Waimea Canyon....

More photos from one of the most beautiful places on Earth. On my last free day on Kauai, I awoke to clear blue skies. This would be the perfect day to visit Waimea Canyon. Some visitors to Kauai never get to see the canyon without clouds partly or completely obscuring the magnificent view. Luckily I had gotten to tour it once before in all its glory, but I could not resist taking it all in again.

So I began my ascent. Above is a view from one of the pull-over spots heading up the canyon.

The view on the right is from a lookout point higher up. The colors are spectacular. The Kauai red soil is so clearly evident all over the island, and the canyon is no exception. What a view! No clouds, so the clear blue sky so beautifully contrasts with the red soil, the various greys and browns of the canyon walls, and the deep greens of the trees and brush scattered throughout.

I like the photo on the right, below, in that it gives a real sense of the vastness of Waimea Canyon. So lucky to be there without any clouds! To get to see the vastness in all its glory.

I hope that I can capture this beautiful place in a painting that will do it justice.

Kauai on a motorcycle.......

More on our Kauai trip. On the right is a photo I took while riding on the back of a motorcycle.....something I NEVER thought I would ever do! On Bob's one day off, we met up with a former co-worker of Bob's who lives permanently on the island. Howard and his wife, Sue, so graciously spent the entire day with us and gave us a tour around the entire island. We borrowed a motorcycle from another co-worker of Bob's....and off we went. Helmet laws don't exist on Kauai, however, I was determined we were going to wear them! When the only available helmets to wear are so small that our huge heads won't fit in them, the choice becomes either go helmet-less or don't go at all. We took the risk. People don't ride fast on Kauai- there is simply too much to see, and Hawaii is not a "hurry up" place to be.

I was amazed at how well the photos turned out! I love the image above. We were on the north side of the island- the rainiest side, and it is often cloudy and rainy here. We barely got sprinkled on, fortunately. I love the image here, with the lush trees and and misty mountains in the background. Of course, I love Bob's grey hair in the photo, too!

The photo on the left is another I actually took while we were riding along the road. It came out so well! It was so much fun to be riding along and have these gorgeous views just pop out at you! I never thought they would come out so clear taken from the back of a moving vehicle!

More to come....