Kauai
Kauai is an island within the state of Hawaii.
“F” is For Fern Grotto-Our Hawaiian Adventure
Today marks the 8th day of our 55 days of world exploration. Since leaving home on January 17, 2023, we have already played in Los Angeles and on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. Alan and I would begin the day early again, so we started the morning with a breakfast on our balcony. The sunrise was beautiful as we arrived in our second port of Hawaii, the island of Kauai. We were Malahini, or newcomers to these lands and we were once again refreshed and ready to explore.
Kauai is a small island at just 33 miles wide by 55 miles long. There is only a single road which only accesses about 1/3 of the small island. After much studying I had learned that the best ways to view this island was by boat or plane, so I had booked tours for us to do both. Our first stop would be the Fern Grotto.
A grotto is a cave which occurs naturally or is man-made. The pictures which I had seen of the Fern Grotto were spectacular and I was very excited to see it. The tour was touted as a visit to a geological wonder of Kauai promising an ampitheater, where ferns grow upside down from the roof of a grotto, which had formed millions of years ago.
There is only one way to get to the Grotto and that is via boat! In fact, The Wailua River is known as “the only navigable river” in all Hawaii, which would make the adventure even more exciting. I felt as if we were discovering hidden places.
There are a couple companies which offer tours on the 22.5 mile long river. We would be traveling with the Smith family for just two of those miles. This family has been navigating the river since 1946. Our boat for the day was called the Whitney K. She was one of several on the river that day.
Besides the few boat companies, the only other way to get to the grotto (which is owned by the Smith family) is by kayak. These could be rented or one could take the half hour journey up the river in their own kayak. Except for the rain which was falling off and on, I think we would have preferred this mode of travel.
Instead we had chosen what I affectionately refer to as a cruise ship “Granny tour”. These are the kinds of trips which are sedate and slow. perfect for the elderly, which we are not yet quite there. This was a float trip down a winding river, while relaxing, it was boring. Don’t get me wrong, the river is pretty enough but the view doesn’t vary much and powering under our own efforts would have at least given us something to do.
The saving grace to our boredom was that we were treated to a pretty spectacular rainbow, which spread across the river as the sun peaked out for a moment after one of the many showers on this day. It was a short lived reprieve from the gloomy day and we soon found ourselves back in our soggy conditions. Thankfully we could remain under cover on our boat while being regaled with the history of the river, as we made our way to the Fern Grotto.
We learned that the water which feeds the river comes from Mt. Wai‘ale‘ale, one of the wettest spots on the planet receiving about 465″ of rain a year! Kauai is the forth oldest of the Hawaiian islands. I was interested to learn that lands along the river were the sacred capital of ancient Kauai and the birthplace of the island’s ali‘i, or royalty.
After about half an hour we reached the dock to disembark for the short walk to the grotto. Normally there would be a performance of The Wedding Song and a hula dancer at the Fern Grotto where they would perform The Wedding Song at the amphitheater, but the rains were preventing it on this day, so the musicians performed on the boat, as we waited out yet another shower.
I had seen spectacular images of the Fern Grotto, so it was disappointing once we finally arrived. There was a lot of greenery but I was very disappointed to realize much of the old grotto had collapsed leaving only a fraction of the original glory. A little creative photography and I was able to capture a piece of the former glory.
In fact, the decline of the Fern Grotto’s began when it was hit by Hurricane Iwa in 1982. It was then nearly destroyed as Kauai was hit by Hurricane Iniki in 1992. Most of the ferns hanging from the grotto were torn from the rocks, With nothing to hold the ground together, the roof of the spectacular amphitheater began collapsing. In 2006 a woman sued the Smith family after being injured by falling rocks. The grotto is no longer accessible by foot and may only be viewed from a distant wooden platform. Although much of the plant life has rebounded, the grotto has had a difficult time recovering as new plant life has sprung up with increased light which now floods the gully.
All was not lost on this tour. After viewing the gully we were able to return to the boat via a flower lined walking path. My camera clicked from one flower to the other, as I attempted to capture the beauty of the native Hawaiian plants which surrounded us. Walking among the colorful exotic tropical plants sproting from the floor of this rain forest I realize I am in my most perfect element of serene peace. It was in this way that I would come to continue recommending this tour for others to enjoy. Perhaps the float trip had been more fabulous than even I had imagined it could be. Perhaps “Granny trips” are exactly what my soul needs as I learn to relax into this sixth decade of my life.
