Helicopter Tour

Gerry and I did a one hour tour of the island by helicopter. There are two different types of helicopters available; one without doors that seats four passengers (plus the pilot) and one with doors that seats six passengers (plus pilot). Gerry had said even before we got here that he had no interest in being on a helicopter; whereas I was where do I sign up and I would love the front seat. After some gentle persuasion from me and Bill he agreed to accompany me and was not sorry for it.



I got the best seat in the house, in the front on the outer seat with the full glass door next to me and even a glass portion on the floor to look at the ground dropping away from me. The pilot had a speaker system and we all wore headsets to be able to hear the tour information as he was presenting it. It was awesome. It is seriously one of the best ways to get an overall feel for the area you are visiting. We toured the island a bit and of course the Napali coast line, but the most spectacular views were in the Waimea canyon. We got to view awesome mountains and dropped down in to beautiful valleys. We also got to view very pristine waterfalls. The Waimea canyon is called the Grand Canyon of the Pacific and is just spectacular!



We came back and spent the afternoon by the pool closest to the ocean which is the best of both worlds; the lounge chairs are on a nice little patch of grass just in front of the ocean spotted with palm trees with a pool right next to it. It was great to just sit and soak up the rays.



We rounded out the day with a lauau which is a must when you come to the islands, so I have been told. It is usually held outside, but with the chance of rain they decided to hold it indoors for this particular night which worked out fine since they were still able to do the flame throwing part of the show. The food was wonderful! They did the traditional pig, cooked outside in a fire pit all day which was so tender it fell apart with a fork and I got to try poi for the first time. I have always heard about poi which is a mashed taro root dish but what makes it interesting is the texture (imagine a liquid paste) and the color which is between purple and gray. It was okay to dip the cooked pork in but I don't know that I would have eaten it on its own. The rest of the food was wonderful with different salads, grilled chicken, and a local fish wrapped and steamed in a banana leaf. They had a beautiful dessert table which I decided to pass on.

The show was stunning and informative since they explain the custom behind each of the dances and then proceed to demonstrate them. The culture here in Kauai is from many different influences which I didn't realize.



It was another wonderful day in paradise!