Random Roadside Attractions: Kauai Edition

Spouting Horn Park

On our trip to Kauai we didn't have much of an itinerary. Our entire trip's scope basically revolved around eating all of the Hawaiian food that we could handle and hanging out at a different beach each day. Let's just say that we accomplished those two goals with a Hawaiian-style ease.

We'd wake up each morning, look at our beach map, and pick one to check out. If something piqued our interest, we'd pull in and take a look. On the day that we headed down to Poipu Beach for the day, I noticed this Spouting Horn Park on the map. I figured that not much could be lost by swinging in and taking a look at a naturally formed ocean blow hole. Plus, as soon as I read the Native Hawaiian lore surrounding the Spouting Horn; I had to go hear the lizard breathing:

Ancient Hawaiians believed this coastline was once guarded by a giant moo (lizard) named Kaikapu. Everyone was afraid of the moo because it would eat anyone who tried to fish or swim in the area. One day, a young boy named Liko entered the ocean to outwit the lizard. Kaikapu attacked him, but Liko thrust a sharp stick into her mouth, swam under the lava shelf, and escaped through a small hole to the surface. The moo followed Liko and got stuck in the lava tube. To this day, you can hear the lizard’s roar and see her breath spraying from the blowhole.

It turns out that the park is a pretty fair draw in the attraction department, as we found out when we pulled into a very packed parking lot in the middle of nowhere on the coast near Poipu Beach. The first thing I noticed was there was a little rest area and sort of flea market attached to it. That was pretty cool, for you could get some shell necklaces or a halved coconut to sip on after you answered nature's call.

As we parked the car, however, I beheld a thing that excited me almost as much as the blowhole itself, this sign:

That sign amused me more than I can say, for at my home plantation the grounds are alive with meandering felines and poultry. I really need to find one of these signs (or two!), to post around my farm!

Back to the nature feature. So, I heard the hiss of the water entering the lava tube, and it drew me like a siren's song down the sidewalk toward the chain-link fence ensconced viewing area. There were a few people leaning against the fence taking pictures, which of course makes sense, as:

On Kauai’s South Shore you’ll find the spectacular Spouting Horn
blowhole, one of the most photographed spots on Kauai.

As I am not one to miss out on a chance to photograph something, either awesome or absurd, I jumped right on the tourist train. Here are some shots of the "neature feature":

That guy out there by his lonesome fishing sure had the right idea!

In closing, if you are ever on the south shore of Kauai, take a drive to the Spouting Horn Park. The scenery alone is worth the look, and you'll have some cool pics to wow your grandma and/or co-workers with!

And as always, the images in this post were taken by the author on her non Moo drooled on iPhone.