“I” is For Island Princess-A Cruise Ship Review
One of the most important things about cruising is choosing the right ship for your personal needs. From amenities to cabins, itineraries and passenger capacity, knowing what your ship offers can have a big impact on how you enjoy your vacation.
Every cruise line has a brand. Some are party boats, others offer upscale luxury. Some ships specialize in their food, others focus on entertainment. Some cruises cater to families, others to retirees. Princess is an American-British company, owned by Carnival Corporation, which is the second largest agency by net revenue. Carnival owns 10 different sub agencies, Princess is one of them. They are an experienced cruise line and cater to a middle to upper income crowd.
Princess is a classic line, offering an Old English/European feel. I have consistently found the brand to be slightly elevated and catering to an older clientele. There is less emphasis on poolside parties and more on educational lectures and cultural experiences. With this cruise line we can expect nice staterooms, decent food, great entertainment and amazing itineraries.
It is important to define what you are seeking before shopping for a cruise. If you are looking for a party boat, Princess is likely not your brand (however Carnival does offer several other companies which would meet your needs). While there are enough poolside activities and bars to keep the ship interesting, the focus tends to be on providing an upscale resort-like experience.
Princess offers 16 ships ranging from 2,000 passengers up to 3660, so there are a nice variety of size options. Island Princess was one of the first. She is a relatively small vessel. In general, smaller ships are able to navigate to more destinations but larger ships may offer additional amenities and activities.
When we chose to embark on the Island Princess, it was the itinerary, size and price which attracted us the most.
Princess ships sail to over 700 ports. The Island Princess is one of the smaller ships in the Princess fleet. With a capacity of 2200 passengers it is a very intimate ship. She has a twin sister called the Coral Princess.
Island Princess is narrower than many other cruise ships and her small size allows her to explore the fjords of Norway and Alaska (which is how we discovered the cruise line). She is also able to dock at smaller ports. Of late Island Princess has been doing mostly world tours. Of interest might be that she is one of the few cruise ships which can sail through the old Panama Canal locks, larger ships must use the new ones.
Perhaps one drawback to the smaller ship would be that passengers should expect to feel more wave action, so if you are prone to seasickness, the Island Princess may be less appealing than one of the newer (larger) ships in the fleet.
Having been built in 2003, Island Princess is one of the oldest ships in the Princess line. She was completely remodeled in 2017 and put back into service with a brand new itinerary. Our Pacific Island Adventure is one leg of a 111 day around the world cruise. This feature in itself is unique, since Princess allows passengers to purchase various segments along the itinerary, if they are unable to commit to the entire trip.
World cruises can mean a lot of days at sea. From bow to stern, Princess put a lot of effort into creating a luxurious environment. The European flare is represented in the Italian styled Piazza located at the center of the ship and the beautiful Sabatinni restaurant. Polished brass and rich wood work brings an Old World style to many of the bars and lounges including the Wheelhouse Bar and a New Orleans styled Bayou Steakhouse.
The entire ship is always a hub of activity, but with a nice variety of spaces, it is able to be as active or as serene as you need. By day there are a variety of shops and plenty of lounges and gathering places for activities such as trivia challenges and guest lecturers. There are numerous options of where to eat including the above mentioned restaurants, two main dining rooms, a grill, a pizzeria and a buffet. We might pass the time with a wine tasting, pub lunches and/or afternoon tea. When we need a quieter pace we could choose to visit the adults only sanctuary at the top of the ship, a well appointed library or indulge in pampering in a small spa. We might lounge by one of several (freshwater) pools situated both indoor and out, or we might decide to walk around the promenade deck or exercise in the fitness center.
By night Princess continues to entertain with a variety of Broadway style shows, magicians, comedians, piano bars, jazz bands, a casino and more. Unique to the Princess brand is the Champagne Waterfall, offered on one of the formal evenings. This is yet another nod to the elevated luxury we find aboard this ship. We also find people dress up more on these evenings than they do on other cruise lines. When we seek quieter activities, we might choose to snuggle under provided blankets, while eating popcorn or cookies and milk and taking in a Movie Under the Stars. This is one of our favorite ways to unwind when we are on the seas.
