Hawaii - Jeff Campbell [432]
The 1912 landmark Hanalei Bridge (Map) is the first of seven bridges to cross the Hanalei River and lead you to the famed ‘end of the road.’ The bridge forces you to stop and appreciate the sleepiness of the North Shore. Thanks to this landmark, big trucks, buses or road-ragers can’t ravage this serene little entrance to Hanalei.
Undulating, winding strips of road canopied by mammoth trees with glimpses here and there of ocean, valley or river – the Hanalei Valley Scenic Drive makes driving special when heading north on ‘the road’ to its end (in Ha′ena). Princeville offers some of the first famous North Shore views from its Hanalei Valley Lookout. To get here, turn left onto Ohiki Rd immediately after the Hanalei Bridge. You can enter the refuge on the Ho′opulapula Haraguchi Rice Mill Tour (Click here).
Take in the reward of a breathless hike atop the Okolehao Trail (Map), where 2.5 miles and a 1250ft climb never offered such rewards. Expect to pay with a little sweat and two hours of your day for sweeping views of Hanalei Bay. To get to the trailhead, take your first left after Hanalei’s first one-way bridge heading north, along Rice Mill Rd. Go down the road about 0.5 mile to a parking lot across from the start of the trail.
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DRIVING WITH ALOHA
Lauded as the most scenic and breathtaking drive on the island, the drive to the ‘end of the road’ is impossibly beautiful. However, though you might want to pull over for that must-have photograph, please avoid being ‘that person,’ as many accidents have occurred from visitors pulling over to take that photo op. (You’ll likely see at least one other visitor doing this.) If you’re heading to the road’s end (Ke′e Beach), take it slowly and enjoy the crossing of each of the seven one-lane bridges, the first of which is in Hanalei.
When crossing these bridges, do as the locals do:
When the bridge is empty and you reach it first, you can go.
If there’s a steady stream of cars already crossing as you approach, then simply follow them.
When you see cars approaching from the opposite direction, yield to the entire queue of approaching cars for at least five cars, if not all.
Give the shaka sign (‘hang loose’ hand gesture, with index, middle and ring fingers downturned) as thanks to any opposite-direction drivers who have yielded.
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HANALEI
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The surfer-chic town of Hanalei has more than its fair share of adults with Peter Pan syndrome and kids with seemingly Olympian athletic prowess. A stroll down beachfront Weke Rd and you’ll see men in their 60s wax their surfboards and young ’uns carry their ‘guns’ (ie big-wave surfboards) to the beach. Without a doubt, beach life is the life here.
Orientation & Information
Hanalei has no bank, but there is an ATM in the Ching Young Village’s Big Save supermarket.
Bali Hai Photo (826-9181; Ching Young Village; per hr $9; 8am-8pm Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm Sat, 10am-5pm Sun) Internet access.
Java Kai (826-6717; Hanalei Center; www.javakai.com; 2hr $12; 6:30am-6pm; ) Lively, open-air hangout spot for wi-fi.
Post office (800-275-8777; 5-5226 Kuhio Hwy) On the makai (seaward) side of the road, just west of the Big Save shopping center.
Sights
HANALEI BAY
Palisades, a crescent-shaped bay and a boatload of surfers make Hanalei Bay typify what many envision when thinking of Kaua′i. Made up of four beaches, there’s something for almost everyone here: sunbathing, bodyboarding and surfing. The winter months can make this stretch of water an experts-only spot, though in summer months the water is sometimes so calm it’s hard to distinguish between sky and sea, except for the smattering of yachts bobbing on the horizon. Black Pot Beach Park (Hanalei Pier) and Wai′oli (Pine Trees) Beach Park offer rest rooms, showers, drinking water, picnic tables and grills. Family-wise, Hanalei