Rent a car. $39/day for Thrifty or Dollar. $42 special for minivan.
Must Waimea Canyon (see http://www.frommers.com/destinations/kauai/0011020343.html) Head out west, up to Waimea Canyon and Kokee State Park. Have warm clothes, as it can get cold at 4,000 feet, and be prepared for rain. Get an early start and have breakfast or coffee at the Kalaheo Coffee Co. & Cafe. Stop in Waimea town to explore the Russian Fort Elizabeth State Historical Park and the Menehune Ditch, then plan to spend most of the morning (before the clouds roll in) hiking the various trails in the Waimea Canyon area. Then travel another 16 miles and a few thousand feet up the road to Kokee. Stop for lunch at the Kokee Lodge, open from 9am to 3pm. Check in at the Kokee Natural History Museum to learn about the forests and surrounding area, locate good hiking trails, and pick up a couple of trail maps. In the afternoon, wander around the park, and stay for sunset. Na Pali Coast (see http://www.frommers.com/destinations/kauai/0011021993.html) Since you're probably on mainland time and will be wide-awake before the break of dawn, either plan an early morning helicopter tour of the island to get your bearings, or get up and watch the sunrise from the east shore. If it's not raining, head out to Hanalei Beach to watch the sun make its appearance in the east at 5:30am in summer and 6:30am in winter. Then head into Hanalei for an early breakfast at Hanalei Wake-up Café. $195 for Blue Hawaii Helicopter, $161 for Safari, $230 for Jack Harter, $130 for Wings over Kauai. With the whole day ahead of you, after breakfast drive out to the end of the road at Kee Beach. Here you can either hike a couple of miles along the Na Pali Coast and back (make sure you have good hiking shoes, water, snacks, and sunscreen); or you can venture down the highway to Tunnels Beach for an early morning snorkel. After a couple of hours at the beach, continue on to the Limahuli Garden of the National Tropical Botanical Garden and step into Eden. By now you should be hungry. Head back to Hanalei and order takeout at the Hanalei Gourmet and head down to Hanalei Beach for a picnic lunch. After lunch, you might want to try kayaking. Kayak Kauai Outbound in Hanalei has both guided tours as well as kayak rentals so you can explore by water.
Lihue If this is your last day, spend it in the Lihue area. You might want to step back in history and visit the Kauai Museum in Lihue or take a train ride at Kilohana in Puhi. Or drive up to the Wailua Falls, just outside of town. Shoppers may like wandering around the old town of Lihue. Die-hard beachgoers can head to Kalapaki Beach for your last few hours of sun. Take shuttle to KMart or Walmart for cheaper kona coffee and souvenirs.
Good Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge
Optional National Tropical Botanical Garden
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