KAUAI WEST COAST |
KAUAI, HAWAII, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA |
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WEST COAST:
Waimea-Kekaha
Changing little through time, resort development has ignored Kauai's west side, Hwy. 50 takes motorists to Kauai's rural west side. This rural area's climate gets progressively drier as you travel west.
The Captain Cook Monument is located in the center of Waimea, it marks the spot where the British sea captain first set foot on Hawaiian soil in January 1778.
Visit the remains of Fort Elizabeth, built by colonizing Russian in 1817.
Next is Kekaha, where a sugar mill is still in operation.
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Driving along Highway 50, you'll probably notice a brown island in the distance, it's Niihau, “the forbidden island”, a privately owned community where Hawaiian is the primary language and the 20th century is kept at a distance. Visitors are not permitted. A sign points out the Pacific Missile Range Facility, home of Barking Sands Beach. Walk on the sand to hear the abrupt barks. After the highway ends, unimproved roads lead to Polihale State Park.
Turn around and head back to Waimea to visit Waimea Canyon “The Grand Canyon of the Pacific”. Take the Highway 550 from Kekaha or Waimea Canyon Road from Waimea.
Waimea Canyon Lookout offers a panoramic view of the deep, ochre-colored gorge that falls about 3,400 feet below. From the roadside lookout motorists can see as far as the Kokee Plateau. Hwy. 550 continues to Kokee State Park. There, motorists can stretch their legs on any of the 45 miles of trails. Stop by the park's natural history museum and the Kokee Lodge for a fireside meal. Continue up the road to the impressive Kalalau Lookout, with stunning views over the Na Pali Coast, where the ocean and valley vista has inspired many artists. Looking to the east, visitors can see Mt. Waialeale, the volcanic crater that formed the island. At 5,148 feet, this mountain top records the most rain on earth, an annual average of nearly 500 inches. The mountain collects most of water for all Kauai's rivers, and its vertical faces abound with waterfalls.
