"Poipu," or "Farewell to Cato"

Since we've been home, just about everyone who knows about our trip has asked if we like Kauai. Even with the delayed flights, three days without running water, bugs invading our food and roosters crowing at all hours, what's not to love about Kauai? Those were all merely foibles easily overlooked given the island's fantastic natural abundance. The only thing that could make it better (beyond the bug-proof home) would be to have it as a secret of our own. Since our last visit more than a decade ago, clearly more people have heard about this island paradise. The trails were more crowded, the rivers more heavily paddled, the beaches certainly less private.

But there's still plenty to explore. I'm sure we'll be back to visit the back roads and byways.

Meanwhile, we'll return to our photographs and memories. Here's a look at our last day - Poipu Beach - the most crowded of our beach days, but still so wonderful: good fish viewing, relatively safe, wonderful tide pools, and V found "pets" at every turn.


As for air travel, the girls weren't incredibly impressed. They liked taking off and landing, but we flew over water much of the way, so their window time was short lived. They experienced waits and searches and delays I never dreamed of as a kid walking onto airplanes without much of a security check at all. Ah, times...they are indeed a changin'.