Early to rise to meet the Roberts Hawaii tour bus in Kapaa. We're taking a stress-free, let-someone-else-do-the-
Spouting Horn is the first of many spectacular sights, an oceanside geyser in all its glory. It's supposed to spray up to 50 feet, but it's more like a sputtering horn this morning; it spurts like someone with a nasty flu.
Next stop: the Hanapepe Valley Lookout. Everything lush and green all around, good practice if you're working on panoramas.
A short drive away, there's a few stairs to a terrace where the views of Waimea Canyon are unreal. Foliage plays off the rich red rocks, with peaks and valleys like varying brushstrokes on a canvas of sky.
Zoom in to see a majestic waterfall.
A quick stop for snacks is in order - nothing works up an appetite like sitting in a small tour bus. Try the Apple Banana Lumpia, a crispy-to-gooey deep-fried banana-hammock.
They also sell some fresh Rambutan. A pain to peel, but the flesh is juicy, pulpy like a lychee, concentrated sugar like the a longan.
Real lunch in Waimea town, more on that to follow.
We're past the halfway point of the tour, and I'm thinking Roberts Hawaii has earned their high ratings. The guide is an encyclopedia of island culture and knowledge, and she keep its interesting the whole ride through.
She's telling us about the smaller islands as we pull into the Opaekaa Falls Lookout.
It's a gorgeous waterfall, and we have ample time for selfies.
The last journey on the tour is the Wailua River Boat Cruise.
It's a booze cruise without the booze, a luxurious float down the river with some singing and some hula.
Destination: Fern Grotto.
Named for the ferns that hang and grow from the rocks in every direction, they've already started to replenish since the flood.
There's a gorgeous waterfall on the way there too.
It's all about the nature in Kauai. Who needs a golf course or a manicured resort when nature gives your canyons and hanging ferns? Roberts Hawaii makes for a stress-free tour, but they do a great job preserving the authenticity of the island and educating passengers about the culture. I usually don't enjoy being bused from one place to another and stopping for photos ten minutes at a time, but I really did enjoy this tour and left feeling like I actually learned something.
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