After all of this activity we are often ready to retreat to our stateroom. The entire Princess line offers some of the most comfortable mattresses and linens of any cruise line.
We always book a balcony cabin. For us, this little piece of heaven offers a respite from the hustle and bustle of the ship. Being able to step out into fresh air and watch icebergs, sunrises/sunsets, whales and scenery from the privacy of our balcony offers the unique luxury that we equate with cruising. We often order room service and enjoy a private picnic from this space.
Other people may not be that bothered about their stateroom, especially if they are only using it to sleep. Interior cabins can offer deep discounts and Ocean view cabins may offer a similar views without the fresh air. We have been spoiled by our balconies and this is now one feature our ships must always have.
One of my few complaints about the Island Princess is that she has some of the smallest showers ever, but you will always find good water pressure and hot water on demand, so it is (almost) something which can be overlooked.
This is our fourth cruise with this company (and its former company, P &O). My favorite things about cruising with Princess are the consistency across the ships, the all inclusive options and the amazing itineraries. Being a little older, I also appreciate that the ships cater to (mostly) adults.
The Island Princess may be old, by ship standards, but she is well equipped to navigate the world and provide an outstanding and immersive adventure. In the coming days we will continue to explore in depth, some of what this stately Princess has to offer.
“A” is for Arranging an ABC Adventure
The ABC Adventure is meant to encourage you to explore deeper and is intended to assist you with documenting your journey, You are using your camera and language skills to document a story while adding some creativity to both.
An ABC Adventure is part personal guidebook, part word game, part photography challenge and part Scavenger Hunt. It is all fun.
“Rules” of the Game
- The first rule is that there really are no rules! There are however a few missions. The purpose of the ABC game is to live more deeply and to document the journey, but mostly to have fun along the way.
- The game is similar to a Scavenger Hunt. It may be played by yourself, with a group, or in teams. You will take one photograph representing a word or phrase (that you choose) for each letter of the alphabet. You do not need to complete the alphabet in order. There is no time limit to the game (unless you choose to set one).
- Begin by choosing an anchoring theme for your game. Put your anchoring theme at the top of the page. This offers a little confinement to your mission. ABC games are not limited to travel. Here are a few themes we have used:
- Art in an Airport
- Birthday Celebrations
- Date Nights
- Exploration By Country
- Exploration By the City
You could also do an ABC food tour, an ABC cruise ship tour, an ABC art in the airport tour, your ABC Adventures are only as limited as your creativity.
- Write out the alphabet leaving blank space next to each letter. Each letter will represent a single word or phrase. Once you assign the word or phrase, you will take a photo to represent it (or you can take a photo first and then assign it to a word). There are no limits to how creative your photography or word choices may be. In fact, the more creative, the more interesting the game becomes.
The choice of creating a guide before you begin a game is entirely up to you. You can follow our process below, or jump straight to the Scavenger Hunt section.
Creating a Guide (Wordplay and Personal Guide)
- The value in making a list is to see where you are going to be challenged. Some letters are more difficult than others to represent. Write out the alphabet leaving blank space next to each letter. We generally create our lists on the computer because the word list can become very long. By having all the options, you can quickly see where an alternate word or phrase choice might exist. Mostly the guide is a long series of questions.
- Where are you going? What is the mission of this ABC Adventure? If you are doing a travel themed ABC Adventure, this may be continents, countries, states, cities, towns and/or villages. If you are limiting your exploration to something like the cruise ship, then you might write “C” for cruise or “I” for Island Princess (or whatever specific ship you are on). If you were looking just for art in a museum then you might just record the name of the museum. In our example below, My theme is ABC’s By State. We knew we would be visiting several Hawaiian islands but I began with H-Hawaii then added K-Kauai since I knew we would be experiencing at least that much. My list will eventually expand to include Maui and Oahu as part of an overall Hawaiian Adventure.
- Next ask yourself who is going to play the game/travel with you. In our case, it will just be Alan and I, so I will add and “A”-Alan and “D”-Deb to my list.
- How will you get there? (example A-airplane, C-cruise, “R” Rental car etc). Do you know of any other transportation you would like to experience? *Since much of Kauai inaccessible by road, it is recommended to see from a sailboat “S” , “C” catamaran and/or “P” plane. Do you already know if certain tours use a specific kind of transportation? You could use “K” for kayak.
