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or 80 8/742-7444; www.koloaheritagetrail.info) produces a free brochure called the Koloa Heritage Trail, which is a 10-mile walk, bike ride, or drive that has some 14 historical stops and markers describing the history and culture of this area. The Historic Trail begins at Spouting Horn (see below) and finishes at the Koloa Mission Church in Koloa town. The trail is a great idea, but a few of the sites are either no longer there (like site no. 10 on Hapa Rd., where the pre-Contact evidence of ancient Hawaiians is no longer); changed dramatically from what they once were (like site no. 13, the Yamamoto Store and Koloa Hotel, now gone); or difficult to get to (like site no. 9, Pu’uwanawana Volcanic Cone, which you can see in the distance from the highway, but is located on fenced private property).

Allerton Garden of the National Tropical Botanical Garden Discover an extraordinary collection of tropical fruit and spice trees, rare Hawaiian plants, and hundreds of varieties of flowers at the 186-acre preserve known as Lawai Gardens, said to be the largest collection of rare and endangered plants in the world. Adjacent McBryde Garden, a royal home site of Queen Emma in the 1860s, is known for its formal gardens, a delicious kind of colonial decadence. The garden contains fountains, streams, waterfalls, and European statuary. Endangered green sea turtles can be seen here. (Their home in the sea was wiped out years ago by Hurricane Iniki.) The tours are fascinating for green thumbs and novices alike.

Visitor Center, Lawai Rd. (across the street from Spouting Horn), Poipu. 80 8/742-2623.www.ntbg.org. Admission and tour of Allerton Garden $45 adults, $20 children 10–12 (children 10 years and older only on tour). Guided 21⁄2-hr. tours by reservation only, Mon–Sat at 9am, 10am, 1pm, and 2pm. Self-guided tours of McBryde Garden Mon–Sat 9am–4pm, $20 adults, $10 children 6–12 (trams into the valley leave once an hour on the half-hour; last tram 2:30pm).

Prince Kuhio Park This small roadside park is the birthplace of Prince Jonah Kuhio Kalanianaole, the “People’s Prince,” whose March 26th birthday is a holiday in Hawaii. He opened the beaches of Waikiki to the public in 1918 and served as Hawaii’s second territorial delegate to the U.S. Congress. What remains here are the foundations of the family home, a royal fishpond, and a shrine where tributes are still paid in flowers.

Lawai Rd., Koloa. Just after mile marker 4 on Poipu Rd., veer to the right of the fork in the road; the park is on the right side.

Spouting Horn This natural phenomenon is second only to Yellowstone’s Old Faithful. It’s quite a sight—big waves hit Kauai’s south shore with enough force to send a spout of funneled salt water 10 feet or more up in the air; in winter, the water can get as high as six stories.

Spouting Horn is different from other blowholes in Hawaii, in that an additional hole blows air that sounds like a loud moaning. According to Hawaiian legend, this coastline was once guarded by a giant female lizard (Mo’o); she gobbled up any intruders. One day, along came Liko, who wanted to fish in this area. Mo’o rushed out to eat Liko. Quickly, Liko threw a spear right into the giant lizard’s mouth. Mo’o then chased Liko into a lava tube. Liko escaped, but legend says Mo’o is still in the tube, and the moaning at Spouting Horn is her cry for help.

At Kukuiula Bay, beyond Prince Kuhio Park (see above).

3 Western Kauai

WAIMEA TOWN

If you’d like to take a self-guided tour of this historic town, stop at the Waimea Library, at mile marker 23 on Highway 50, to pick up a map and guide to the sites.

Keep Out: Pacific Missile Range Facility

At the end of Kaumualii Highway (Hwy. 50) lies the 42,000-square-mile Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF), which is technically run by the Navy. Lately it seems as if everyone on the base, from the military to federal agencies, works on “national defense.” According to their website, PMRF “supports a variety of training exercises and developmental tests involving space, air, surface, and sub-surface units,” such as missile