A friend told me about a neat little beach heading north from Lihue just before getting to the Wailua Golf Course (apparently the cheapest place for a round of golf on the island).  Turn Right on the dirt road just past the sugar cane field and right when you see the golf course lined with trees.  The road follows the canal (see map below) along the golf course and then out to the ocean.

On your way in there will be a gate on your right after the road makes a hard left hand turn.  This is where they dirt bike rallies from time to time.  I saw a guy 'grooming' the ground and found out later they were getting ready for a weekend race.

Beyond that are some cool trees with sporadic picnic tables and the beach, with incredible views looking north along the Wailua Golf Course.  You can't see the golf course very much since there is a buffer of trees, and lots of folks had driven along the rugged dirt road to park their vehicles overlooking the ocean and grill or fish (or both!).  It definitely felt like a local hangout, but I was told not to hang out there after dark due to drugs.

You can take that dirt road (I'd recommend a 4x4 or mountain bike) all the way up to the camping area of Lydgate Beach Park.  There you will find one of the coolest playgrounds ever!

A cool biking trip I plan to take is to ride down the Kauai Bike Path to Lydgate, then take the dirt road along the ocean south past the Wailua Golf Course and then come back the same way or along the road.

Another adventure I plan to take is kayaking in the canal that separates this little spot between the golf course and the Kauai Beach Resort.

On the other side of the Kauai Beach Resort is Nokolii Beach Park, apparently created and managed by the Kauai Beach Resort.  Turn off Kuhio Hwy at the Kauai Beach Resort main road and drive down through an astounding corridor of old banyan trees - quite spectacular!  As soon as these trees end and before the solar-panel-covered parking lot, turn right and head down a paved road until you reach the ocean. 

There is a small parking lot with restroom facilities and outdoor showers to rinse off the salt water.  I didn't see any picnic tables like the place on the other side of Kauai Beach Resort, but there was a nice mowed trail that loops around the area along the ocean and back through the field.  Other than a lady and her dog, I was the only one there!  A nice little find on an otherwise overlooked section of Kauai most people just drive past to get to other places!

I joined family friends Jane and John on the South Shore for a nice walk behind the Hyatt along Shipwreck Beach and the Makewehi Lithified Cliffs.  

We saw some really cool formations along the cliffs, unlike anything I had seen on Kauai.

After we returned to Shipwreck, I just had to jump off the well-known cliff-jumping spot.  Although it's hard to tell from these pictures, I estimated (and later confirmed) the height to be about 35 feet.

Living in Kilauea now, I decided to check out one of the local beaches, Rock Quarry or Kahili Beach.  There are two bumpy dirt roads on either side of the Kilauea Stream (which I later kayaked!) Valley that lead down to the beach.  It's easiest to access from the southern dirt road off of Wailapa Road.

However, my first foray down to the beach was walking down the northern dirt access road past a monstrous house going up.  You come out to an incredible view of the river mouth opening to the beach with an ideal picnic spot of cool shade and lush grass.

I decided to explore further up the coast to my left.  I found lots of rocks and a trail that went over ancient lava formations until I came across some amazing tidal pools in the rocks.

I suggest coming here ONLY when the ocean is calm and the tide is low.  There were several stealth waves that came out of nowhere and got me wet.  Quite an adventure and not for the faint-of-heart.  There was at least one nice-sized lava pool to sit in near the end and close to the cliffs that appeared to be the safest.  I would be very careful in any of the others.  I opted not to get in any and kept to the high ground.

On the way back, I took some photos of some old dumped equipment, probably left over from the sugarcane plantation days.

Turning onto Kuamo‘o Road (Highway 580), you are now entering Wailua Nui Honoa, the Great Sacred Wailua river basin, one of the two most sacred sites in all of the Hawaiian Islands.  Less than a quarter mile on your left is a small turnout at the Holoholoku Heiau, the oldest place of worship on Kauai.  Here the Hawaiians honored the beginning and end of life. 

The low stone wall you see, measuring 24 by 40 feet, marks the original foundation of the heiau.  This heiau honored all of the Hawaiian gods, giving particular recognition to Ku.  Ku literally means “rising upright,” as in the rising sun over the ocean nearby, and often the Hawaiians worshipped Ku for good fortune and prosperity in their endeavors.  Archeologists believe animal or possibly human sacrifices were part of the worship here.

