Beautiful, Beautiful Beaches

Today, we went out in search of several spots we've wanted to see and photograph. 

I really wanted to swim in Queen's Bath when we first got here, but we were strongly encouraged to drop that idea by several hotel staff. I convinced Lance that at least we could go see it...the hike down was, again, far more daunting than we anticipated...here's a waterfall we spotted on the way:

When we finally got down to the lava rock near the water, the concerns everyone has voiced (including our surfer dude captain from the Na Pali cruise yesterday), all made sense. One rogue wave would pull you out to sea and pommel you on the lava rock.

So, I begrudgingly turned around. I wasn't super happy about it, but in the end, Lance was right about this one. 

On we went to our next destination, Secret Beach. This beach used to really be a secret, and was actually a nudist favorite. However, it's not so secret anymore, but it's another beautiful place to visit. The hike was about 10 minutes  down, and it was a moving experience on its own, just like everything here:

Then you come out of the woods and see this: 

It's not a swimming beach...the waters are much too rough. But, it certainly is a beauty...and we had it almost to ourselves.

We decided to check out Anini Beach next. It seems to be more of a local beach, kind of a part of a neighborhood, and was very swimmable. Everything is  postcard worthy here:

Lance snorkeled for awhile, and I saw more chickens:

Tonight we went to a luau in Lihue at the 

Kilohana sugar plantation, the first sugar plantation in Kaua'i. It was an interesting experience, complete with Hawaiian food, fire eating and dancing. 

And, yes, this is Tevan's dress. She wore it on her honeymoon, and I wanted to be sure and wear it on our 10 year trip. 

The luau cast, comprised of Kaua'i locals. They do this show weekly for fun and additional income - the island has the highest cost of living in the US combined with the second lowest income. It's so admirable how actively  they've studied their history and culture - many of these girls have been studying hula since they were small. 

Another amazing day! Tomorrow, Waimea Canyon. I can hardly wait to see what else is out there to see!