Aloha, everyone!
Monday morning started with another rainbow! After breakfast, we all took a walk to the Hyatt resort and back along the coast. There was a monk seal on Shipwreck beach. Then I saw two turtles in the turtle cove. At Makahuena Point, we spotted lots of whale spouts and bodies! When we see whales and monk seals and sea turtles on the same day, Grandpa says we’ve hit the marine wildlife trifecta. On Monday, we had our trifecta by 11 a.m. Then we all saw a pod of spinner dolphins too! Grandma took me to visit the sea arch right next to Makahuena at the end of our walk.
We had lunch at Puka Dogs! There was a long line for service, just like last time we went two years ago. I miss my friend, the hula dancer on the old menu sign! We all chose original sauce, mango relish and Auntie Lilikoi mustard on our Puka Dogs. The website says that combination is the Kauai Special! I think that combination is yummy!
Grandma and I took a walk to the beach after lunch to check for turtles and seals. I didn’t see any, but I did spot some bananas growing across from our resort unit. When we got back, I helped Grandma cut up the white pineapple we got at the fruit stand last week.
Monday evening, we went to E Kanikapila Kakou in Lihue. Before the concert started, I said hello to Carol-san, the organizer. Then I made friends with the ukelele that was going to be raffled off. There’s a haku maker selling his wares, but I miss Auntie Fran and her leis! The concert started with tones blown on a seashell. This week, the program was the history of hula. The dancers were very good!
Because it had been raining, the parking lot for E Kanakapila Kakou at the Kauai Beach Resort was very muddy! Grandma and Grandpa and Papa Dick-san and Grandma Sue all had to leave their shoes outside because they were so dirty. On Tuesday morning, I could see muddy footprints from our car to our resort door! I helped Grandma and Papa Dick-san clean off all the shoes at the resort rinse hose.
Grandma Sue decided she wanted to go snorkeling, so I went to the beach with her. Some family was making a really nice sand castle! I sat with Grandma Sue’s towel while she was in the water and got some sun myself! Grandma Sue said she saw lots of fish. Most of them were in shallow water, so she didn’t even have to get her hair wet to see them!
We had an afternoon rainbow on Tuesday while we were whale watching at Makahuena Point, and a morning rainbow on Wednesday!
Even though there were clouds around, the weather forecast said that Kilauea Point would be sunny later on Wednesday morning. The forecast was right! When we got to the National Wildlife Refuge there, we could see rain over Princeville, but it never got to Kilauea! We saw lots of red-footed boobies soaring in the wind and a few whales, too.
There’s a children’s corner in the building near the lighthouse. I made sure the coloring page of the red-footed boobies got red feet! I was disappointed that there weren’t any of my nene friends wandering around the lawn. I did see them flying overhead! There was a red-tailed tropic bird sitting on the hillside just beyond the fence.
At the visitors’ center and museum, I made a booby friend. I really liked the relief map of the Hawaiian Islands! On the way back to the parking lot, I stopped to see the hillside where the boobies nest.
After we drove back to Poipu and had lunch, we took a short trip to Plantation Gardens. Grandma Sue and Papa Dick-san had never been there before! The entrance area has lots of orchids and bromeliads, with a few other plants.
Beyond the entrance garden is the Moir Garden. It was planted in the 1930s by Mrs. Moir, the wife of the sugar plantation foreman. She planted cactus! Last time I was at Moir Garden, it was looking a bit neglected. I was happy to see it looking well tended now!
On Wednesday night, we had a chance to watch the sunset again! The wind changed direction, so there was nice surf off Brennecke’s Beach. The sun set into low clouds.
On Thursday, it was time for Papa Dick-san and Grandma Sue to go home! Papa Dick-san and Grandma and I took one last walk to the beach to look for turtles and seals, but we didn’t see any. Grandma Sue gave her welcome lei back to me. I gave Papa Dick-san and Grandma Sue both big lion hugs before they left! After we took them to the airport in Lihue, Grandma and Grandpa and I visited Wailua Falls. The falls were nice and full because of all the rain we’ve had. Grandma told me that Wailua Falls are particularly famous because they were shown every week on an old TV show, Fantasy Island.
When we got back to Koloa, we planned to get lunch at Dim’n’Den Sum. They were closed because they were cooking someplace else for a special event. We got ramen from the next food truck over, instead. After lunch, Grandma and Grandpa and I went back to the beach. This time, there were two turtles there! They told me they were sorry they didn’t get to the beach in time for Papa Dick-san to see them! From the beach, we walked to Makahuena Point. We saw lots of whale spouts and bodies and one jumping baby whale.
It was still cloudy for sunset on Thursday, but there was a space for the sun to shine through. Most of the ocean looked calm, but there was nice surf off Brennecke’s Beach. It was fun watching the boogie boarders and the sunset at the same time! Grandpa even spotted a whale breaching before the sun went down!
Love,
Lion-san
We saw a pretty sunset last night. Of course I didn’t have my camera. The sky was all pink. It looks like you saw all the stops for Papa Dick-san and Grandma Sue-san and even took them there! I’m glad Moir Gardens is looking better. As I remember it was looking pretty sad.