We were up early this morning to meet for our 7:45 a.m. excursion to Waimea Canyon. Once again, we were greeted with a rainbow! We stopped first at a "mini canyon". This is where the helicopter scene in "Jurassic Park" was filmed. Our bus driver told us this was a preview for Waimea Canyon. It was beautiful!
A "Good Morning" rainbow!
Conrad & Linda at the mini canyon
Mini Canyon
The scenery along the way was beautiful. Kauai is so green and lush, unlike any of the other islands. I could spend more time here.
We stopped at a gift shop in Hanapepe. Conrad wandered around in the parking lot taking pictures. Cactus were originally brought to Kauai for ornamental gardens. We saw a lot of it.
Greeted at Waimea Canyon by more chickens!
Waimea Canyon, also known as the Grand Canyon of the Pacific, is a large canyon, approximately 10 miles long, 1 mile wide, and up to 3,000 feet deep. The canyon was formed by a deep incision of the Waimea River arising from the extreme rainfall on the island's central peak, Mt Waialeale, among the wettest places on earth. When we arrived, our driver told us to head on up to the lookout spot because the clouds were coming in and it would be raining shortly. We got several pictures before it started fogging in and then raining. At least we got to see it. She had called the office and told them we got rained out so we were going to get to make an extra stop on the way back at at coffee farm.
As we came down the mountain, the foggy weather and rain disappeared and the sun was shining. It's funny to see the weather change in just a couple miles. We stopped at Kauai Coffee Company in Kalaheo. I'm glad we got to see this place. We were able to see the coffee trees up close and learn a little about coffee farming. Conrad tried the coffee and he said it was pretty good and liked it better than the Kona coffee.
Coffee tree
Coffee beans are inside the cherry.
Conrad beside a coffee tree
Coffee is the #1 industry in Hawaii and is the only state to grow coffee. The fragrant blossoms appear in early spring. They wait for the first bright green coffee cherries to burst onto the branches when the blossoms fade away. Then comes the waiting for the deep reds and yellows of the ripe cherries to emerge under the late summer sun. Kauai Coffee Company has more than 4 million trees. By hand, a good picker might get 300 pounds per day. Each of the company's 10 machines can harvest 35,000 pounds per day. The next step is to remove the beans from the fruit and process the cherries quickly to avoid spoilage or waste.
Depending on the variety, it will take approximately 3 to 4 years for the newly planted coffee trees to bear fruit. It will then be productive for about 15 years.The fruit, called the coffee cherry, turns a bright, deep red when it is ripe and ready to be harvested. There is typically one major harvest a year.
The coffee trees are cut back every 7 years or so to about 2 to 3 feet tall. Kauai Coffee Company produces approximately 60% of Hawaii's total coffee crop. The red beans are more bitter and the yellow beans are smoother. We also learned that the lighter the color of coffee, the more caffeine. A dark roast coffee has the least amount of caffeine. Once a year, one tree gives you one pound of coffee.
It was time to load up and move to the next stop. We stopped at the Spouting Horn again. The waves were calmer today than yesterday and the water wasn't shooting up as much. It's still fascinating though!
Spouting Horn Spouting Horn
Farmland
The Ninini Point Lighthouse was built in 1906 and automated since 1953. It is 86 feet high. The lighthouse marks the entrance to Nawiliwili Bay, where our ship was docked.
Ninini Point Lighthouse Ninini Point Lighthouse
We got back to the ship about 1:00, ate lunch and then watched as we sailed away at 2:00 p.m. It was pretty rough sailing. We started repacking our suitcases since we had to have them in the hallway by midnight. There wasn't much to look at for awhile. We were going around the northern tip of Kauai to the Napali Coast. The high cliffs along the shoreline rise as much as 4,000 feet. Napali Coast State Park is inaccessible to vehicles but can be enjoyed over land by hiking or in a helicopter, and from the ocean by kayak and paddleboard. There are also some charter boats who give tours of the area. It would have been great to get closer to this area.
As we got closer, the rain was pouring down and the fog was so bad we could barely see the coast. We stayed out on our balconies, seeing what we could. It was a rough ride and I was afraid of dropping my phone or camera. By the time we got to near the coast, the rain and fog seemed to disappear and it was beautiful! The mountains were so green and the valleys were amazing. We saw several waterfalls and some of them started at the top of the mountain and we could follow them all the way to the ocean.
