Waimea Canyon

Hawaii is to Alaska as Mexico is to Eastern Canada. We knew we needed to go.

Waimea Canyon, on Kauai's west side, is described as the "Grand Canyon of the Pacific", stretching 14 miles long, one mile wide and more than 3,600 feet deep. The canyon was formed by a deep incision of the Waimea River arising from the extreme rainfall on the island's central peak, Mount Waiʻaleʻale, which is among one of the wettest places on earth. The name Waimea, Hawaiian for "reddish water", references the erosion of the canyon's red soil.

Waimea Canyon was a must-see on our Kauai bucket list.

A 10 mile long curving, and sometimes nauseating road, winds its way up to the top of canyon. Several lookout points provide stunning panoramic views of the canyon and the beautiful island of the Kauai and Pacific Ocean. Apparently even chickens live at 3400 feet.

When you're up on top of the Canyon looking over the beautiful island of Kauai, you feel on top of the world. Waimea Canyon is truly a dramatic sight to behold.

We decided to continue our excursion past the lookout and explore Waimea State Park a little more. We picked up a relatively easy trail that took us along the edge of the canyon, giving more spectacular views, and ultimately leading us to a tiny waterfall, where we cooled down before making the trek back to the car. The adventurer didn't skip the opportunity to pull out his binocs...

Being on the West side of the Island, we couldn't pass up the opportunity to stop and enjoy the Hawaiian sunset on the drive back. As we watched the summer sun sink into the Pacific, we were so thankful that we had the opportunity to visit the beautiful island of Kauai.