Just as life ends, so does it begin.  Walk a few meters beyond the heiau to a small cliff face and another sacred site called the Birthstone, where the last king of Kaua‘i, King Kaumualii, was born.  The flat sandstone in front of the small stone foundation marks the remains of a sacrificed dog, making the area kapu or forbidden to commoners.  

Inside the stone wall was a hut for the expectant mother.  When the time came, she leaned on the birthstone, Pohaku Hoohanau, to your left, and placed her feet on the umbilical stone, Pohaku Piko.  The umbilical cord, representing past connection, was wrapped in kapa leaves and wedged in the large crack in the cliff to protect it from rats.  A rat eating the cord meant the child would become a thief.  No matter one’s lineage, a future chief had to be born on this stone in order to be chief and absorb the sacred mana or energy of this place.  Here, place matters.

The modern staircase leads to a Japanese cemetery dating from the 1890s.  Return to your car to continue up Kuamo‘o Road, built on an ancient path called “The Way of the Kings.”  Many chiefs would travel along the Kuamo‘o or “Spine of the Lizard” on their annual pilgrimage, stopping at one of seven sacred sites, including Holoholoku, until they reached Mount Waialeale.

I had an interview today at Kapaa High School in order to get a letter of approval in order to take a class in May in order to be a substitute teacher!  Whew!  I'm not sure what possessed me, but while walking back my explorer's itch started acting up, and I decided to explore some of the side roads in Kapahi, the neighborhood in north Kapaa where we live.

The side roads end in spectacular vistas of Anahola to the north with the impressive formations of the Kalalea Mountains.

At the bottom of the road, I came across an "encampment" consisting of a house built in conjunction with a school bus, linked to some solar panels.  Quite the setup!

Not far away and I saw a tent at the edge of a meadow.  Whether or not these people own the land, the owner permits their presence or they're just squatting, I'm not sure, but I'm sure someone knows what's going on... just not me!

I eventually made it up to the other side of the valley to get a nice view of all the really nice homes lining the opposite ridge.

There is a lot of trash on this island.  I'm not sure if it's an island thing where it's just hard to dispose of trash - it certainly costs money - or what, but you can find evidence of human waste pretty much anywhere (sadly).

Eventually I made it through some trees and brush to find a meandering road that got me back to the main road.  I passed by a mansion on top of the hill and another "encampment" down in the valley.  A tale of two camps, if you will.

I took care not to blatantly trespass or disturb anyone, but I was probably on private land from time to time.  All in all, it was a fun trek through the 'backcountry' of Kapahi, and as I returned through our neighborhood, I said to myself, "I could see myself making a life here."

We will see what happens!

The Kauai Bike Path is a multi-year project designed to follow an ancient Hawaiian path entirely up the east coast of Kauai.  It currently connects Lydgate Park in Wailua with Donkeys Beach north of Kapaa.  The paved path ends well before Anahola but one can follow a dirt path up to the point just before Anahola Bay.  Many people say it will never be completed, yet the 7 miles currently paved make for a nice and beautiful stroll or ride.

I went with some friends - Jon, Sam and Paul - on an adventurous hike today on the Makaleha "trail."  Trail is in quotes because the path we attempted to follow is not maintained, crisscrossing the river several times before finally disappearing into the river, leaving the hiker to now rock hop... not that we complained!

To get there we drove to the end of Kaiwahau Road in Kapahi, up from Kealia Beach north of Kapa'a.  We parked in a dirt lot next to the water tower and were the only car there (this isn't a popular hike due to the lack of trail maintenance/ownership).  I thought I had locked the doors...

The trail begins as a dirt road but quickly gets confusing at an old dam.  We eventually crossed the river and then made our way through a really cool bamboo forest.  I thought a picture really wouldn't do it justice, so check out the video below the picture.

After hiking up into the bamboo forest, along a ridge and then back down, you come across a freakin' awesome rock, perfect for bouldering!

