Monday, June 20, 2011

Waimea Canyon -- Kauai

Waimea Canyon is also known as "The Grand Canyon of the Pacific." It's about 10 miles long and over 3000 feet deep. The center of Kauai, is one of the wettest spots on the planet. The Waimea River ("reddish water" in Hawaiian), drains that area and cuts the canyon.  Because of all the rain there, the island of Kauai is the fastest eroding land mass on earth.
feel free to enlarge the photos
Even the drive to Waimea Canyon was scenic

Driving up into the mountains

I posted this only because I liked the tree

The entrance to the state owned, main observation area was closed for repairs. We had to pull off the road wherever possible to take photos. There were no guard rails and it was a little scary. To quote my wife... "Pat, don't get too close to the edge!" "Pat, watch where your stepping!" "Pat, back up!"  

The Waimea River is in the upper middle of the photo. If you've been to the Grand Canyon in Arizona, it is easy to see the similarities between the two places.





"Shrimp Station"
The BEST shrimp tacos (or maybe any tacos) that I've ever eaten. On the side of the road in the small town of Waimea.

There always has to be a totally strange occurrence on our trips. After we left the canyon we stopped at the Kauai Coffee Plantation. You might have seen their coffee in stores. The guy standing next to this coffee roaster is my brother-in-law. He did the gold colored pin striping on this roaster several years ago for the company that made it in Southern California. The odds of him running into this machine, several years later and many thousands of miles from home, are pretty darn slim.


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41 comments:

  1. So if the Grand Canyon received a lot of rain, it would look like that? And wild your brother happened upon that machine. Cool photos!

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  2. Wow, so beautiful. I hope to be able to see it one day.

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  3. I didn't even know there was a Grand Canyon of the Pacific. Your photos are both beautiful AND educational :)

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  4. One thing about Kauai - as beautiful the scenery, the sky is awesome too. Love the Coffee plantation - esp. the chocolate covered coffee beans! YUM.
    Great travelogue by you again!

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  5. Great photos! Not a part of Hawaii I usually see in photos. Strange coincidence about your brother and the coffee machine. How weird!

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  6. The pictures almost look fake they're so beautiful. That is cool about your brother-in-law. It's a small world I guess. :)

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  7. Wow you keep taking some beautiful pictures!!

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  8. Great pictures!

    Freaky about your BIN and the striping!

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  9. What fun! I love Waimea canyon. Too cool about your brother-in-law and the pinstriped coffee machine! :) That is a strange one.

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  10. That's so cool Pat! It must be fate for your brother in law to run into that thing.
    And those pictures are gorgeous. Kauai looks like an amazing place.

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  11. A beautiful place to visit and photograph Patrick.
    Have a great week.
    Costas

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  12. Breathtaking! I wish my screen was bigger.

    That's almost eerie about your BIL! How cool!

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  13. Oh, bucket list! Never been.

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  14. Alex - I'm not sure the GC would look that green with any amount of rain. Thanks Alex!

    Clarissa - I hope you get to see it also.

    Sarah - Well, it's not as "grand" as the grand canyon, but it's still amazing. Thanks Sarah!

    Brenda - You are so right! Whenever I've been there it has rained for at least a few minutes everyday. the clouds come and go in a flash. Thanks!

    Karen G - Most people don't go to Kauai, so only during the peak of the season, does it get very busy there.

    Baby Sister - It is a small world. It blew his mind to see that there. He had no idea who the company that made it sold it to.

    Oilfield Trash - Thanks buddy!

    Bossy Betty - It was truly freaky! Thanks Betty...

    tapirgal - I loved it also. We picked the perfect time to go there. I swear, there was hardly anybody there!

    Tara - Kismet! Thanks so much, it is truly amazing...

    Costas - Thanks Costas! It really was. You have a good week also.

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  15. I haven't been to Kaui but its on my To Do List. Great pics and enjoy those shrimp tacos!

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  16. Great pictures! That is so cool about the coffee machine!

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  17. Wow! What a beautiful place. I'd love to go there to see that.