I love the way the "Go Hawaii" website describes the area. "Spanning 17 miles along Kauai's North Shore, the Napali Coast is a sacred place defined by extraordinary natural beauty. These emerald-hued cliffs with razor-sharp ridges tower above the Pacific Ocean, revealing beautiful beaches and waterfalls that plummet to the lush valley floor. The rugged terrain appears much as it did centuries ago when Hawaiian settlements flourished in these deep, narrow valleys, existing only on the food they could grow and the fish they could catch."
End of Napali Coast Last sunset on the ship
Once we reached the end of the Napali Coast, it was time for dinner. Tonight they had Hawaiian food in the Aloha Cafe (aka buffet). Some of it was good and some not so good!
Traditional pig Carved fruit
Artsy food
Saturday, February 8 - Honolulu, Oahu
We pulled in to the harbor in Honolulu about 7:00 a.m. We saw a cargo barge headed in also. After breakfast we grabbed our carry-on bags and headed to the Mardi Gras Lounge to wait with our tour group to get off the ship. There were several color groups that got off at different times. Ours was a tour group since we had booked an excursion to Pearl Harbor. We checked out one final time and headed to get our luggage.
Honolulu Harbor Loaded barge
Pearl Harbor Items about USS Arizona
Map of Pearl Harbor Map of the Japanese attack
Close-up of names Part of the USS Arizona
USS Arizona Memorial USS Arizona Memorial
The memorial over the Arizona USS Arizona Memorial
Once we reached the end of the Napali Coast, it was time for dinner. Tonight they had Hawaiian food in the Aloha Cafe (aka buffet). Some of it was good and some not so good!
Saturday, February 8 - Honolulu, Oahu
We pulled in to the harbor in Honolulu about 7:00 a.m. We saw a cargo barge headed in also. After breakfast we grabbed our carry-on bags and headed to the Mardi Gras Lounge to wait with our tour group to get off the ship. There were several color groups that got off at different times. Ours was a tour group since we had booked an excursion to Pearl Harbor. We checked out one final time and headed to get our luggage.
Pretty organized getting luggage
for 2,500 people!
We loaded up for our last bus ride. We did a quick downtown Honolulu tour, most of which we had seen a week ago but got some new information about the buildings, etc.
So many houses on the hillside Interesting condo building
We drove through the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, also known as The Punchbowl. Punchbowl Crater is an extinct volcanic tuff cone located in Honolulu and is the location of the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific. The crater was formed some 75,000 to 100,000 years ago during the secondary activity of the Honolulu Volcanic Series.
Over 33,000 soldiers lie in rest under the endless rows of stone markers. Many of those who died at Pearl Harbor are buried here.
National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific - The Punchbowl 
Monkeypod Trees in cemetery Honolulu from Punchbowl
Memorial
From here we headed out to Pearl Harbor. We had time to explore the museums before our time to load the boat to go out to the USS Arizona Memorial. Pearl Harbor is a US naval base that was the scene of a devastating surprise attack by Japanese forces on December 7, 1941. Just before 8 a.m. on that Sunday morning, hundred of Japanese fighter planes descended on the base, where they managed to destroy or damage nearly 20 American naval vessels, including eight battleships, and over 300 airplanes. More than 2,400 Americans died in the attack, including civilians, and another 1,000 people were wounded.
At about 8 a.m., Japanese planes filled the sky over Pearl Harbor. Bombs and bullets rained onto the vessels moored below. At 8:10, a bomb smashed through the deck of the battleship USS Arizona and landed in her forward ammunition magazine. The ship exploded and sank with more than 1,000 men trapped inside. Next, torpedoes pierced the shell of the battleship USS Oklahoma. With 400 sailors aboard, the Oklahoma lost her balance, rolled onto her side and slipped underwater. Less than two hours later, the surprise attack was over, and every battleship in Pearl Harbor - USS Arizona, USS Oklahoma, USS California, USS West Virginia, USS Utah, USS Maryland, USS Pennsylvania, USS Tennessee and USS Nevada - had sustained significant damage. All but USS Arizona and USS Utah were eventually salvaged and repaired.
Exhibit of USS Arizona USS Arizona under water
Oil still drips from the ship Names of those killed in attack
The USS Missouri - the site of Remembrance Circle - those
the surrender of the Empire who lost their life in the attack
of Japan
Names of the survivors
of all ships involved in
the attack on Dec 7
1 of 3 anchors from the Arizona
The submarine USS Bowfin
Map of the Pacific
The USS Missouri
Veterans Conrad and Darrell
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