waimea

Waimea Canyon State Park-- Grand Canyon of the Pacific

     During our "free day" of the conference, we decided to make the drive over to Waimea Canyon. It was a scenic drive on good roads.  As we left the east side of Kauai and drove west toward the park, clouds seemed to loom overhead. We vowed not to be beaten by the weather, even though we had (unwisely) left our jackets back at the hotel.

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     Driving up to the Lookout Point, we could appreciate the altitude (over 3600 feet) and panoramic views.  As the driver, I was thankful when we arrived at the parking lot, so that I could take in all of the scenery.  There were nice restroom facilities there, too.

    The rust colored peaks and valleys look like they were newly formed.  From the high point of the Lookout, we felt like we were at 'bird level' as we watched our feathered friends fly and soar through the valley below.

     We decided to hike further down the road, and were intrigued by some of the native plant life. These small trees (picture below) reminded me of something I'd seen in a Dr. Seuss's book.

    On the way back, we stopped in a small town at the foot of the State Park and found an ice cream place.   It was a great way to spend part of our day off!