Belgian Waffles (left), Hawaiian Omlet (right)

Full of carbs energy, we drove to pick up the kayak rental from Kayak Kauai.  We opted to go on our own for $27/person instead of joining a guided tour for $85/person.  They handed us a map and helped strap the kayak to the car.

Getting the kayak off the car was not too bad, but carrying it from the car to the water entrance was a slight struggle.  That sucker was heavy!  We got setup and away we paddled along the Wailua River.

Wailua River taken from the bridge by Opaekaa Falls (previous day)

We paddled along enjoying the views and being on the water.  When we came to the fork in the river, we took the north fork to get to the hiking location to the secret falls.  Apparently, so was everyone else.

We parked the kayak with all the others and hiked towards the secret falls.  The hike was pretty easy (especially compared to Sleeping Giant) and had plenty of tree cover shade.  A couple places along the hike involved crossing the river, but there were ropes to help.  The map that the company gave us was not very clear, so we kind of got lost.  Luckily, there was a guided tour group, and they pointed us in the right direction.  There was another couple that rented their kayak from the same place we did, and they were going the wrong direction.  So, we called out to them, and we continued to find our way to the falls together.  Turns out the guy works at the same company as Hubby.  Such a small world.

Being so close to the secret falls was amazing.  You can swim or splash around in the pool at the bottom of the waterfall.  You can also sit on the rocks and enjoy a picnic with the sound of the waterfall.

When we got back to the kayak, we decided to head up the south fork as well.  Along the way, we saw a boar walking along after a dip in the river.

The south fork ended with the white water rapids coming down, which meant it was time to turn around and head back.  The wind made paddling back to our car tough work.  We took a break for proof that we were in the kayak.

We really enjoyed kayaking Wailua River and highly recommend it.  After we returned all our rental gear, we freshened up for our anniversary dinner at Hukilau Lanai.

We both enjoyed the happy hour tasting menu, which included five delicious courses.

Sweet Potato Ravioli, Arugaula Salad, Fresh Catch (Ono), Not Your Grandma’s Meatloaf, and Big Island’s Vanilla Bean Creme Brulee

Kukui’s - 3610 Rice Street, Lihue, HI 96766
Hukilau Lanai – 520 Aleka Loop, Kapaa, HI 96746
Kayak Kauai - 4484 Kuhio Highway, Kapaa, HI 96746

Previous Aloha Posts
Diamond Head Crater, Aquarium, Hanauma Bay
Pearl Harbor, Aloha Tower, Waikiki Beach
Kauai’s North Shore
Waimea Canyon, Spouting Horn, Poipou Beach
Waterfalls, Sleeping Giant, Poipou Beach

Opaekaa Falls

Wailua Falls
It is kind of hard to see, but can you see the rainbow at the bottom of the falls?

Anyways, hiking the Sleeping Giant trail was the main event for the day, so we enjoyed a Burger King breakfast for energy.  I tried the french toast sticks for the first time, and they were actually pretty good.  We made our way to the trail head to hike 1.75 miles up to the top of the mountain.  This led to the picnic area, but we passed some hikers who told us to go to the left and continue the trail to the top of the Sleeping Giant’s nose.

Sleeping Giant
Can you see the Giant’s face behind us?

The picture above was taken at the beginning of the second part of the trail that led up to the face.  A little further along the path, there were these rocks that we had to climb up.  I decided that there was no way I was going to be able to come down even though I could make it up the rocks, so I waited for Hubby while he went to the top of the Giant’s nose with Domo.

Domo at the top of Sleeping Giant

The round trip hike took us about 3.5 hours.  The path zig zags up the mountain, so hikers have created several shortcuts along the way.  Most of the path lacks tree cover, so it was extremely hot under the direct sun.  Definitely, bring lots of water and wear sunblock.

To cool down from the hike, we snorkeled at Poipou Beach.  The fish were actually quite large for such shallow waters.  I was reminded of Dr. Seuss’ book  One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish as there was a wide variety of fish.

We worked up an appetite after hiking and snorkeling, so we enjoyed dinner at Brennecke’s Beach Broiler.  It was right next to the beach and on the second floor, so the view of the water was fabulous.

