FROM HAIKU, MAUI (HAWAII)

Day 3: Visiting Hawaii's "Grand Canyon"

Waimea Canyon is half the size but just as beautiful

HAIKU, Maui, Dec 23 - On our third day in Kauai, we decided to take a morning drive back to Waimea to check out Hawaii's "Grand Canyon" before flying back to Maui in the afternoon.  Waimea Canyon is a deep valley that runs northward into the island's interior from Waimea, on the southern coast (see above map).

Before we got to Waimea, however, we took a slight detour south of Kipu to the foothills of the mountains which guard the pretty interior valley from the ocean (see above map).  That's where we discovered by chance a handsome monument to the writer William Hyde Rice "erected by his Japanese friends" in the 1920s (right).  The place is surrounded by beautiful mature Norfolk pines.  They seem to stand there like an honor guard for the deceased author.

During our climb up Waimea Canyon, we stopped at various lookout points to take in the views and take pictures.

Eventually, we reached a state park lookout at about 3,400 ft-elevation.  The views of the canyon from there were beautiful.  Even the dirt was red like that in Sedona or at the Grand Canyon in Arizona. 

It looked and felt like a mini Grand Canyon, minus the large crowds that usually mill around the southern rim of Arizona's best known tourist attraction.  This is where we also met again Sue Ellen, a Singapore girl who was with us the day before on that grueling surf rodeo.  She took that shot of both of us at the state park entrance (above left).

On our way back, we stopped for a free ice cream (Kauai Pie flavor) that our favorite Hawaiian creamer (Lappert's) was giving away that day.  It was their 15th anniversary.  Or was it 50th?  :-) I can't be sure.  The ice cream was fresh and delicious either way.

And that's all she wrote from this weekend trip to Kauai... Aloha!

CONTINUED... RETURN TO DAY 1 OR TO DAY 2 (SURF RODEO)

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