Makaleha in Hawaiian means "eyes that glance upward" and refers to the towering, amphitheater- like ridge that was all around us as we hiked.  Winding our way through little bits and pieces of trail around and through the river, we eventually arrived to an open area with spectacular views of two or three tributaries all coming together.

Per the guidebook's suggestion (I don't suggest going without one, by the way, or someone who knows the way well), we ventured up the fork furthest to the right.  The valley became a narrow, almost slot canyon, until we reached an incredible, three tiered waterfall.  Check out the pictures below! 

We had fun rock-hopping our way back, only trying to pick up the trail when it became too cumbersome to rock hop!

We also came across some cool remnants of when the valley was used for sugar cane production, including what looked like canals and other irrigation-like ditches.

As we were getting back to the car, a car drove off and other car with two young local guys was parked next to ours.  They apparently got out to pee but it seemed a little odd to me at the time.  I unlocked the car but apparently the passenger door was unlocked.  Later I discovered they had stolen my wallet, including $300 cash, my ID and some credit cards, which they used to purchase gas and some apps on the Google Play store!  Not very fun, and a poignant reminder to leave no valuables in your car!  It also didn't help that we were the only car in a remote lot on a very lightly used trail.

You live, you learn, and you try to earn a living.

As part of a freelance writing gig I got for Kaua'i Traveler Magazine, Emily and I went kayaking on the Wailua River with Kayak Kauai.

There are many companies that do this trip, but Kayak Kaua'i were the pioneers and launch directly from the Marina.  We were with a group of 12 people, including our excellent guide Jaime who grew up on the island.

The two mile paddle was relatively easy on the broad river.  Motor boats were seen on the way back; otherwise we had the river to ourselves other than a few kayaks!  Later the river got too shallow so we beached our kayaks, crossed the stream and climbed up some serious roots!

The trail was unbelievably muddy and washed out - the worst in at least 13 years according to one guide.  But we made it, er, waded through!

There were even ancient remains of the irrigation canals used to irrigate the taro crops and later sugar cane fields.

Finally we made it to the Falls, known as Secret Falls - the best known Secret, or Sacred Falls, or Uluwehi Falls, which means "lush and beautiful" in Hawaiian.

There were some beautiful offerings at the base of the pool with smaller pools created by rocks a guide had arranged.

Can you see the heart-shape the pool makes?

This offering resembles the traditional Hawaiian dugout canoe.

There were even some people rappelling off the falls!  (illegal according to our guide)

And of course, there were chickens and roosters aplenty.

And after we trekked back to the canoes, a beautiful peacock swooped down from the trees onto the riverbank before us!

It was a very serene - even sacred! - stream, and a lovely tour.

I did this fun little hike with the two dogs Koa and Uila (pronounced Wee-la) I was sitting and a local MeetUp group, the Kauai Adventure Club.  This is a great hike in the Kapahi neighbor just off of Kapahi Road:

Parking is parallel and off-street, on the opposite side from the houses:

You can find the trailhead at the yellow gate marking a public access dirt road:

The trail begins quite broadly but quickly narrows and you feel like you are going deep into the heart of the jungle:

Soon you come across the lush Kapa'a stream running through the forest.

And in less than a mile you arrive to the first of two falls:

Some people, like our unofficial guide Manfred who has been living here for 30 years, swan dive off the far side of the falls (but only after checking for rocks and debris below first, of course!).  

The next section of the trail goes through some pristine forest of what I believe are called wiliwili trees, with a lush tropical vine growing on them I see everywhere on Kaua'i but can't remember the name!  ...It reminds me of kudzu.

A little while longer and you come across some larger falls.  In high water, the falls apparently go all the way across the stone rim! 

There is a trail around to the right that leads down a fairly steep but doable trail to the bottom, where you are richly rewarded with a nice picnic and swimming area, complete with a rope swing!

All in all, a great, short, refreshing hike not ten minutes from where we live!

Our first visitor came to Kaua'i on a medical conference.  We visited Laura's family when Emily and I were in Minnesota last August.  Her husband, Dave, was my youth pastor growing up in Wilmington, DE.  Laura and I took the dogs for an epic exploration of Waimea Canyon - check it out!