Sarah, We've been lucky enuff to go the first 2x for T'giving/Wedding anniv in Nov/Dec and the past 8yrs we've gone for New Year's, usually from Dec 30th on...One time we did spend Christmas there. Very nice. Our "extended family" was very gracious.

We have been very lucky with the weather on Kauai. One of our 21 day stays we got rained on maybe once where we felt we couldn't do anything and it was all over the islands (we called businesses on No, So and West shores and all rainy).

Good travel weather karma?
Rather rained on in Kauai than 40 degree weather in NoCal!
kal

thanks for the teva link Kal

Sarah...our timing is off or I have to get a DSL line!

The past few Dec/Jan trips we have been treated to a lot of whale action. Our first 2 trips over we saw zippo. Maybe they are making up for it?
We can usually get an afternoon whale show from The Sand Bar at the CocoCoast hotel where we stay.

Our last trip to The Whaler Brew Pub we saw the breeching all over in from of the opening to Nawiliwili Harbor.
And then all we saw were sprays. Looked like NYC Harbor when the fireboats are spraying. Must have been a dozen playing around.
The best viewing we had was in Poipu. Once from upstairs at Brennekes (good cerviche!) and then from the beach between the Sheraton and Kiahuna Plantation.
The beach there drops off sharply so the whales came in so close you'd swear they were winking at ya!

The cliffs to the south of the K'lighthouse was hopping with birds the couple of times we've been there. We have to go back again but keep forgetting that the park closes early even for Kauai time.

Feel free to drop me a line if you want. Always time to "talk story on Kauai".
Kal

definate travel Karma Kal, send it to me! I am heading over in August into what weather people are predicting to be a season of "increased chance of hurricanes and tropical storms". I can hear the lightening already. A more sensible person would cancel the trip but I can't get this Kauai monkey off my back.

I just wanted to clarify that my tennis shoes have what I would consider "aggressive" tread (more like a hiking boot sole than anything else). I do a lot of local hiking where I live and feel very comfortable with them. I'm not talking about wearing keds or the polo deck shoe kind of tennies - I agree those would not have much traction.

Thanks Kal I read your post about the whales holding my mouth saying OH--- MY--- GOD!!!! sounds like an incredible life experience. I lived on Oahu and we use to shoot over to Mauai for whale I never saw 12 whales together, that had to be truly incredible.

I know Patty but my sister in what I call cross trainers was in sneakers that were marketed as hiking sneakers. Sounds like you had a great day, I am just concerned about people who might head into not such a great day you can feel pretty helpless up there.

Talk about great Kauai stories I read a post on here a few weeks ago. This woman spent too much time on Hanakape beach w/boyfriend. They ended up racing to get back to keke beach before complete darkness set in but were not on time. She said she started crawling on all fours and screaming for help thinking she was miles away because she could not see. Then several car lights sprang headlight action onto the path she and boy friend were at the tale end and embarrassed. She told it better than I but it was a true TRAVEL TALE FROM FODORS. I can never get enough of those.

I forgot to mention, the sun was setting to our right over the point by the Sheraton while the whales continued to do their "thang"...Surreal. I caught a glimpse of Mrs Kal just as a little tear ran down her cheek.
I wish all of those the ability to hang loose on Kauai and give out as much good karma as you receive. Sound good?
Kal

Sarah,

You will laugh when I tell you my husband was in flip flops. We did have a nice day although we still ran into several wet areas.

OK I think it's time to give this thread back to Belle. Sorry to take it off topic.

Ok Kal now I am a bit teary!

Sounds like a serious Karma plan I have to remember this next time someone steps on my last NYC nerve. Note to self, remember this on city bus ride home tonight!

a hui ho!

That is funny Patty glad it was not a problem sorry Belle but wasn't Kal's whale story great?

Hi guys! I just have to say, there's such great "karma" on these hawaii threads....I frequent the Carib board, have lots more experience there, but you know what? the vibes I get here about Hawaii, especially Kauai, really warm my heart, truly unique.

Anyway, Kal, can you tell us more about the ATV excursion? Can two people ride the same ATV? (I'm chicken and would prefer riding tandem with hubby). Location? Price? The waterfall sounds intriguing!

My wife an I wore hiking boots on the Kalalau trail and we passed at least 3 other groups who were wearing tennis shoes or flip flops and looking at our boots with envy. This is a great hike and the pictures we took there are the best that we got on the whole vacation. The trail itself isn't great however... if we weren't stepping on rocks we were stepping in mud... I still haven't been able to wash the red dirt stains off my socks and it has been almost 9 months since we got back. So make some room in the suitcase for the hiking boots. Your feet will thank you.
Another great hike? Awa'awapuhi Trail in Koke'e State Park. The views at the end of this one are not to be believed.
http://www.onedayhikes.com/Hikes.asp?HikesID=88

John how strenuous is that Awa'awapuhi trail is? We will have a soon to be 9 year old with us and her mother. Mother found Kalalau too trecherous and I suspect she would have found it stressful had we not turned back. What about Awa'awapuhi? Is that the trail on the canyon side that is combined with Kalalau lookout points? How did you find this trail?

Sarah, My wife and I went down the Awa'awapuhi trail and then back up. Going down to the cliffs was no problem but coming back up was tough. Not dangerous, just very tiring.
The trail takes you down through a forest and then through flowers and ferns and then you end up at the ocean. Or should I say above the ocean... the cliffs there are 2500' high and seemingly vertical. Unbelievable.
I heard about the hike through a book I have on Kauai and then later on a map we picked up at the Koke'e Visitor's Center.

Thanks John which book?

I believe it was "Kauai Trailblazer".

Joan,
While there are 2-3 outfits for ATV tours on Kauai, we used Kauai ATV.
http://www.kauaiatv.com/html/tours.html
Very good experience with them.

Located a few blocks from "downtown Koloa". You park at their office and sign up. You then follow them down to the old sugar mill where all the ATVs are stored. They give you heavy duty t-shirts, cammy pants, boots and a helmet w/ goggles. They also instruct you on the operation of the bike and then you take a short ride around the sugar mill until you get the hang of it.
In our group, Lydia was the tour leader while Forrest drove the Jeep as a sag wagon. He was also the photographer. You can buy pics and a CD if you'd like.
We didn't see any "2-seaters" but if Mrs Kal and her sis could operate these ATVs you should have no problemo. The tour guides. Lydia and Forrest, were very helpful and even put the bikes in gear for a few of the tourists. Once you put it in 3rd gear, it's basically like driving an automatic.

There are some steep hills (up and downhills) where they stopped us and told us to shift down into 2nd and helped those who had been having a prob.
Pretty simple and nothing to be scaredy cat over! ;-)

As for the whale story, I don't even want to tell you what happened the first time we saw the Shamu Show at San Diego's SeaWorld way back in the
mid-70s!
JohnR-Oh boy.A new Kauai book to peek at...off to Barnes/Noble!
Kal

Thanks John Kal have you done that trail. the trail mentioned above. I found that if you punch in the trail name along with the word photos you can frequently find photos of many trails. Look at a few different search engine, google has a image searcher. ... here is one for Awa'awapuhi

http://theweb.okstate.edu/fcr/hawaii/kauai926b.html