    Lee
    Tossing It Out

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  18. Breathtakingly beautiful photos, Pat. That's a great story about your bro-in-law. I hope he gulped down some good coffee out of it. (Is it actually working?)
    xoRobyn

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  19. quite a scenic excursion.
    those roadside stops are often the best.
    and does that thing make coffee? i need in it my house.

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  20. Great pictures, but dude, some of those would make sick trying to take. haha

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  21. Pat-- I SO wish we could actually meet one day! Hope you had a Blessed and Happy Fathers Day my friend!

    Cyber Buddies rule!

    John

    I want to study under the Master Picture taker! You are awesome my friend--absolutely awesome!!!!!

    Your Friend,

    John

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  22. Beautiful vistas, I might have sounded like your wife on those roads.

    That is odd that your BIL would run across a machine that he did years ago, small world indeed.

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  23. How beautiful. My friend Amy and her new husband just returned Wednesday from their honeymoon on Kauai...

    Pearl

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  24. i love those sights and the angry skies! that is a magical place for sure!

    beautiful captures!

    have a great day!
    betty

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  25. So beautiful. We ate at the Shrimp place as well. Stayed at Inn Paradise. Wish I was there. Jealous!

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  26. Gorgeous scenery, Pat, and such beautiful photos you took! I want to have some shrimp tacos.

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  27. Beautiful snaps ..I love the view in some of them.....must have been a great feeling to be actually standing there.

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  28. Ms A - Thanks! It was really odd. He was floored by it. When he did the pinstriping, it hadn't been sold yet, so he had no idea where it went or who bought it.

    altadenahiker - yep, it's one of those kind of places.

    Stephen Tremp - Thanks Stephen! It's an awesome place to visit for while.

    Brian - Thanks Brian!

    Lee - It's just 5 hour flight away!

    Robyn - Thanks Robyn! The roaster works, but I don't know how often it's used.

    Ven - Yep! Great surprises on the side of the road. I know we'd have to expand the kitchen to fit that thing in it.

    Tim - I hear you! I'm not very good with heights myself. At one point my wife had a handful of the back of my shirt.

    John - Thanks John! I had a great father's day. I'm not that good, I just have a fairly decent eye.

    SQ - She just worries too much! It was very odd for my BIL to see that thing.

    Pearl - I hoped they liked it. Do you know where they stayed?

    Betty - It is most certainly a magic place! Thanks Betty...

    Sharon - I know of that place. When I was there many years ago, we stayed in the same little town (Kapaa).

    Icy BC - Thanks so much! I could use a couple of those tacos right now myself!

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  29. The greenery looks brushed in the top photos and then the canyon itself is just stunning, a patchwork of colour. As for the coincidence - how funny!

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  30. wow stunning photos how amazing everything looked

    Everyday Life

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  31. Pat, there was hardly anyone there when I was at the canyon, either. I think the island is so unpopulated and there are so many incredible things to see (and spending time in the water) that maybe it's the norm to have few visitors at anyone time. Just guessing. It's a pleasant surprise to be there without a lot of people crowding the railing.

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  32. I'm learning so much from your photos. I wouldn't have guessed in a million years that those canyon shots were from Hawaii! Beautiful! (Not saying Hawaii ISN'T beautiful - just that I expected all oceans and beaches, I guess!)

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  33. wow, what an amazing trip. Fabulous pics too!

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  34. I love the contrast of the clouds in all your pictures. Thoughtful of you to order them up for our enjoyment!

    That is really neat he met up with 'his machine'! I love stories like that!

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  35. Again, wow. Beautiful pics. Do I need to visit this one day?

    Yes I do.

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  36. Serendipity...love it! Gorgeous pics and glad you didn't fall off the edge :)
    Rosemary

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  37. Okay, Pat, you know how I feel about all this... WoW... I'd be right there on the edge with my camera with you, but glad the final words of your sweetheart were not, Goodbye, Pat... :-D Fabulous road shots, but that red rock canyon... superb! I find it so hard to believe what you and tapirgal are saying, that there are so few visitors there!

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  38. There are some amazing shots there Pat. Love the one with the dead tree arm reaching out over the canyon. Looks like a great trip.

    Great work there Pat.

    =]

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  39. Serendipity in the islands? Neat story.

    Darryl and Ruth :)

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