Hawaii Day 8 - Sunny skies in Poipu

Aloha from sunny Kauai. I don't know what happened to the rain but we have obviously done something right and woke up to clear skies. We spent the morning doing something that we have not done a lot on this trip; sitting on a beautiful beach. I am happy to say that our pale white skin is no longer white but a little on the pink side. This resort is located perfectly for spending a day on the beach, snorkeling and surfing. Did I mention surfing. Well I am going to take a lesson tomorrow morning and hopefully John will get some good video of me hanging ten.

After a late lunch we got cleaned up and got ready for our last activity on our dream itinerary - a traditional luau. We made a couple of pitstops on the drive over to the luau. First we went to Wailua Falls or as you may recall the famous waterfalls from Fantasy Island. We did not see "the plane".

Wailua Falls - Welcome to Fantasy Island

We then headed over to Lydgate Park where the Wailua River flows out into the ocean. This is the park to come to if you are looking for drift wood.

We also found a lovely pair of coconuts.

Then it was off to the "best luau on the island", the Smith Family Garden Luau. We arrived at 5pm and toured the 30 acre grounds. It is a beautiful place and a wonderful setting for a relaxing last night in Hawaii. Walking through the grounds is like walking through a botantical garden filled with beautiful peacocks and of course roosters. There are roosters all over this island. We both got a little more relaxed once they opened the bar and began passing out the Mai Tai's. Everyone (about 250people in all) then sat down for a traditional luau dinner. The food was great and was a mix of traditional Hawaiian dishes. After dinner we all walked over to an amphitheater for the show. The show was great and we got good video of the hula dancers. We both were pleasantly surprised by the quality of the whole experience. We thought that it might be cheesy and touristy but it was not at all. As a matter of fact we sat at a table full of native Hawaiians. They were just there to enjoy a nice evening out. We were there for four hours and it was a very pleasant experience. A really good way to say Aloha to the islands.

Michelle waiting outside the front gate.

One of many beautiful peacocks showing off for the crowd.

The beautiful botantical garden setting.

Sunset as we walked to the show.

Picture from the final dance number.

We weren't allowed to use flash and all of the closer shots were blurry. We did however get a good video (below). Aloha until tomorrow...our last day.