KAUAI )cont.)

restaurant was for 6:30. We left Kapaa at 4:30 for Poipu, to allow plenty of time to savor the beach and our mai tai’s. We were fortunate to get a reservation, as Mary didn’t call until after we arrived on Wednesday. Dumb luck, they had just received a cancellation, and they squeezed us in. As we were pulling out of our Resort parking lot, we all started singing “On the Road Again”. I wish that I had taken my Willie Nelson CD of the song to play in the car.
The mai tais were great, the dinner was great, and the sunset was great. One couldn’t ask for more than that. While I was tired at the end of our perfect day, as my Mother used to say, “It is a good tired”.
Today, is Saturday. We are heading back to Poipu this morning, for snorkeling and visiting Spouting Horn and Koloa. I hadn’t visited Spouting Horn since we left Kauai in 1962. Back then, we parked at the side of the road and watched the “spouting“. Today, there is a parking lot, and many vendors’ canopy’s - selling everything from jewelry to T-shirts. I wonder where some of the shell necklaces and earrings come from? For there is a State law of “what you find in Hawaii, stays in Hawaii”. There were more people browsing among the shops than there were people watching the spouting! I was disappointed with the height of the “spouting” - perhaps it was low tide. Then, again, maybe my memory
Then, again, maybe my memory was influenced by seeing “Old Faithful” last year.
The girls had a nice swim/snorkel at Brennecke’s Beach. This is right next to the pavilion/cove where we used to “splash.” I remember one Christmas when we were all wading in the cove, and the water and air temperatures were the same - 71 degrees!
Next, we drove a few miles to Koloa. This village is known for McBride Sugar Mill which was the first sugar plantation in Hawaii (1835). Today, a portion of the old mill is now a museum, as the plantation has been closed, along with the other plantations on Kauai. I don’t think there are any plantations still operating in Hawaii. Pineapple has had the same fate, There were 26 sugar plantations operating back in 1958, of which C. Brewer owned half. The annual production of raw sugar in the Islands (97 % pure - C& H Sugar removed
C& H Sugar removed the other 3% of molasses and impurities.) was a million tons a year!. It became infeasible to continue operating the two agricultural industries. Pineapple and Sugar could be produced cheaper by others in the world. It is sad to drive by the fallow lands that I remember full of green-living plants. Some of the land was converted to macadamia nut and coffee trees. (We drove by the Kauai Coffee plantation every time we were near Lihue.) A lot of the acreage was used for building houses, shopping centers and hotels.
I made the mistake of mentioning the small -warm -cocoanut pies that we used to buy at the Chinese grocery in Koloa. They were delicious and wanted to experience that wonderful taste again. We got all these bum steers on where we might find the pies. We made many stops trying to track them down. I don’t think there is anyone alive who remembers the individual pies. I think those giving us directions, were confusing them with cocoanut- cream pies. After we returned to Fairfield, I asked Anne (who has a very good memory) if she remembered them. She said, “Of course. Mother used to cut them in half and we shared.” I think the problem was probably because Anne called them “turnovers” (their correct name), rather than pies. Too, how many people are still in the area fifty years later?
It is Sunday and time is zipping by. Today we are heading for Waimea Canyon, Kokee and the Kalahau Lookout. First we will stop at Holy Cross Church in Kalaheo - our last parish when we lived in the Islands. Mary called the church and found that Mass was at 0945. So, we planned to attend on the way to Waimea Canyon. I am glad that we did. Even though it was a new church building, it was in the same location. The school that Anne and Mary attended for a couple of years, is still there. I assume that Iniki destroyed the church building that I was familiar with.
When we went there 50 years ago, the women sat on one side of the church, and the men (who weren’t outside “talking stories”) sat on the other side - a strange custom! Now, the modern church is “in the round”, with mixed seating, after Vatican II. A friendly lady put a shell lei around our necks as we entered. What a nice welcome! After Mass, the young priest invited all travelers to come up and stand in front of the altar for his “safe return” Blessing” - Hawaiian friendliness in action!
