Want to visit the United States‘ other Grand Canyon? Travel to Kauai to experience Waimea Canyon. Known as the “Grand Canyon of the Pacific,” Waimea Canyon offers photographic opportunities along with numerous hiking adventures.
Or you can just stand at one of the lookouts to marvel at the beauty of the lush green foliage punctuated by red cliffs, with waterfalls that form long, white ribbons down the canyon’s steep sides.
Since we were with a friend whose mobility had been hampered by an injury, hiking wasn’t on the agenda the day that Alan and I visited Waimea Canyon. We limited our exploration to the paths along the lookout area at Waimea Canyon State Park. A humid haze filled the air, challenging our photographic skills. As we looked for the perfect camera angle, an occasional helicopter buzzed in and out of the canyon giving its passengers a close-up view.
I’ve been doing a little research to see what adventures that we missed. On our next visit to Kauai, we’ll include Kokee State Park, located at the end of Waimea Canyon Drive. And we’ll be sure to include a hike. I’ve found some good resources from the blogging world:
- For detailed advice on where to go and what to do, I like this Go Visit Hawaii post.
- The family hike that Sheila from Family Travellouge wrote about sounds doable for an easy baby boomer adventure.
- The photographs on Randy Hanna’s blog give boomers an idea of what to expect.
After exploring Waimea Canyon, we stopped at Kauai Coffee Plantation for a coffee tasting located in a coffee grove bordering the Pacific. We thought it was the perfect way to end our day.
For more tropical excursions, check out Boomer Adventures in Hawaii.