- Next, begin to research tours or activities you might be interested in. This is your “what will we do question”. I often visit Trip Advisor or Pinterest to find fun things to do. We knew we wanted to take a flight tour over Kauai so our abc list began to look like this… A-airplane, F-flight tour etc. Always list multiple terms for each word, this is how you will eventually fill the entire alphabet with options. Move from broad to specific. You could also begin to get creative here…what about the letter “U” for Up (as in up in the air). Each guide will be personal to your interests, activities and goals.
- Begin to fill in things you will likely see on the tour. For example, as we researched the flight tour we knew we could use “N” for Na Pali coast and “W” for Waimea Canyon. These were both included on the tour. As we read about these places we noted that Waimea Canyon was also referred to as the Grand Canyon of the Pacific. We cross referenced the list with a “G”. We knew these areas would be “L” -lush. Our words were beginning to get a little more descriptive. We knew that we would be seeing “W”-waterfalls and “R” rainforests. We noted that the Na Pali coast was undulating. We added these words. Hint, words spark creativity of photos and vice versa.
- Stay open to discovering new things to explore. As we researched our options, we also discovered many other things we might be interested in exploring such as “F” for Fern Grotto and “R” for Riverboat cruise, if we had time. My mind raced with the possibilities of how we could spend our time. What restaurants are recommended? What sites are top to see? You likely won’t “do” everything on your list but writing down everything which interests you, means that you will have numerous options when it comes time to actually going on your personal journey. If it were raining, you might need to move an activity indoors, you will already know where to go. This is the personal guide portion of the game. Think of it as a travel guide.
- Now imagine the culture. What foods, games, dances, music, language etc do you want to discover. Your abc list might begin to look like “H”-hula and “U”-ukelele. Is there a traditional dress which people wear? For example, “A” Aloha Shirts.
- Begin to add other categories which interest you such as A-architecture, animals, B-boats, beaches C-churches etc. Continue to move from broad to specific for example you could add A-animals but research showed that we would likely see C-chickens and W-whales on this trip, so they were also listed.
- Keep asking questions and adding to your lists. What foods are eaten? Example “M” Macadamia nuts, “S”-shave ice. How do they taste or smell? Sweet, sour, pungent? What time of year is it? What season are you in? What month is it? Is it dry, arid, wet or humid? Sunny or cloudy? What do you hear? What colors could you add? What emotions are triggered? Do you expect to stand in awe?
- *The more descriptive terminology you add, the more interesting your writing will become when it comes time to tell your story. This may also give you some interesting ideas for photography.
- Keep building your alphabet lists with creative exploration of language. For example “C” could be coffee (which Kawaii is famous for) but perhaps you already have a “C”, you could also use “J” for Java.
- Add some colors to your list. Kawaii is very “G”-green but dig deeper and add interesting words like “V”-verdent.
- Did you know the “Y”-Yellow Hibiscus is the state flower? Build, build, build on the ABC/word list before you begin playing the game. The more time you spend here, the more options you have once you begin the game.
Scavenger Hunt
- Use your blank alphabet list. The goal is to try to represent each letter of the alphabet with a word or phrase and a photo. Hint: take more photos than you think you need.
- You are using your camera and language skills to document a story. Add some creativity to both. How do you document words like yellow? Did you know that the state flower of Hawaii is yellow? Since my theme is ABC’s By State (Hawaii), this would be a great way to document my “Y” for yellow. This can often be a tough letter to find, so it will be high on my list to get this photo. if I see the word pineapple, I might choose to photograph a pineapple plantation, a single pineapple growing, or a wonderful pina colada (or all of the above). I might also try to experience the local pineapple french toast with coconut dressing, all would be wonderful ways to represent the word pineapple.
Detours-Sometimes you won’t have an idea for a letter. This is your chance to become very observant. Words and opportunities are everywhere. Detours are what create the adventure, don’t be afraid of them.
- Did you see a sign which begins with your needed letter? Detour.
- Could you find a quote which begins with your desired letter and fits the theme of your adventure? Detour.
- Could you rearrange your photos/words to be able to use something somewhere else? Detour.
