Faith, Folklore, and Friends

Before we got to Hawaii, we were warned that the islands were not exactly like they had been portrayed in various movies, including the ones with Elvis.   Don't expect all beach and bikinis , they said. While Elvis wasn't in the house, there were still some things that we had seen in the movies, including giant waves and surfers.  You will have to look closely to find them. Don't turn your back on the ocean is a warning seen near the beaches .  We were standing several feet from the tide line watching the surfers.  When we were ready to go, we turned our backs to the ocean, and in about a second, our feet got wet with that cold Pacific water.  The person who vacuumed our rental car probably hates us.

Obviously, I would never miss a chance to visit a coffee plantation. This one was on Kauai. There were acres and acres of these coffee bushes, all beautifully manicured.  On Kona, they told us this was a bad thing, because that meant the coffee beans were picked with machines.  The people at Kona Coffee claimed their beans were all hand picked. The smell inside the gift shop was heavenly, but I did not like the coffee samples they gave us.  It was very strong and bitter to me, so we didn't bring any home.  Still, I loved seeing the coffee beans growing.

Kauai is the oldest of the Hawaiian Islands.  The wind and water have had time to carve a masterpiece in this canyon. This is part of the Waimea Canyon State Park. The day we were there, we went from bright sunshine to clouds and fog, then sunshine again.   Helicopter tours are a popular way of seeing the canyon. It is not uncommon to see several in the air at the same time here. It is not as deep or long as the Grand Canyon in Arizona, but it is art from the Creator.  Seeing it will make you humble; it will make you thankful.