Burger King- 4440 Kukui Grove, Lihue, HI 96766
Brennecke’s Beach Broiler - 2100 Hoone Road (Poipou Beach), Koloa, HI 96756

Previous Aloha Posts
Diamond Head Crater, Aquarium, Hanauma Bay
Pearl Harbor, Aloha Tower, Waikiki Beach
Kauai’s North Shore
Waimea Canyon, Spouting Horn, Poipou Beach

We arrived into HNL around 8pm, picked up our rental car, and headed into Waikiki.  We stayed at the Courtyard Waikiki and were upgraded to a deluxe room on the 17th floor (one below the penthouse floor).

The next morning, we grabbed some breakfast* (and energy for our hike at Diamond Head Crater) from IHOP, which was across the street from the Courtyard.

spinach and mushroom omlet and buttermilk pancakes

The Diamond Head Crater hike is about 0.8 miles one way.  There is a climb of about 560 feet, approximately 280 steps, and a 225-foot long and narrow tunnel.  The 360-degree view from the top was breathtaking.  The round-trip hike, including time spent enjoying the view and relaxing at the top, took us about 2 hours.

view of the inside of the crater

at the top of the crater overlooking Waikiki

After the hike, the Magoo’s Burgers yellow truck parked in the lot was calling out to us.  The fresh sliced pineapple was extremely refreshing on the hot summer day.

Next stop: the Waikiki Aquarium.  It is on the smaller side, but definitely has a great variety of sea creatures.  It is the first aquarium to maintain and breed the chambered nautilus.  They also had unique looking things like the leaf scorpionfish and the harlequin shrimp.

chambered nautilus

leaf scorpionfish and harlequin shrimp

After the aquarium, we drove up the coast stopping along the way at many scenic points and lookouts.  Here is a video from the Halona Blowhole Lookout.

Our last sightseeing spot for the day was Hanauma Bay.  We watched the nature preserve video and then headed down to the beach.  We hopped into the water for some snorkeling.  The water was clear and there were lots of fish.

on the walkway down to the beach

Hubby snorkeling in Hanauma Bay

After a full day of activities (hiking, sightseeing, and snorkeling), we enjoyed a tasty meal at Roy’s Waikiki**.

Appetizer Canoe for Two (crab cake, spring roll, spicy tuna roll, baby back ribs, shrimp sticks)

Charred Japanese Misoyaki Butterfish and Sea Scallops wrapped in Prosciutto

Warm Molten Chocolate Cake and a special anniversary dish

Roy’s was magnificent as usual!  We were exhausted after our jam packed day, so we called it a night.

Diamond Head Crater -  $5/car or $1/pedestrian
Waikiki Aquarium - $9/person (we paid $8/person because $1 off/person coupons are available)
Hanauma Bay - $1 for parking and $7.50/person
IHOP - 2211 Kuhio Avenue, Honolulu, HI 96815
Roy’s Restaurant - 226 Lewers Street, Honolulu, HI 96815

* As you know by now, we are not morning people and rarely eat breakfast.  But, in preparing for the trip, we wanted to avoid any jetlag if possible.  Since Hawaii is three hours behind California, we stayed on our normal schedule just on their time.  At home, we eat lunch around 12pm, so in Hawaii, we ate breakfast at 9am Hawaii time which was like eating lunch at home.  This worked great because we were out and about at a decent time and enjoyed the day before the scorching heat.  I recommend trying it next time.

** I am a huge fan of Roy’s Restaurants.  For our anniversary dinner, I really wanted to eat at the Roy’s in Poipou again.  But, when I went to the website, I did not see any locations in Hawaii and was extremely bummed.  I thought they were closed (like the one in New York).  When we saw the Roy’s in Waikiki, we had to go for dinner.  Turns out, I was looking at the list of locations with online reservations and not all of their locations.  All the Hawaii locations do not accept online reservations.  Everything worked out well because now I have eaten at six Roy’s locations (Los Angeles, Newport Beach, San Francisco, New York Financial District, Poipou, and now Waikiki).