• WESTSIDE SIGHTSEEING

Part of the real appeal of the Garden Island is its quality of rural life. One small town seems to slip into another–each with its own slice of island life. As you drive west on Highway #50, keep watch for the sign to Hanapepe, billed as “Kaua‘i’s Biggest Little Town,” and also known for its “Swinging Bridge.”

It was at the mouth of Waimea Bay that Captain Cook first made landfall in the Sandwich Islands in 1778. Many buildings in Waimea are on the National Register of Historic Places. It’s an interesting place to stretch your legs and check the gas tank before continuing on.

Stay on Kekaha Road further on and you’ll pass through Kekaha, a country town complete with its own sugar mill and one-story, wooden plantation homes that are still in use. Kekaha Mill (1898) is no longer operational. In the past, neatly planted sugar cane fields fan out as far as the eye could see. Waimea Canyon Plaza is the last stop before you wind your way up towards Waimea Canyon (photo above), the “Grand Canyon of the Pacific,” Kaua‘i’s most famous visitor attraction. Pick up a snack, a cold drink or shop for high-quality and very affordable Hawaiian wear.

Beyond Waimea Canyon you’ll enter Koke‘e State Park, home of the Koke‘e Lodge and Koke‘e Natural History Museum/(808) 335-9975. The lodge serves lunch daily. The museum is the interpretive visitor center for Waimea Canyon and Koke‘e State Parks and home to fascinating exhibits that highlight Kaua‘i’s natural history. On clear days the view from Kalalau Lookout, a few miles beyond Kokee Lodge, is spectacular.