The Waimea Canyon, located in the south side of the Kauai Island is popularly considered as the Grand Canyon of the Pacific and it definitely stands up there living up to its reputation, its huge mountainous canyon with reddish tint soil.
There are two ways to see the Waimea Canyon, either to see it by air in a helicopter ride (thats another article!) or by car. There are two different main roads (highways) to get to the top of the canyon. Both roads will meet near the top of the canyon and both are steep incline and windy roads, so going up hill or downhill through these roads you need to have a reliable breaking system in your car and drive according to the posted speed limit. You also need to make sure that you have enough gas to drive up and down of the canyon because there is not a lot of establishments available on your way up or on top.
On your way up, there are some spots that are worth stopping and savoring the view and take few shots or just to enjoy the beautiful scenery of that particular area. When you see a nice view, chances are, you will never see exactly the same scene as you continue to go up or down. Each view or scenery is unique, so grab every oppurtunity to enjoy the view for a moment, if time permits!
Knowing that you are climbing a steep mountain terrain, the weather at sea level can be totally different once you start climbing up. It can be sunny below but up in the canyon, the higher elevation you go, the weather can change in an instant. The weather up in the canyon is quite unpredictable, it can go sunny and bright to dark and gloomy, and could drizzle in an instant. Or it can stay sunny the whole day, if you get lucky. But dont let the minor changes in temperature or drizzle intimidate or scare you, as long as you feel safe and comfortable the view on top is all worth it. In a specially unpredictable day and too foggy and rainy day, it might be better to move your trip to go up for safety sake and to reserve a better day to see better views because what you see up there depends on how good or bad the weather is.
There are different vista points on top of the canyon that are developed to accomodate tourists and visitors to see the Grand Canyon of the Pacific. There are road signs, arrows, and vista signs all over, so that people who visit there for the first time will even have an idea where the areas are, to see the views. So keep your eyes open, look out for the road signs!
To get the best of your visit in the Waimea Canyon, choose a day that is not foggy so that you can maximize your viewing experience and you see more clearly including some of the water falls that are cascading in those huge mountains! Foggy and rainy days can be a problem because it could over take the atmosphere and its hard to see all the canyons from afar, which is what Waimea Canyon is all about.
A great place to stop for snack or meal is at Kokee, where they have restaurant, souvenier shops, outdoor picnic tables, and trails for hiking or walking. You also get to see a huge number of chickens, called the Road Warriors there, just hanging out in the nice green field near the picnic tables.
Written and Photography by Jazevox
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