The Sun Sets on Our Last Day on Kauai

Wednesday (August 28, 2013) – We took the scenic route back from Waimea, stopping along the way several times. First stop was the Russian Fort Elizabeth. The Fort dates back to 1817 when the Russians came to Hawaii. After the Russians were forced to leave later that year, the fort fell under the command of the Kingdom of Hawaii. It was abandoned in 1853 and eventually dismantled about a decade later.

We had passed these huge fields of bushes several times and finally had a chance to stop and see what they were. COFFEE BEANS!!

As we continued along the winding coast road, we happened upon an area of Koloa where there were lots of people sitting along the wall by the water. We stopped to check it out and were rewarded with the best sunset yet.

Below are my favorite shots of the evening. Enjoy!

Welcome to The Point at Poipu

Monday (August 26, 2013) – We arrived in Kauai late Sunday night and were disappointed that Mr. Rourke and Tattoo were not there to present us with our leis. After settling in at the resort we all collapsed from the sheer exhaustion. It had been 18+ hours since I had left my house that morning. Unfortunately, after only about 3 1/2 hours of sleep, my brain woke up at 4:30 am. Convinced that it was actually 10:30 am and I should be sitting at my desk at that time, it refused to let me go back to sleep.

What’s a girl to do? Well, this girl grabbed her camera to go see what she could see. Without the congestion and lights of a big city, the constant ambient light that exists at home doesn’t exist here. The darkness is incredible. Without the flashlight on my phone, I wouldn’t have been able to see where I was going.

In a “holy bajeezus, what the heck is that?!?!” moment, I nearly stepped on a toad in the grass. Also, despite my declaration in a previous post, I was out there to see the sunrise. Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous!! (Also, I am in HAWAII!!) I encountered another couple of creatures on my way back to the room.

The resort is absolutely spectacular. It is right on the coast and the grounds are filled with tropical plants with a group of terraced fish ponds that descend down into the pool area. They are filled with HUNDREDS of Koi.

Here are some shots from the morning sunrises I was up to early enough to enjoy during our stay at the Point at Poipu as well as the sights and various creatures that I encountered around the grounds. Enjoy!

Garden snail

You may not realize how big this thing is until you see it in perspective.

I was out on the rocks taking pictures of the waves. I was so intent on capturing their power as they struck the rocks that I completely missed the fact that they were crashing progressively higher and closer. This is the one that ended up getting me. As I pressed the shutter, I uttered “Oh crap!” and turned just in time to protect my cameras from getting soaked as well.