Afterwards we were on our way to Hanapepe for breakfast at the “Green Garden” restaurant. One family used to eat there occasionally, even though we preferred Mike’s Café nearby. Today, it is just “Open” on weekends, as the owner-operator works in Lihue during the week. We also, bought a few of their papayas. I had a piece for breakfast every morning and they were as delicious - just as I remembered them. (The girls also bought some local Kapaa bananas at Safeway, and they were very sweet and delicious.)
We left the Kaumualli Highway (#50) and turned on to Kokee Road (#552), and started up the grade to Waimea State Park. Had we continued on the highway, we would have ended up in a few miles at Barking Sands, home of the Pacific Missile Range Facility. I read in the Garden Island paper where they are still talking about continuing this road around the northern end of the island to Highway 560 at Haena. Then, you would be able to drive completely around the Island! They were talking about this 50 years ago. It will never happen - unless they can get a lot of money from a future TARP fund. I would hate to have the responsibility to make a cost estimate. It is very hard to just fathom the idea. How would you justify it - by making it more convenient for a few tourists to navigate the Island?
The girls got out and viewed the splendorous Waimea Canyon. They didn’t see any of the white- mountain sheep. Then, we continued on to Kokee State Park. This is a huge green meadow. We used to enjoy a picnic here with Barbara and Don Brandt, who now live in Hilo, on the Big Island.
Next, on to the Kalalau Lookout. What a bum road. Had to drive slowly in low gear and then couldn’t dodge all the pot holes. If Hertz knew that we were mistreating their vehicle (and ourselves) in such a manner, there would have been a sur-charge. While I had been to the “Lookout” a few times, I only remember it being clear once or twice. (That’s why the helicopters do such a good business!) But, the view of the Napali Coast and the Pacific Ocean is tremendous when clear - well worth the extra effort of getting there. Today, it was socked in as per usual - a big disappointment! But, an off-set - the bougainvillea in the area are tremendous! An uneventful ride down the mountain and back up the south-west coast to Kapaa.
Today, must be Monday! The “wash” is drying on the clothes lines in the back yards. The multi-colored garments are waving in the breeze - like Hawaiian flags. We got started at our magic time - 0930. The car thermometer says 77 degrees. (You can’t beat this!) The odometer says that we have covered 337 miles. Gas at the 76 station is posted at $3.58.
We drove to the Wailua Falls, part of Wailua River Park. We turned to the right off #56, between Kapaa and Lihue, and drove about five miles on Maalo Road, back to the Falls area. Naturally, the large Waimea River feeds these Falls. I never realized that the Falls were so close to the popular Fern Grotto. I was surprised to read that Kauai is the only island in the Hawaiian chain, to have navigable rivers. While driving back to the Falls, we came upon a large pasture area with many horses, colts and mules. This must be the foaling season as there were quite a few little ones tagging along behind their Mothers. I didn’t think that Joan would pass this up. Sure enough, she pulled off to the left side of the road and parked near the fence. I don’t think that we were the first ones to stop there. The animals were grazing when we first saw them. But, after they spotted us by the fence, they all sauntered over to be hand fed!
I was surprised to find vendors parked at the Falls. Not only were they parked, there, but they took up the first four prime -parking spots! The first guy was working from the back of his pick-up making small baskets from cocoanut palm reeds. He was quite skilled. Mary and Joan bought one of his (green) baskets. The guy parked next to him was selling shell and bead jewelry (which he supposedly made), from the back of his pick-up. While the girls looked at his wares, I don’t think they were comfortable with the authenticity, quality or prices. The next two parking spots were occupied by women and their cars. I don’t remember what they were peddling. We had a good view of the twin falls - about our level, and not too far away. Quite a way down to the bottom, I could see some people playing in the pool of water from the falls.
