Waimea Canyon

This morning we decided to drive up to Waimea Canyon. It is a very large canyon, which is sometimes called the Grand Canyon of the Pacific. I haven't been to the real Grand Canyon, so I can't compare them, but this one is spectacular! Waimea Canyon is 14 miles long, one mile wide, and more than 3 600 feet deep!

Waimea Canyon is located on the western side of the island near the town of Waimea. Waimea in Hawaiian means "reddish waters". I think it is obvious why they named it this when you look at the colour of the soil in the photos :)

The canyon has an interesting history because it was formed by water erosion AND the collapse of the volcano that created Kauai. The results are quite stunning to look at!

To get there it is about a half hour drive. Once you leave the highway it is quite a windy road, so if you get car sick sit in the front! (Or do whatever you do to stave it off!) When you get to the lookout point there is a nice big parking lot, so don't worry about parking on the side of the road.

We are lucky enough to have been here two times, and have had sunshine both times. Many people I have talked to say it is often clouded in and you can't really see the canyon. So here's a tip, if you want to see the canyon watch the weather forecast for Waimea.

There was a Hawaiian Man in the parking lot showing off some "traditional" Hawaiian items and dressed in a traditional outfit. He was not asking for donations, but I am assuming he would accept them if offered. We didn't really stop to talk to him, but he seemed quite busy. He did have his little pet pig with him. Steve snapped a photo of him when he was taking a rest from running around like a maniac!

The view from the lookout is quite beautiful. Here is a small selection of our bajillion photos...

From the lookout you can also see Waipo'o Falls. It looks like you can also hike to the falls... but we were not that energetic 😀

On our way home we stopped at The Right Slice in Kalaheao. If you remember, this is where we got the chicken pot pies at the Hanapepe Art Walk. It was national pi day, so we picked up a meat pie and some lemon pie to have at home. You should know if you buy them here and want to eat them before you get home, it takes half an hour for them to heat them. While your meat pie is cooking, you can eat your dessert pie though 😉

Mostly we just hung out by the beach and pool for the next couple of days... but one thing of note, was that Steve and I were able to meet up with Cindy and Richard again. They let us hang out by their very nice pool and then we went for dinner at a restaurant called Lemongrass in Kapa'a. I really enjoyed the restaurant. The food was delicious and relatively inexpensive. Steve and I both had a drink and entrees (Steve had steak and shrimp!) and it was only $75 including tip. Very reasonable, especially for Kauai! As usual, we were so busy talking and eating that I forgot to take a photo 🙁