Debbie warned us that we would dock on the opposite side of the island from all the attractions. If we did not have an arranged tour, we could take the free shuttle bus to the small mall near the Kalapaki Beach, and book a tour there. So we boarded the shuttle that the attendant assured us would take us to town. Unfortunately, we ended up at K-Mart. I cannot remember the last time I have actually shopped at a K-Mart, and I have never shopped in one with Ken. We immediately started snapping at each other. We talked with another couple from the ship who also reported that they were having a bad day, after such an incredible day in Honolulu. It must be the air in K-Mart because the day for all four of us got much better after we took the shuttle back to the port.
Again, we tried in vain to find some tour, any tour, that we could take to try to salvage the day. All the ship's tours had already departed. So we finally took the right shuttle to the tiny mall where we learned that the only tour we could take was the 2:45 airplane tour. But the owner of the store assured us that we would be back in time to board the ship. So we finally signed on.
Suddenly the day became wonderful. As if coming out of a heavy fog, we noticed that the island of Kauai was even more beautiful than Oahu, because it was unspoiled. We walked across the highway to the beach and spent a delightful hour with friends from the ship. (It was easy to spot our fellow passengers because we all had taken the familiar blue-and-white striped beach towels from the ship.) Then we walked back to the mini mall and ate the best slices of pizza we ever tasted. Right after I finished my Hawaiian shaved ice (an artistic masterpiece of pineapple, mango and cherry syrups), the gold van from AirVentures arrived to wisk us off to the Lihue Airport. The only other passengers were Victor and Ellenatta from the Pacific Princess.
Everything seemed to be working like clockwork until the minute hand on our watches ticked toward 3 p.m. and the flight before ours had not returned to the airport. Finally, the aircraft landed, and we walked out to have our pictures taken in front of it and climb on board. When Ken asked if we all would have a window seat, the pilot invited him to sit in the co-pilot's chair. He definitely had the catbird's seat!
Highlights of our air adventure included the river where Harrison Ford jumped off the rope swing to flee the natives in Raiders of the Lost Ark, the beach on which Harrison Ford and Anne Heche crashed their airplane in the movie Six Nights, Seven Days, the mountain range that formed the backdrop for the movie Jurassic Park, the Hanalei Pier made famous in the movie South Pacific, and Wailua Falls from the opening credits of the TV program that whisked us all to Fantasy Island. When we flew over the 17-mile-long Na Pali Coast, which can not be reached by a road, our pilot showed us Kalalau Beach named Best Beach in America in 2009 (Siesta Key is the 2011 Best Beach). Once we could see Highway 56, he pointed out Tunnels Reef that is a haven for scuba divers and swimmers who swim through the tunnels formed below the reef, the large red-roofed house with a tennis court that is owned by Pierce Brosnan, Princeville that is the Hollywood of Kauai with the longest barrier reef in Hawaii, and Anahola Mountain with its second peak being a profile of King Kong overlooking the ocean. Mt. Kawaikini, the highest point on Kauai is also the wettest spot on our planet with 40 feet of rain annually. Unfortunately, an afternoon rain storm kept us from seeing the Waimea Canyon, the "Grand Canyon of the Pacific."
After a rather bumpy ride near the end of our epic journey with our pilot suggesting the need for "aloha" bags, we came to a smooth stop at the terminal. Awaiting us was the driver of the company's gold van to take us quickly back to our ship by 4:20 p.m. The flight over Kauai was a highlight of our trip to the beautiful 50th state.
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