Waimea Canyon et al

We finally made it to Waimea Canyon on Wednesday. Took the nice drive along the southern coast. Stopped at the historic town of Hanapepe. It has some nice art galleries, an old theatre, and this "shaking bridge" that goes across the river. We walked on this narrow suspension bridge which rocks back and forth as you walk across it. I noticed that the town, while it retains some of its charm, looks pretty desolate. Someone later said this was due to hurricane Iniki in 1993.

Then we stopped in Waimea for lunch. It too is a historic town, known for its sugar and rice plantations, and the spot where Captain Cook first landed in Hawaii.

Then, we took 552 up to the Waimea Canyon. We stopped at a couple of spots along the way. Rachel has generally been very well behaved on this trip, but this long windy drive was a little too much for her; she let us know about her discomfort! Well, be that as it may, we stopped at the scenic lookout point for the incredible views of the canyon. The green vegetation (a type of fern) intermingled with the red soil and rock paints an amazing picture that is the envy of every good artist!

We drove the next few miles to Kokee State Park, but unfortunately, it was getting foggy and even started raining. Needless to say, we didn't make it out to the Kalalau Lookout, with its majestic peak at a section of the Napali Coast.

Well, we made it back to Wailua in time for a children's Hula show.