Hawaii - Jeff Campbell [401]
The road to the lighthouse begins off Kapule Hwy, just over 0.5 miles south of the intersection with Ahukini Rd and marked with two concrete slabs. You’ll walk for just over 2 miles, past a guard gate (usually empty) and Hole 12 of the Mokihana Golf Course, most of it rutted dirt road, before you reach the short spur to the lighthouse.
Running Waters Beach (the little slice of sand visible from Ninini Point) is not swimmable but makes a nice picnic spot. To find it, return to Hole 12 and park in the lot just before it, then follow the signs for ‘Shore Access.’ Turn right at Whaler’s Brew Pub and descend to its parking lot, where you’ll see another ‘Shore Access’ sign to your left. It’s a steep, quick walk to the beach below.
Grove Farm Homestead
History buffs might enjoy this plantation museum (Map; 245-3202; Nawiliwili Rd; 2hr tour adult/child under 12 $5/2; tours 10am & 1pm Mon, Wed & Thu), open only for prearranged tours, but kids might grow restless. Grove Farm was among the most productive sugar companies on Kaua′i and George Wilcox, the son of missionaries Abner and Lucy Wilcox, built this well-preserved farmhouse in 1864. It feels suspended in time, with rocking chairs sitting dormant on a covered porch and untouched books lining the shelves of the musty library.
Lihu′e Lutheran Church
Hawaii’s oldest Lutheran church (Map; 245-2145; 4602 Ho′omana Rd; services 8am & 10:30am Sun) is a quaint clapboard house, with an incongruously slanted floor that resembles a ship’s deck and a balcony akin to a captain’s bridge. German immigrants built this church, styling it after their own late-19th-century boat. The building is actually a faithful 1983 reconstruction of the 1885 original, which was leveled in Hurricane ′Iwa in 1982. The church is located along a curvy country lane just off Kaumuali′i Hwy (Hwy 50).
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ACTIVITIES
Ziplining & Multiactivity Tours
The ‘sport’ of ziplining arose in Costa Rican jungles, but it’s similarly suited to Kaua′i’s tree-filled rainforests. Weight and age restrictions vary widely.
Just Live (482-1295; www.justlive.org; Kuhio Hwy; tours $79-125) Only this outfit offers canopy-based zipping, meaning you never touch ground after your first zip. The 3½-hour zip tour includes seven ziplines and five bridge crossings, 60ft to 80ft off the ground in 200ft Norfolk Island pines. Profits from commercial tours go toward community youth programs. Minimum age is nine.
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COURTING HOLLYWOOD
The state woos Hollywood to shoot in Hawaii, offering a 20% tax break for production work on Neighbor Islands. In 2007, Ben Stiller filmed the $100-million Tropic Thunder on Kaua′i, hiring 350 local crew members (in a total crew of 778), plus hundreds of local extras. The cast and crew rented houses or stayed at the two Wailua hotels for some 13 weeks. They patronized local restaurants, bars and countless businesses. They filmed across the island, from Grove Farm in Lihu′e to Hanalei. Overall, the film is estimated to have contributed a whopping $60 million to the island’s economy.
However, some islanders allege that the film sets caused environmental damage, such as altered streams, flattened bamboo groves, scorched ‘war zones’ and toxic damage from pyrotechnics. They criticize the lack of oversight by the State Department of Land & Natural Resources (or any other authority).
We could not prove the allegations either way, but conclude that Kaua′i’s movie ‘industry’ will always entail a fine balance. Some embrace the island’s long history on the silver screen. Some value the big economic boost. Some view the ‘commodification’ of the ′aina (land) as never justifiable. Opinions differed over Tropic Thunder and will differ again the next time Hollywood comes to town.
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Kaua′i Backcountry Adventures (Map; 245-2506, 888-270-0555; www.kauaibackcountry.com; Kuhio Hwy; tour incl lunch $125) Offers a 3½-hour zipline tour with seven lines, elevated as high as 200ft above the ground and running