After seeing the Falls. We headed for Rice Street in Lihue, for our Saimin “fix”. I used to go to a little café in Hanapepe for saimin when we lived here. But, when we had lunch at the bakery there the other day, I didn’t see it. Funny, how things change in 50 years! We enjoyed our different lunch. While the café’ was small, it was full. When people would leave, it wasn’t long before they were replaced by newcomers. We sat at the counter - on small stools which weren’t bolted to the floor. While they weren’t too safe, they were practical, and were part of the interesting atmosphere. Three middle-aged ladies staffed the facility - one cooking and dishing up in the small kitchen - and the other two serving as fast as she prepared the noodle combinations. So, between all of us, we kept them busy. The overhead fans didn’t quite provide enough cool air.
We were in the area of the Nawiliwili port, so we drove around the harbor area. We wanted to see where our car and furniture was loaded on to the Matson freighter, when we returned to the Mainland - and Vallejo - in 1962. Our furnishings left from here because the Port is the closest to Kalaheo. When our things were in-bound from Antioch in 1958, they arrived and were off-loaded at Port Allen, which is closer to Kaumakani.
It was only about a half hour drive to Poipu. We wanted to see Spouting Horn, and the girls wanted to snorkel at Brennecke’s Beach. This was alongside the cove where we used to go. We stopped first at the Spouting Horn parking lot. The last time that I was here was about 50 years ago. At that time, we just parked along the side of the road to watch the “spouting”. There was a lot of exposed lava rock and we had the place to ourselves. There was higher spouting back then.
Today, besides the large parking area, there are a string of tented shops leading down to the spouting area. The vendors are selling everything from jewelry to sweat shirts. I wonder where some of the shell necklaces and earrings come from. For, there is a state policy of “what you find in Hawaii, stays in Hawaii.” The car thermometer, in Poipu, says 86 degrees.
We stopped a couple of times to pick up real estate flyers touting beach-front rentals or “For Sales”. I sat in a covered picnic area “guarding” purses and clothes while the girls snorkeled.
We had a nice lunch at a cozy restaurant in nearby Koloa. We walked through a few shops, before heading on another “wild goose chase” looking for my “cocoanut pies”, but to no avail.
Back to Kapaa and the Outrigger. The girls went down to the pool and the beach, while I read the Garden Island and the Honolulu Advertiser. About this time, the Honolulu Star Bulletin (the afternoon paper) bought the Advertiser. Their merger resulted in a loss of 300 newspaper jobs!
Monday night, the girls went out for an Italian dinner. I was content to stay behind and dined on the remainder of my saimin lunch, and a piece of cocoanut crème pie. I looked forward to breakfast every morning on the lanai, watching the workers below, sprucing up the grounds. How about my menu: papaya, guava juice and cold cereal topped with a very sweet and juicy banana from a local Kapaa tree? What a way to go!
During the week, we passed the former Cocoanut Palms complex on the Wailua River many times. It was ruined by Iniki in 1992. Apparently, the owners didn’t have any insurance, or resources to repair/rebuild it. It sits on such prime property, and is an eyesore. It is extra depressing for me because Marie and I used to go there quite often, for dinner, the lighting of the torches, and entertainment. Now, each time that we pass by, I am overwhelmed by sadness recalling my great memories of 50 years ago.
The girls went next door each morning to Marie’s bakery for their coffee. During their visits their conversation got around to me and Olokele. Marie told them that Ruth Cassel still lived on a farm in Waimea. She said we would remember each other. When they told me, I certainly remembered Ruth! How could I forget? I remembered her for her beauty and friendliness. Even though she was a haole’, she had that Hawaiian friendliness and graciousness. The Cassels had five kids as we did - four boys and a girl. I worked with her husband, Jim, on the plantation. He was Olokele’s Agriculturist. Both of them were from Iowa, having arrived a few months before we did. They were both musicians - Ruth played the piano, and gave lessons to the plantation kids. Jim played the trombone.
Tuesday turned out to be a very interesting - but a long day!
Early in the morning, Mary called Ruth to see if we could get together later on. Ruth said that she had organ practice in the morning. So