Kauai, A Spiritual Honeymoon
by Alison Lonesome Rodriguez
The weather varies on each side of Kauai. If it’s raining on the North Shore, there’s a good chance you’ll find dry skies on the Western Shore. This kind of flexibility helped us make the most of our vacation.
When we stepped off the plane, we could feel the tension in our bodies melt away. The island moves at a slow and relaxed pace. The sights, sounds and smells of the island transported us to a different place and time. We refrained from making long to-do lists and simply basked in the wonder of Kauai.
The hosts at the Poipu Plantation welcomed us with open arms upon our arrival. Our Asian-designed unit was surprisingly large with hardwood floors. We settled into our one-bedroom condo with such ease that it soon became our home away from home.
My husband and I first visited Wailua Falls, featured in the opening sequence of the 80’s television series, “Fantasy Island”. Our next stop was the National Tropical Botanical Gardens, the former home of Robert Allerton of the Illinois banking family.
A trip to Waimea Canyon on the western shore of the island proved to be a turning point in our honeymoon. This massive canyon, carved in the body of this small island, reminded us of the magnificent power that exists in the world.
We then decided to take a helicopter ride to get a better view of Mt. Wai’ale’ele and the Kalalau Valley. Unfortunately, the winds picked up during the one-hour trip and left us both with an extreme case of motion sickness. Without a doubt, that was one of the longest hours our lives.
Just when I thought I couldn’t last another second, the pilot took us to the center of Mt. Wai’ale’ale. In spite of my queasiness, I felt that somehow we made it to heaven. Thick clouds hovered above us and waterfalls flowed from the sky on each side of the crater.
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