Tag Archives: Kauai destinations

Da plane! Da TV! A FEMA “necessity”

May 3, 2015 by dustinthewind The Book Travel Tips

I can’t live without the TV show Survivor. As you know from the stories in my book, I have had some experiences in American Samoa and in the Bayou of the deep American south that could qualify me for this show and have given me some useful survival skills. Enough so that when I watch the show, I can’t believe how dumb these people are!

TV is an important thing in life. I enjoy it, certainly, but did you know that FEMA considers your television set a basic living necessity? What TV show can’t you live without?

Speaking of television, and back to the #AlohaSpirit of stopping-to-smell-the-roses in Kauai point of all this, another spot you must see is “Tattoo Falls.” Anyone who was old enough to watch Fantasy Island in the 1970’s will remember this line, “Da plane, da plane!” They will also remember those beautiful waterfalls that “da plane” circled around during the opening credits of the show. These are found on the island of Kauai. Driving through cane fields, you see the random signs for these falls and a quick walk from a parking area brings you to the ridge that looks out over them. They are a must see.

“Ricardo Montalban Herve Villechaize Fantasy Island 1977” by ABC Television. Public Domain

Hike Kauai with an Insider

January 19, 2015 by dustinthewind Travel Tips

If you like to hike (I like to hike and camp and all sorts of outdoor stuff, which is a good thing when you’ve got to travel over mountains and through jungles to assess damage after a cyclone—ha!), Hawaii is an amazing place for it. You probably know that much already.

An insider’s secret that I like to share is to take the back roads to the end of the Wailua River. The Wailua River was the subject of my last blog post. There you’ll find hundreds of stone mounds (known as cairns) left by early Hawaiians. You also find heiau—ancient structures—in this area.

But the best-kept secret is the hike that you find past the end of the Wailua River trail. You take this trail and it brings you inside of the crater formed by the volcano that made the island. This is where the river actually begins, formed by the water seeping from the ground and the walls of the crater.

As it sits at the bottom of the mountain, beneath the famous Wall of Tears (which is where some of the waterfalls are found), it is obviously a good source of water and is a trail that you have to try if you like nature and are interested in the ways that fresh water operates in this environment. #Hikekauai just for fun!

Swimming in the pools

Hanalei River Kayaking

January 13, 2015 by dustinthewind Travel Tips

Oh give me a home…

Hanalei River Kayaking is a very laid-back adventure. #traveltips Make sure you have some strong arms, because on the way up the river you will be paddling against the current, but it’s smooth kayaking on the way back, when you’re good and tired.

There are no rapids here, but one of the things you’ll see besides a lot of taro farms and birds along the way are dozens of buffalo. The biggest buffalo ranch in all of the islands is along the river here. The owner ships buffalo burger, steaks and jerky around the world from this farm. He is an awesome person! While you are paddling up the river, you will be passing by the buffalo farm and most of the time the buffalo will come down to the river’s edge to check you out just as much as you are checking them out. It’s a great photo opportunity if you have the right kind of water-resistant camera or camera case!

I found out about this ranch when I was in Kauai working and had been the inspector for the owner’s property after Hurricane Iniki (You can read more about my adventures in Iniki in my book). After I did my inspection, he invited me to come back to witness the birth of a buffalo calf. It was an awesome experience.

We were in a jeep only 20 or 30 feet from a mother giving birth to her calf and some of the other buffalo seemed to be guarding her. The rancher wanted to show me how protective the herd is, so he got just a little close and one of the males charged our jeep. Thank goodness the jeep was well outfitted with tubular bumpers all the way around so it didn’t do any damage to the jeep or to us, but the male buffalo let us know we were off limits.

Within minutes, the calf was up and walking around. Shortly after that we were turning to go back to the ranch house, when we startled the herd and damn if that new born calf wasn’t running with the herd. Wow—what a sight! I learned some interesting facts about buffalo, like the fact that a newborn calf must be able to run within only a few minutes of birth or else the wolves in the great plains of America would eat it.

Now, I don’t think you will get to experience something like that while you’re kayaking the Hanalei River, but you never know. Please stop by the HOKUKANO RANCH and buy some buffalo meat or jerky.

PS: Now that I’m figuring out more of this social media stuff, I’ve moved my Travel Tips to Tuesday. #traveltipstuesday

Kauai destination: The Slippery Slides

January 10, 2015 by dustinthewind Travel Tips

Nature is powerful and can be frightening, and I don’t know about you, but in nature I rise to the challenges placed in front of me. Whether I’m having to keep up a strong front/positive face in a huge aftershock (like the one I experienced in LA following Loma Prieta) or stomping through knee deep snake infested mud to get to a house to do an inspection, (read more in my book) I’ve bravely faced things and impressed even myself. But out by Anahola, in Kauai, I faced something I needed a little external motivation to go through with. The Slippery Slides!

Out by #Anahola is a marked trail near the reservoir, but you’ve got to pay attention to see it. You park by the reservoir and walk in to a natural slide that is slicked with water and which is just like a fun park’s slide, only far better because it is entirely the product of nature. There are many small pools and places for you to jump from above. About 100 yards down the trail is the famous pool shown in Jurassic Park—the one that the helicopter descends towards in front of a waterfall. The lowest jump is around 30 feet so it isn’t for the faint of heart.

One of the first times I was out there I was afraid to make the leap. I stood holding the nearest root and thought “Oh man, oh man…” and tried to gauge the depth of the water.

I am not sure if I would have done it if a bunch of teenagers hadn’t come along and bruised my ego. They made a ton of noise as they made their way down the trail, and as I stood there I heard one of them say, “Mister, just get out of the way!” This took me a back a bit, and I waved my arm as if to say, “After you.” These boys didn’t hesitate, and with three abrupt whooshes they were over the edge and out of sight. “Hell,” I said, “If they can do it, I can too.”