Hawaii - Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Aloha and Happy Christmas Eve! We continue to explore the island today and try to make the most of the glorious weather and atmosphere. We started off our day with a trip to Opaekaa Falls in the Coconut Coast near the Sleeping Giant mountain range and the Wailua River. I included a photo here for your viewing pleasure.

After we visited these falls, we went to see our second waterfall - Wailua Falls. This one came with the added bonus of a rainbow for our viewing delight!

Not that it is in anyway crucial to your understanding of the island, we did make a brief stop at Costco to pick up these yummy (authentic) sweet Hawaiian bread rolls for dinner on Christmas. (Chad said that you all should know about these rolls if you came to visit - so there - I've officially added it to the travel log.)

We hit the Kilohana Plantation Estate and dined at Gaylord's Restaurant for lunch. Because it is so warm in Hawaii, much of the dining and entertainment is entirely open air - including Gaylord's. We enjoyed lunch on the outdoor patio and fended away the roosters while enjoying their resident cats try and make friends at the dinner tables. We were also fortunate enough to catch one hen (of the traditional (non-random ever-present Rooster stock) variety) with five new little chicks in tow making their way across the grounds.

After lunch we were off to visit the Tree Tunnel - a series of Eucalyptus trees that have created a splendid natural tunnel along Hwy 520. (Although, let it be known that we think there is a better tree tunnel on the North Shore closer to Princeville.) I have included a picture of the original tree tunnel here for your reference.


Next we were off to Old Kaola Town for a brief tour, some shaved ice (a local favorite) and a bit of shopping. We decided to pick up a bottle of wine at a local market and head toward the beach. Thanks to the folks at Tomkats who assisted with the wine opener - even on Christmas Eve! I wanted to show you this photo of the surfing Santa b/c this pretty much epitomizes the vibe of Christmas Hawaii style.

After a spin around Old Koloa Town we headed out toward Poipu Beach and then on to the Beach House Restaurant to watch the sunset. I have included a couple of photos here so you have an idea of our evening. Until tomorrow - Aloha! (Oh, and Merry Christmas too!)