Aria's Adventures #1: From Mountain to Sea, Come Explore Kauai With Me - Day 1

Hello everyone, my name is Aria and welcome to my travel adventures! In this series, I hope to share my past, present, and future journeys with you as I explore this beautiful world of ours. So without further ado, let get this adventure started!

Kauai, the oldest of the main Hawaiian Islands, is awash with lush mountains and valleys, wind-sculpted cliffs, and white sand beaches. It is also home to Mount Waiʻaleʻale, one of the wettest spots on Earth. No wonder Kauai is also called the "Garden Isle!"

This past winter, I was fortunate enough to visit this breathtaking island for a few days. What follows is my account of the first day.

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Opaekaa Falls

The 151 ft. Opaekaa Falls is one of the most popular and accessible waterfalls on the island. Its name, which, translated from Hawaiian means "rolling shrimp," was named for the abundance of shrimp that used to be found here.

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Wailua River

Across the way from Opaeka Falls is the Wailua River Lookout. Because of its tranquil nature, it offers great opportunities to kayak or canoe. Unfortunately, I didn't have time to do this, but there is always next time!

On the way back to the car, I noticed many roosters and hens roaming around. I thought this rooster looked particularly majestic, so I decided to take a photo. Unbeknownst to me, this was a foreshadowing of things to come! Keep your eye out for these feathery fowl...

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Lunch Time - Pono Market and a Secluded Beach

Researching places to eat nearby, I discovered Pono Market came highly recommended. Here we have the fried chicken plate with lomi-lomi salmon and poke (above) and kalua pig and cabbage plate with kimchi (below)

The chicken was slightly sweet, had a great crunchy coating, and was very juicy, while the kalua pig had a rich smoky flavor to it and was very tender. I would highly recommend both!

Walking back the the car with the food, I spied another feathery friend who was using the rental car as shelter from the sun. I felt a little bad when I had to shoo it away! It looked so comfortable under there.

Driving around looking for a nice spot to each all the delectable food, I came across this beautiful secluded beach.

White, soft sand? Check!

Trees for shade? Check!

Gorgeous view? Check!

This spot was the perfect place to eat lunch! I wish I new the name of the beach so I could tell all of you where this was, but alas, I do not know! You will just have to discover this place for yourself!

Wading into the water, I saw that there was a lot of activity beneath the surface. There were fish galore! This is just a fraction of all that I saw here.

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Hanalei National Wildlife Refuge

Hanalei National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1972 in order to protect 5 endangered Hawaiian waterbirds. This refuge is made up of 917 acres of wetland, taro patches, and wet pastures, and provides a habitat for not only the endangered waterbirds, but 45 other bird species as well.

Though this refuge is closed to the public, a beautiful view can still be had at the overlook that is located across from the Princeville Shopping Center.

Making my way back to the car, who was waiting there for me? More chickens! This one in particular was amazing looking to me. It was like a rock star!

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Hanalei Bay

Hanalei Bay is a beautiful white sand beach located in the north of Kauai. The blue water and stunning green backdrop provided by the surrounding mountains make this place the perfect place to just relax. I just stood there taking in my surroundings, inhaling the fresh air, and feeling the cool sea breeze on my skin.

Jutting into the bay is Hanalei Pier, which was first built in the 1890's, and has subsequently expanded, repaired, and rebuilt. I enjoyed walking the length of it, hearing the lapping of the waves below me. Once you reach the end, you feel like you are in your own little world, with an infinite ocean before you.

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Waikanaloa Wet Cave

You can find the Waikaanaloa Wet Cave on the side of the road as you drive to the Napali Coast. This cave formed long ago when ocean levels were higher. The waves crashing into it slowly carved away at the lava, leaving behind what we see today.

This cave is not to big, and can be explored pretty fast. When I went, there was this beautiful blue and green glow to it. The picture I took does not do it justice! If you do happen to visit this cave, please do not swim in the water - it is filled with bacteria that can be harmful. Just admire its beauty instead.

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The Napali Coast - Kalalau Trail

We have finally reached the end destination for day 1 - the famous Napali Coast! Unfortunately, I arrived a bit late and only had time to hike to the 0.5 mile marker and back. From the taste that I got, this trail looks like it will be wonderfully lush with a variety of vegetation, as well as stunning views.

This is just one of the many views from the trail. From here, you can see Ke'e beach below. The people look so small from here!

This last photo was taken around the 0.5 mile marker, and shows the sculpted cliffs that the Napali Coast is famous for. Because the sun had already set at this point, I had to start making my way back to the trailhead. In the future, I hope to come back and finish what I started!

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Thank you so much for coming along on my adventure with me! I hope you enjoyed it as much as I have enjoyed sharing it. If you did, please feel free to comment, follow or upvote. All are greatly appreciated!

I look forward to seeing all of you in the next post!