Kauai, HI

Here are Craig & Patty enjoying an ocean view in front of their Cliffs Club timeshare units. This is their ultimate 'unwinding' vacation location.

This week CJ, Olivia and their son Caleb have joined them in a nearby unit. This is their first extended visit to Kauai and they wanted to fit as much sightseeing into the trip as possible. Kawai's main road goes most of the way around the island and we drove it from one end to the other. Only the rugged Na Poli Coast prevents the road from being a complete circle.

Below Olivia and Caleb are perched atop a view point overlooking the Hanalei National Wildlife Refuge.

To the right is a typical sunset around the Cliffs Club.

On our first full day we drove out to the northern end of the main road

Along the way we passed the town of Hanalei and several famous beaches. This taro farm was located between the road and the ocean.

The end of the road, at Kee Beach we see Patty and Craig returning from a stroll through the trees that lined the beach.

Olivia and CJ keep watch over Caleb, while he plays in the calm surf.

As we left Kee beach we came across something Caleb had rarely seen - a public phone (not working). Then we stopped at a wet cave along side of the road.

This wet cave gave us a great picture of CJ photographing his son Caleb.

To the right we see Caleb walking out of this huge cavern.

On our return we stopped at some of the beaches we had previously passed and the younger Weightman family put their snorkel gear to good use. 

CJ showed off his underwater photography chops.

The next day CJ had planned an Inner Tube ride through canals long ago built to irrigate the sugar cane fields. Mid-way there CJ, Olivia, and Patty took in the beautiful country, while Craig showed off his Inner Tube gear.

Olivia and Patty - where people got into the inner tubes.

Here Craig, Olivia, and Caleb are organizing themselves for the ride.

The ride was fun for everybody and included going through five different tunnels, one almost half a mile long.

Between the tunnels and narrow sluiceways, everyone really had fun and this was our most fun adventure of the week. Note: Craig & Patty had previously gone Zip-lining on the island.

Following the tube ride, we drove to the south end of the main road - Waimea Canyon.

Here we saw a very high waterfall and some of the most impressive canyons west of the Grand Canyon in Arizona.

At this overlook, Patty dominated the pictures.

First there was this one with Olivia...

...then with Craig.

Finally her portrait at the bottom of this page was taken here.

Here we see Caleb's first zip line. Sure he had to 'piggyback' on his mother's ride, but he got several of his own later.

CJ did a fly. First his connections had to be changed, then off he went.

Even though Caleb had to piggyback on both CJ and Olivia on the longer runs, he did get some of his own runs.

Here he actually was flying into the landing platform.

Patty didn't try the flying position, but she's 'zipping' along and coming in for a landing in these two pictures.

Here we have what amounts to a portrait of CJ and Olivia. It was taken mid-way through our zip lining experience.

Olivia flying into the last, mile long leg, and the view from the top of that leg. Then we have a view from Craig as he was flying into that last platform. Finally we all got into the truck to return to the Sugar Mill.

After zip-lining, we all drove north to a Luau in Kapaa.

Here the younger Weightman family got a really good family photo.

Caleb got some personal lessons from a professional hula dancer, while the adult males were jealous.

Craig and Patty both did enjoy the show...

...of course so did Caleb.

The day before we left, we drove to the Kilauea Point Lighthouse.

Olivia and Patty were standing on the east side of the point when this was taken. Those are birds you see littering the hillside.

Patty and Craig are standing on the west side of the point, while Caleb 'photo bombs' this picture.

This small island just off the point is a bird sanctuary and no people are allowed.

It was after we left the Kilauea Point Lighthouse that we visited Kalihiway Bay, shown in the panorama picture on the main vacation page.

On the way to the airport we just had to stop at one more waterfall - Wailua Falls.

While it was lush and beautiful, it was the coconuts we had, how we drank the healthy juice, and learned how to scrape out the meat inside that remained with us.

Then it was on to COSTCO, to pickup some chocolate macadamia nuts for distribution stateside, and to drop off our rental car at the airport.

We end with this great portrait of Patty saying goodbye for now to her special vacation spot.