Kauai, Hawaii

by Linda Hopkins

We arrived in Kauai on Saturday, May 25. We were on our favorite Hawaiian island for three days.

The first time we visited Hawaii was in 1988. Marissa was just 1 1/2 years old. Dave’s parents kindly flew in from Illinois to stay with her for the week.

It was the first time I’d been away from my baby, so that trip started out stressful for me. But, of course, the Hawaiian culture and lifestyle has a way of washing those stresses away.

The next, and until now, the last time we came was with the kids in 1998. Both times, we only visited Honolulu, Oahu (where you had to fly into from AZ, back then) and Kauai.

So, Kauai is where we feel most home at. We know the island well, where things are, and what we want to see.

All three of the islands we’ve visited have wild chickens, but Kauai wins by a landslide with the most! Kauai is home to thousands of wild chickens, who have few natural predators. Kauai’s chickens originated from the original Polynesian settlers, who brought them as a food source. They have since bred with European chickens that have gotten free from farms during previous hurricanes.

You’d think the feral cats on the island would decrease the feral chicken population, but we saw the cats lying around while the chickens and roosters strutted about them, completely unfazed.

I find the chicken a charming part of island life, but I suppose if I had a rooster crowing outside my window every morning at 4:45 am, as we did at our B&B in Hilo, I’d feel differently!

One of our favorite beaches on Kauai is Tunnels Beach in Hanalei Bay. Tunnels is about a 4-mile drive from Princeville.

With the backdrop of “Bali Hai” and the protective reef, you won’t want to leave. Most days this location offers some of the best snorkeling in Hawaii. I say most days because on the day we were there, unfortunately there were strong trade winds and we didn’t have flippers. I was tossed around like a rag-doll.

I have the cut up, bruised and battered knees, legs and feet from the sharp coral to prove it!

We packed up and settled for lunch at one of our favorite local hangouts, The Dolphin.

As it is prone to do, on the Garden Isle, it rained off and on while we ate. But the outdoor tables at The Dolphin have huge umbrellas, just for such an occasion, and we were dry and happy outside.