chick at Kee Beach

brothers and sisters of the chick in the above picture at Kee Beach

chick with mother hen at Spouting Horn

this hen had a dozen chicks at Spouting Horn

This ends the Aloha series of posts on our vacation to Hawaii.

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
Kayaking Wailua River, Anniversary Dinner
Relaxing Last Day

 We grabbed some lunch at Bubba’s Burger.

Double Bubba, Special (teriyaki sauce & pineapple), Onion Rings, Chili Cheese Fries

A few hours later, we hopped on a plane back to the mainland.  The vacation was fantastic.  Our first anniversary was memorable.  Everything was perfect.  Aloha!

Bubba’s Burger - 4-1421 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
Kayaking Wailua River, Anniversary Dinner

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