VOLUME 3, NUMBER 4
K
auai may be short on roads, but we’re big on adventure, and cruising is one of the best ways to get to know the Garden Isle. • Below are three of our favorite local road trips. Directions are noted using the words makai, which means toward the water, and mauka, which means inland. It is also important to note that these drives would span days if we pointed out every cultural, historic and interesting point along the way. This is a very abbreviated list of our favorite spots to stop. We hope you enjoy the ride. Westside Hanapepe to Polihale Driving west on Kaumualii Highway the scenery changes from shops and homes to sugar cane and scenic vistas. Pulling off at the Hanapepe Valley Lookout one can get a preview of the dramatic scenery ahead. The view mauka reveals a deep chasm that heads inland eventually connecting with the Waimea Canyon. Heading west again, a detour mauka onto Hanapepe Road takes
the traveler to Hanapepe, the heart of the island’s art community. Founded by Chinese rice farmers, Hanapepe was once one of the busiest towns on the island, home to a bustling sugar industry, shops, theaters, even a skating rink. Today, Hanapepe has been reborn as the hippest art town around. The gallery-lined main drag features unique, colorful, sometimes funky works from local artists and craftspeople, and it’s likely you’ll leave Kauai’s “biggest little town” with a souvenir. While you’re stretching your legs, don’t miss the photo op at the swinging footbridge. If you’re looking for a little direction, the selfguided Historic Hanapepe Walking Tour is available at just about every store in town. Heading west again on Kuhio Highway, the Gay & Robinson Visitor Center is makai down Kaumakani Avenue. The vintage 1920s street lamps lead to a small building where organized tours of the island’s lone remaining producer of sugar originate. Even if you’re not
up for the tour, the small building is filled with pieces of the past, from farm equipment to black and white photos, and is an interesting (and free) glimpse at Kauai history. Just before descending into Waimea, the remains of the Russian Fort Elizabeth appear mauka of the road. Though there isn’t much left to the fort, it’s interesting to stop and learn the story of how the Russians almost made their mark on the island. When Captain James Cook first landed on Kauai in 1778, he did so here at the mouth of the Waimea River. Today, a statue of the British explorer keeps watch over Waimea Town Park. From here, the highway runs parallel to Kekaha Beach for a few miles before it comes upon the Pacific Missile Range Facility and ends at Mana. The road bares right and the first dirt road on the left is marked with a sign that points to Polihale State Park. There are more than three miles of unmaintained cane road before
land’s elevated interior via Kokee Road in Kekaha, but the less traveled and more scenic route is up Waimea Canyon Drive. The pavement rises several hundred feet in just a few miles, offering several places to safely pull off and priceless panoramic views of the lower canyon, neighboring Niihau and the South Shore. Be sure to check your fuel gauge before you head up. There are no gas stations once you leave sea level. After a little more than six miles, Waimea Canyon Drive intersects with Kokee Road. Continuing inland, a great spot to become familiar with native flora and take in stunning views from atop the canyon rim is at the Iliau Nature Loop between mile markers eight and nine. Look for a sign and small parking area marking the Kukui and Iliau Loop Trials on the east side of the road. While the Kukui Waimea Canyon travels all the way down to meet Waimea to Kalalau Lookout the Waimea River on the canyon A trip into Kokee along the rim of floor, the Iliau Loop is a mere quarthe Waimea Canyon is one not ter of a mile, and it takes only soon forgotten. Some guide books advise visitors to access the isSEE TRIPS, PAGE 2 reaching Polihale. Road conditions can range from bumpy to abysmal, depending on recent weather and traffic. Some rental car agencies prohibit driving on unsealed roads, and there’s no cell phone service out here if you run into trouble. Take it all under consideration when deciding whether or not to continue on to Polihale. For those that journey onward, look for a huge monkeypod tree (you’ll know it when you see it) after about three miles. It marks the makai turn towards Queen’s Pond, the only beach in the area protected by reef. Watch out for that soft sand. A short drive onward to Polihale State Park offers access to showers, restrooms, picnic tables and drinking water. Like everywhere on the island, water conditions can be hazardous. Always use caution.