Valley where the fabled Na pali Coast rises ¯ from the sea in green ramparts and castle-like turrets. The light changes constantly so that from moment to moment, each glimpse is different. At Koke‘e Natural History Museum, ¯ there are excellent exhibits on the unique flora of the area, along with maps of hiking trails and nature walks. Rangers offer suggestions as to which trail will most suit a person’s interests and abilities. Koke‘e State Park stages the Banana ¯ Poka Festival every May, offering hikes, crafts and family activities. The Eo e ¯ Emalani I Alaka‘i festival in October commemorates Queen Emma’s 1870 trip to Koke‘e with a memorable program ¯ of hula. In 1778, the British explorer, Captain James Cook, and his ships, Resolution and Discovery, sailed into Waimea Bay. For the Hawaiians, who had lived for centuries in isolation, it was today’s equivalent of a spaceship landing. A statue of Cook stands in Waimea, facing the sea. This sunny, sleepy town gives no outward clue to its historic importance. Nearby, at the mouth of the Waimea River, are the ruins of the Russian Ft. Elizabeth, named for a czarina. The broken fortress walls are all that remain of old Russia’s once held interest in Hawai‘i. A 4,000-foot overlook peers into Kalalau Valley where the fabled Napali Coast rises from ¯ the sea in green ramparts and castle-like turrets. Beyond Waimea, Kaua‘i stretches out along a shore that’s almost always sunny. The forbidden island of Ni‘ihau can often be seen from Kekaha. At sunset, it is silhouetted darkly on the horizon. It appears to be floating. When you reach the end of the road, you have come full circle and now meet the southern extremity of the Na pali Coast. Another legend from the ¯ past has it that lovers came to this spot for its secluded beauty. But those days can just as easily be now. It is a fitting place for a day of exploring to end. After all, you’re on Kaua‘i, Hawai‘i’s Island of Discovery™. Koko Rd Aliÿi R d Rd wa aa Aw Kän e Rd Hanapëp ë Moi R d Hanapëpë Valley Lookout Kaumualiÿi Hw y To Waimea K napëpë Ha ua St up Ul aliÿi mu au Hanapëpë Ha na ÿEle ÿele Rd Me Hanapëpë Stadium Lele Rd lem ele Rd p d ëR ëp Iona Rd Püÿolo Rd ÿEleÿele Halewili Rd To Kauai Coffee Co ÿEleÿele Shopping Center Lokok ai Rd Salt Pond Beach Park Hanapëpë Small Boat Harbor Kuiloko Rd Hanapëpë Bay W aia lo Rd PORT ALLEN w aB ay Port Allen Airport (Burns Field) Port Allen Harbor ia ah W Püÿolo Pt 0 0 .50 .50 1.0 mi 1.0 km 24 KAUA‘I Hawai‘i’s Island of Discovery™ Ri ve r To Lïhuÿe Hwy Rd
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