Kauai, the garden island

August 2005

Nice sunset taken through a palm frond.

Sunset from Charlie's

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Kyle Ravizza made it over the one year hump and so it was time for a luau! Dave and Stephanie arranged it all. We gathered our bindle sticks and flew there as well. Bob and Carolyn, Paul, and Jim Lyons were all there. August and Bernie were so nice to us. The entire Ventura family is a great bunch. Much has been written about the trip, and our time with More-or-Less Ventura, so I won't repeat it all here. This is my photo album of our trip.

 

two people standing at the driveway leading up to a house on Pee road, kauai Our condo turned out to be a four bedroom house on Pee road. Excellent for us!

 

woman reading, with a man's feet - the photographer large living room with a woman seated
Our living room was spacious and offered a great view of the Kauai hills. And the dining area let us live large - but I don't think we ate even one meal in-house.

 

sunset over brennecke's beach Charlie was nice enough to host our first evening at his new place on the rocks - there is no beach there. It's on Pee road, just around the corner from the place we rented. Talk about convenient! His place is also just a short walk from Brennecke's. We ate there several times.
Sunset, courtesy of Rick.

 

two men standing at the rock edge of kauai four men in front of the ocean
Bob and Paul pretending they own the place. The usual suspects are joined by Neal Raives, agent provocateur.

 

man with pensive look holding a camera man sitting with a plate of food and a big grin

Paul is always happy when the food is good; aren't we all?

Don't let his innocent look fool you, this man, Kevin Raives, is just as guilty.

 

woman making a lei women making leis on kauai

The women took much time to make the leis for tomorrow's luau. Unfortunately a night in the too cold fridge turned them to muck. Alas, all were sad.

 

 

Then there was the luau. Then there wasn't, then there was. With grass skirts to go around the kids were oh so happy.

Personally, I can't wait to show this to Lucas's first dates. I'm sure they'll have questions - or perhaps they will find explanations?

family at a luau with grass skirts

 

two men laughing for the camera a happy family with teenagers.
The famous Charlie, with Jim Lyons. The Raives family - or is it the Cleavers?

 

two men and a woman in conversation

 

a long quiet pool in alerton garden

A peaceful place. One of many.

 

We spent a day at Allerton Gardens. A great old homestead on Kauai that is now a preserve. Allerton brought in tons of plants and arranged them into little garden areas like the one at the left. Three hours of a tour left us still wanting more. Click on the image below for a mind blower.

lotus blossom about to open in a sea of green leaves

 

lotus blossom about to open in a sea of green leaves lotus blossom about to open in a sea of green leaves.
The lotus ponds offered a huge array of fantastic shapes and colors. I wish I'd had more time to explore them.

 

large fig roots a bunch of green bananas on the tree, viewed end on to show the symetry.
This is the place where the egg was found in Jurrasic Park. The tree is only 50 years old - the woman somewhat less. Fantasy Island's "the plane" opening was also shot at Allerton. Lovely broken symetry.

 

wiamai canyon overlook wiamai canyon overlook
Everyone goes to Wiamai Canyon. I've been here many times since my first visit in 1982. It never fails to take my breath away. The scale is so large that it is hard to judge distance. At one point we did see a person about half way to the far side and they were just a speck.

 

 

wiamai canyon overlook wiamai canyon overlook
She took this one. Nicely done.

 

 

purple eroded curtains of volcanic rock, a thousand feet tall. Three people at napi coast overlook.
Our last stop was the Napali Coast overlook. We must be two miles from this rock. Those features are gigantic. Bob, Paul, Carolyn.