Those of us with kids realize how very literal they are.  Sometimes, though, we take it for granted that they understand how some words can have more than one meaning.  Today, we were reminded of this as we got ready to head out of the door to start our day.  Ethel was busy unwrapping a disposable camera.  I asked her where her other one was since it still had a few shots left on it.  She calmly told me that she had thrown it away-it was disposable…Once we picked ourselves up off of the floor, we explained to her how disposable cameras work.  We couldn’t help but laugh, she took it literal and did what the camera told her to do.

This morning we avoided the restaurant scene by having breakfast at the condo.  We’re staying at the Wyndham Bali Hai Villas and it is a nice place.  I’ll give a more thorough review later of the accommodations.  Anyway, we left and headed towards the western side of Kauai to the Waimea Canyon.  This was one of the things that was on my list to do while here, so that was great.  We decided to stop at Kalaheo Cafe and Coffee Company for a snack before heading up to the canyon.  This was without a doubt the biggest bummer of the day.  I had done some checking and found that the place had gluten-free bread and a few gluten-free muffins.  I was stoked to get a BLT until I ordered and was told that they were out of bread.  I settled, very begrudgingly, for a muffin, ordered from a very dour employee.

Up the road we went to the Waimea Canyon.  The landscape on the south and west side of the island is so vastly different than the north.  The north is so green and lush and the southwest side is arid.  It wasn’t at all what one would expect on a tropical island.  The road to the end was about 20 miles long and to reach the end at the Na Pali Coast took around 2 hours, mostly because of the stops.  Each one offered a view that was different from the last.  By the time we reached the end we had basically traveled the width of the island.  Those of you who have been to the Grand Canyon know that no photo will ever do it justice.  The same is true for this ride.  I’ll put up a photo or two, but it will be a sad representation.

Down we came into the town of Waimea for lunch.  The Shrimp Station was on the agenda and the Spicy Thai Basil shrimp were great.  The staff was knowledgeable about gluten-free issues and when I asked what I could have from a relatively extensive menu, they immediately named two dishes.  Lucy and Ethel split some shrimp tacos that received rave reviews.  When in Waimea, this is a definite stop for those with gluten allergies.  From there we went to Jo Jo’s Shave Ice, which, according to their walls, has been rated the best shave ice on Kauai.  It was good.  I don’t know that I’d wait an hour again to get some of it, but it was good.  I suppose more than anything else, you go for the experience.  We also managed to get the boss her chilled coconut.

By now, it was closing in on 5, so we turned the minivan north towards Hanalei to go to the bay to go swim and use the equipment we got at Snorkel Bob‘s in Kapaa this morning.  The beach was devoid of tourists and seemed to be mostly local families having a good time at Back Pot Beach.  We played and enjoyed the cool water for around an hour or so and then headed back for baths and dinner, but not before one last stop for a sunset photo over Hanalei Bay.