Hiking the Honopu Ridge Trail on Kauai

During the whole time that we were on Kauai, the days were nothing short of hiking weather perfection that had us jonesing for the first chance to hit the trails. And as much as we love all-day, long-distance treks that alpine Italy offers, scrambling through high-altitude brush or mosquito-infested tropical forests can be a mini-adventure in itself with such awesome locations that instantly conjure images of Jurassic Park and King Kong. Kauai's individual trails are relatively short-distance endeavors, but terrain conditions and maze-like twists and turns will tally up the minutes even on the best of days.

The MotH and myself along with my son and his girlfriend hiked the Honopu Ridge the day after the big family luau (good way to burn off all those calories). Orange and/or pink ribbons mark the way and lightweight pants or a beach towel wrapped around your midriff protect legs from the very scratchy brush that invades this path. These pictures don't amount to much in capturing how breath-taking the scenery is, but they give an idea on what type of environment to expect for those who have never hiked up in Kokee. For trail details, I refer to the following link: www.hawaii-guide.com/kauai/spot/honopu_ridge_trail

And after you've sweated a bucketload what do you dig into? Some apple pie from Yumi's in Waimea (best to get yours early then reheat in the oven) and vanilla bean ice cream.