Kauai
Kauai is is called the Garden Island, for its lush forests and plant life. There's a spot in the center of the island--Mt. Waialeale--that's known as one of the wettest spots on earth. Like other gardens, this one is quiet. Kauai is not the busiest of islands once the sun sets. If Oahu claims the big city and Maui the benefits of suburbia, then Kauai is definitely the country. But that doesn't mean there isn't anything to do. Far from it. By day, there is plenty to stay busy: hiking Kalalau Trail, snorkeling at Kee Beach, golfing at The Prince Club, sailing along Napali Coast, exploring Waimea Canyon, touring a coffee farm. And, appropriately, meandering among gardens.
Arts & Local Culture
Evidence of numerous cultures exist, including a heiau dedicated to hula; an 1837 mission house; and remains of Hawaii's first sugar mill.
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Beaches
With the most beaches per mile in all Hawaii, every beach is different. How to find one that's right for you?
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Food & Drink
Sustainability. Farm to restaurant table. Community-supported agriculture. These efforts top the food trends on rural Kauai.
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Hiking & Land Activities
Adventure awaits: Hiking, kayaking, ziplining, ATV'ing, horseback riding, golfing, birdwatching and floating down an irrigation ditch.
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Music & Entertainment
First-time visitors won't want to pass up a luau, and regulars know when the slack key guitar and hula festivals are.
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Romance & Honeymoons
A wedding on Kauai can be as simple as finding a quiet beach. The whole process is fairly easy, but there are some state regulations.
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Sightseeing & Shopping
There is only one main road around Kauai, so, think about other unique modes of sightseeing--like a kayak, boat, ATV, horse and/or helicopter.
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Snorkeling & Water Adventures
Kayak up a river to a waterfall. Take a surf lesson. Learn to stand up paddle. Snorkel. Dive. Or take a boat cruise along Napali Coast.
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Spa & Massage
In Hawaii, the art of massage is steeped in the culture. Pamper yourself at a resort spa or opt for a traditonal Hawaiian locale.
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Poi to the World
Destination:
Kauai
Article Type:
Feature Stories
Article Source:
Islands of Outrigger
Places where the cuisine differs from home invite a sense of culinary adventure, a step outside your comfort zone. In Hawaii, there are several foods that all visitors should try. One is poi, the pale purple paste that is the result of the pounding the root of the kalo, or taro plant. A root vegetable, taro is often seen in large paddies, with sturdy stems standing two to three feet and supporting large, heart-shaped leaves.
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A Few Ways of Looking at a Blackbird*
Destination:
Kauai
Article Type:
Feature Stories
Article Source:
Outrigger
Newell’s Shearwaters (NESH) are another story altogether. Known to Hawaiians as 'a'o, the seabird measures approximately one foot in length with a wingspan reaching nearly three times that. As seabirds go, kinda small. It has a sharply hooked black bill, good for snagging fish and squid several hundred miles off-shore, and claws that are equally sharp and hooked for burrowing out nest sites and climbing atop trees to launch into flight.
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Volunteering + Vacation = A Dream Come True
Destination:
Kauai
Article Type:
Profiles & Interviews
Article Source:
Outrigger
When Julie Honnert comes to Kauai on vacation, she doesn't sit on the beach and read a book. “One of my messages is volunteerism. I always tell people I am on vacation. Most people have never thought of it—volunteering on vacation. Many turn to their spouse and say, ‘Oh, honey, we should do this.’"
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Chuck Blay: On Rocks
Destination:
Kauai
Article Type:
Profiles & Interviews
Article Source:
Outrigger
Chuck Blay knows rocks. With a Ph.D. in geology from Indiana University, he can talk “rock” with any geoscientist around. On a cliff on Kauai’s north shore, Blay talked about “plate tectonics” and how the entire archipelago of Hawaiian Islands formed.
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No Task Is Too Big When Done Together
Destination:
Kauai
Article Type:
Feature Stories
Article Source:
Outrigger
It was a cloudy Saturday morning. My weekend to-do list was as long as some of the lengthy street names around Hawaii, but weeks before, I had agreed to help weed a taro patch this morning. I looked outside at the cloud-shrouded mountain in my front yard and considered my options. Do I really want to pull weeds in the rain?
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Get Lost in Kauai
Destination:
Kauai
Article Type:
Feature Stories
Article Source:
Outrigger
How do you experience the real, unseen Hawaii? Start by heeding the words of Gary Smith, Kauai plantation expert and preservationist. Hint: it involves ignoring guidebooks.
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Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge: For the Birds
Destination:
Kauai
Article Type:
Feature Stories
Article Source:
Outrigger
The walk to the historic lighthouse at Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge takes me about three minutes from the parking lot. As I top a slight hill, a panoramic view of the blue Pacific Ocean and a coastline of serpentine cliffs opens before me, just as if someone drew back a pair of heavy theater curtains.
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Red: The Color of the Night
Destination:
Kauai
Article Type:
Feature Stories
Article Source:
Outrigger
The first time I was scheduled to dive the area known as “Tunnels” on Kauai, there was an extremely low tide producing strong currents as the incoming water rushed back out to sea through a narrow channel. Another night, there was Hurricane Daniel, which was eventually downgraded to a Tropical Depression when it bypassed the island.
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Kauai Reefs: Teeming with Life
Destination:
Kauai
Article Type:
Feature Stories
Article Source:
Outrigger
The boat rocked from port to starboard and back again, as regular as a
metronome. A diminishing south swell that shut out all dive boat
operations for the past week still churned the water—and my stomach.
That may have explained my deadpan response to Captain George’s dive
jokes, but that wasn’t all. It was early.
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Kauai Evokes A Sense of Place
Destination:
Kauai
Article Type:
Feature Stories
Article Source:
Outrigger
The sun rose at our backs and escorted us down Highway 50 on Kauai toward Port Allen, our embarkation point for a day’s adventure on the Pacific Ocean. Our journey would take us to Kalalau Valley along the iconic Napali Coast. Then, we’d traverse 17 miles of a sometimes rough ocean, crossing Kaulakahi Channel, to drop anchor on the north side of the privately-owned island of Niihau. When I asked my friend Laura, visiting from Loomis, California, whether she wanted to join me on a boating excursion to Napali and Niihau, she didn’t hesitate. “Yeah, baby,” she said.
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