National Tropical Botanical Garden, Kalaheo, Kaua’i

National Tropical Botanical Garden, Kalaheo, Kaua’i

National Tropical Botanical Garden, Kalaheo, Kaua’i

National Tropical Botanical Garden, Kalaheo, Kaua’i

National Tropical Botanical Garden, Kalaheo, Kaua’i

National Tropical Botanical Garden, Kalaheo, Kaua’i

National Tropical Botanical Garden, Kalaheo, Kaua’i

National Tropical Botanical Garden, Kalaheo, Kaua’i

National Tropical Botanical Garden, Kalaheo, Kaua’i

National Tropical Botanical Garden, Kalaheo, Kaua’i

National Tropical Botanical Garden, Kalaheo, Kaua’i

National Tropical Botanical Garden, Kalaheo, Kaua’i

Near Kalaheo, Kaua’i

Near Kalaheo, Kaua’i

Near Kalaheo, Kaua’i

Monk Seal :: Koloa, Kaua’i

Monk Seal :: Koloa, Kaua’i

Monk Seal :: Koloa, Kaua’i

Monk Seal :: Koloa, Kaua’i

Monk Seal :: Koloa, Kaua’i

Kathy, Eleanor, Larry, George :: Garden Island Barbecue & Chinese Restaurant :: Lihue, Kaua’i

Keychains Auntie Winnie made :: Garden Island Barbecue & Chinese Restaurant :: Lihue, Kaua’i

Caroline and I don’t golf, so while everyone was teeing up at Poipu Bay, we went to check out the National Tropical Botanical Garden. The actual tours were pretty booked up and were kind of expensive. Luckily there are lots of paths around the visitor center with lots of plants to explore. Plumeria is my favorite flowering tree and Pikake is my favorite scent of the flowers I’ve smelled in Hawaii.

While at the Garden I remembered last year when we were snorkeling that there’s a secluded beach you get to go to if you go on a Botanical Garden tour. While snorkeling we’d seen it from the ocean and were told you could only get to it by land by going on the tour. This sounded like a challenge to Caroline so we drove around and hiked on a path trying to see if we could find it but we gave up really quickly.

On the drive back to the condo we came across a beached Hawaiian Monk Seal at Lawai Beach. These are some of the most endanged species on the planet. Since they come up on some of the most popular beaches in Kaua’i to have their babies and we don’t want to disturb them, officials rope off the area they’re laying in and put up warning signs. If you touch or harass the seals you’ll be in big doo doo with the cops.

A little farther down the road we pulled off at Turtle Cove and saw some honu, or Green Sea Turtle. These are also at risk of becoming extinct. It was cool to see them, but even cooler was last year when we snorkeled with them.

Later on we met up with a bunch of friends for a huge Chinese feast at Garden Island Barbecue & Chinese Restaurant in Lihue. It was Auntie Winnie’s birthday but instead of giving her gifts, she gave us all beaded key chains that she made. Man, I was stuffed after eating all that food!

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