Share Your Story
By the time you finish this game, you are sure to have had some grand adventures. It is likely that you took more photos than just those that you selected for the Scavenger Hunt. It is likely that you imagined more words and phrases than you used (you did save your list didn’t you?). I know that I will have tried to capture every single word on my list. I will have let my creativity flow through my photography and word choices. It is now time to use these to put the words and photos together because a photo without explanation is left to interpretation and words with no pictures means it never happened. By the time you complete an ABC adventure, your photos and descriptive writing should represent who, what, where, when, why and how of the adventure you set out to enjoy.
We experience the world one letter at a time and discover our world one word at a time, but we write our legacy by one story at a time.
The Overall Kauai ABC List
Here is how our Kauai, Hawaii list eventually shaped up. (Yours may look different based on personal interests/goals).
- Allerton Gardens/Aloha shirts/ Aloha/Airplane/Alan/animals/Awe
- Blow Hole (Spouting Horn)/Beaches/Botanical Gardens/blue
- Chickens (thousands occupy the island)/coffee (see also java)/coconut/crater/chocolate/cruise
- Deb
- Eucalyptus trees (Tunnel of trees on way to Koloa Town and Poipu Beach)
- Fern Grotto (lava cave overgrown with ferns-about 2 miles up the Wailua River-accessed by kayak or boat trip)/Flowers/Forbidden Island (Ni’Hau)/Flight
- Grove Farm Sugar Plantation Museum/Grand Canyon of the Pacific (Waimea Canyon Park)/gardens/ green
- Hanalei (shopping)/Hanalei Bay/Hanakapi’ai Beach/Hawaii/Helicopter tour (Island Helicopter Tours are the only one which land at a waterfall)/Hula Dancers (Sheraton Kauai Resort, Grand Hyatt Kaui and Kilohana Plantation estate)/humid
- Island Plane Tour
- January/Jurassic Park Falls/Java (see also coffee)
- Kalaheo Coffee Co (breakfast/baked goods)/Kawaii/kayak/Kilohana plantation/Koke’e State Park/Kalalau Trail (first half mile)/Koa wooden bowls/Kauai coffee/Kilauea Point/Kilauea Lighthouse/Koa wooden bowls/Kipu Kai/Kalapaki Beach/Kalua (the act of cooking a pig in the ground for hours)/Kauai/Koloa Town
- Lighthouse (Kilauea Lighthouse)/Luau/leis/Lanai/Larsen’s Beach/lava cave/lush
- Mountain tube/monk seals/Moreton Bay fig trees/McBride Gardens/Mount Waialeale-(wettest spot on earth)/Mahaulepu Beach (monk seals/beauty/hiking)/Macadamia nuts/ Moloa’a Beach/music/ Mountains/mango/mai tai
- Na Pali Coast/Na ‘Aina Kai Botanical Gardens)/Ni’Hau (Forbidden Island)
- O
- Pineapple/Pineapple French toast with coconut dressing (at the Kalaheo Coffee Co)/Passionfruit/Pupu Platter (cross between tapas and bar food)/Poipu Beach (Tunnel of trees and spouting Horn)/Pu’u O Kila Lookout (Kokee’e Park)/pottery/passionfruit/Polihale Beach/palm trees
- Queen’s Bath (Kalapana)/Poke (Hawaiian sushi)
- Rainforests/Red Dirt Falls (Grand Canyon of the Pacific-located in Waimea Canyon Park)
- Shave ice/Spouting Horn/Shop/surfing/seashells/Shipwreck Beach/Smith Family Luau/Sticky rice pudding/Spouting Horn (blow hole)/sunset
- Tunnel of Trees (see also Euclyptus trees)/Tidepools
- Ukulele/Undulate
- Vintage train (Kilohana plantation)/volcano/verdent
- Waterfalls-Wailua Falls& river/Waimea Canyon/Wailua River/Wai’oli Hui’ia Church (Hanalei)/Whale watching (winter only when Pacific humpbacks migrate to mate and give birth), wasabi mustard, wooden bowls/ Wai-ale-ale Crater/wet/winter
- X
- Y yellow
- Zen/Zipline (Skyline Hawaii)
The words above words also give me an opportunity to expand my language as I write the descriptions and stories of each experience. How interesting does a story about cooking a pig in an underground oven (Kalue) become when I use local terminology and/or language? How much more authentic does the experience become when local culture is infused into the adventure?
The ABC’s give us structure but this is your adventure to design in any way which you choose. Enjoy the journey!