Jan. 29, 2014 --Another cloudy rainy day, so off to another garden:


Today we got up early to head over to the resort's owner coffee.  Heard, again, about the scheduled renovations for Kauai Beach Villas---for about the 12th year.  They are actually working on the outside of the oceanview units, but the insides are basically the same as it was when we bought in in 1996 (with the exception of pergo flooring put in the kitchens and bathrooms).  He said the carpeting and new kitchen/bathroom flooring has been purchased!  Then furniture is suppose to be replaced.  So next time we're here, maybe my pictures of KBV will look different!  I still love the location and layout of the condos, so I won't be too hysterical if nothing is done again.  Although if I have the oppurtunity to stay at Kauai Coast Resort again, I'll take it!

Anyway, I was sad to see that it was totally overcast this morning and raining off and on.  But rain on flowers always looks pretty, so I suggested we go to Na 'aina Kai sculpture garden today.  This is a very nice garden on Kauai that has a reciprocal program with our Missouri Botanical Gardens.  That is a fabulous garden in St. Louis, so I like to get a membership there and use it several times there and lots of other gardens.  This was actually our 3rd time to Na Aina Kai with the reciprocal membership.  They have several garden tours, but the free reciprocal one is the $35 1.5 hour guided walking tour.  Each time we've gone they've talked about different things and taken slightly different routes, so I still enjoy it.  It did rain a bit before we left the condo and again while we were waiting for the tour, but the sun did actually come out now and then.

I love all the plants with texture and painted-like markings.

Chinese lanterns

 banyan tree

more texture in their cactus garden

one of the many flowers I don't see back home.

an aloe, I presume.

trimmed ironwood trees

 One of the many sculptures

?!

the pool by the house.  I understand they rent the house out for weddings and such.

 another sculpture

view of the maze from the overlook

inside the maze

some of the many sculptures in the maze

another

a flowering tree

 the only rooster we saw there!

the sculptor of this piece actually married the model.  She's in the picture a few sculptures above with their 3 kids and playing a flute.

 blue sky!

 Ed Doty---reminds me of my Dad who is also named Ed.  (Na ʻĀina Kai was established by Joyce and Ed Doty in 1982. In 1999, it became a nonprofit organization and opened to the public. Today it contains 13 gardens, a hardwood plantation, farmland, meadow, canyon, and beach. More than 90 bronze sculptures are sited throughout the estate.  I understand he died a couple years ago and his widow still lives nearby.)

our little group

 

 near the Chinese Tea Room

more texture

rainbow eucalyptus

 close up of the bark

 I understand the other tours are really great, too.  There's even a children's garden/playground.  Too bad they aren't part of the reciprocal program.
We were done there about 3 and decided to check out Anini.  Looked like a pretty good current running through there and it was cloudy again, so we decided not to snorkel.  Since we were close to Hanalei, we  decided to head there and try Baracuda restaurant.

  Foiled again, they weren't open yet.  It started raining pretty good while we were wandering around by Baracuda so we headed back to the car and rode around some more.  Love this surf board fence and painted trash cans.

We drove around a bit, then headed back to the East side.  Stopped for dinner at the 9th Island Bar in Kapaa.  It was pretty good.  Ended up back at KBV pretty early tonight.  Not a bad thing.  Nice to catch up on a little rest.