1-27-19  back to Princeville, dang!---forgot my computer!!!---back to KBV, back to Princeville!!!!  Hike the Sea Lodge Beach trail.

Dang!!!!  Just when I thought it was going to be a traffic free day!  We got our stuff packed up and on our way to Princeville by 10am.  Not like we even had a lot of stuff to pack since we left most everything at the Shearwater in Princeville.  

I was looking forward to dropping our stuff off, then heading to Kalypso's for their weekend brunch.  Love their stuffed french toast!!!  But it wasn't to be!  

As soon as we unloaded our stuff back at the Shearwater, it dawned on me that I didn't have my laptop!  Quick call to KBV, and back to the East side we go!  I noticed when we were heading north through Kapaa earlier that the southbound traffic was really heavy.  I even thought how nice it was that we didn't have to sit in it.  Guess I tried to curse myself.  This time, though, I decided to do the Wailua bypass and it actually wasn't too bad.  Took about 45 minutes to get to KBV, but they had my computer in the office waiting for me.  Yea!

Now it was too late to get to Kalypso's and we were starved.  So I decided we should see if Kountry Kitchen was busy. 

 I was so excited when my mac nut pancake came that I forgot to take a picture of it before I cut it up and started eating it.  I noticed they had renovated their restaurant---even adding a coffee shop and ac.  I was happy to see they didn't change their mac nut pancakes.  They are the best ones I've ever had.  I like that the mac nuts are in the pancakes and not just on them.  And I have half left over for another breakfast.

 I also get  a kick out of the way they give you your bill.

 It was as good as I remembered.

 chicken coops?  In the little parking lot behind the restaurant.

 On our way back to Princeville we stopped at a couple of the overlooks on the East side.

 It was another beautiful day here!  A bit chilly at first, but the wind is dying down.  I think it got up to the mid to upper 70s today---and I just said a bit chilly!? 

 got to see some more wild flowers, too.

 The walking/biking trail on the East side is a real Gem!

 Alas, continuing on to Princeville.  Love this stretch of trees.  They make a nice canopy over the highway.

 Back on the North side, we headed to Foodland for some more grilling stuff and Carolyn wanted a newspaper.  Back at the resort, she read her paper while I took a walk to Sea Lodge beach.  Not a leisurely stroll!
View towards the mountains from our resort as I started my walk.

 Just down the street from The Shearwater.  There are even 4 or 5 parking spots for trail users!

 I had never done this hike before, so had no idea what to expect.  I never even heard about this trail before.

 started out OK

 the trail was well marked in the beginning.

 pretty easy going

 then I came up on this sign.  Hmmmmm

 But there were flowers in sight, so I must go on.

 more that I hadn't photographed yet.

 This must be the trail, right?

 I almost turned around here. There was no easy way down to the stream.

 The trail I took down to the river.  Impossible if it had been wet.

 made it across the stream walking over rocks in it to keep from getting wet.

 Right about here, there were actually about 4 trails!  Which way should I go?  The young couple in front of me was on a trail to the right and it looked like they were trying to figure out how to get down a ravine.  So I went straight. 

 wild blueberries?

 About here another couple was coming my way.  They said I was going the right way.

 looked pretty good.

 then I turned the corner and found these steps--this is from half way down looking back up.

 the other half of the steps.

 then back to the dirt trail.

 views of the ocean are finally in view.

 beautiful water.  So clear

 nice outer reef knocking down the surf.

 now the trail continues along the coastline for awhile.

 looking back

 finally views of the beach!

 the path gets a lot more scary here.

 snorkeling????

 Certainly looked inviting.

 But the last 20' or so looked rather treacherous --- at least to an old out of shape woman carrying snorkel gear and a camera.

It was also low tide.  Looked like the water was really shallow.

 several more people came and scurried down the rocks.

 I could not believe the man in this picture and another guy a short distant behind, stepped down the rocks without support and without hesitation and holding babies in their arms!  I was terrified for those babies! 

I was scared for the babies when I watched the men walk this part of the trail, too!

 In the end, I resigned myself to turning around and heading back to The Shearwater.  Didn't get to the actual beach.  I figured getting back up would actually be harder then getting down.
But it was not a defeat.  I got to see a beautiful little beach (from above) and a lot of beautiful foliage.
 one more look back---bye bye Sea Lodge beach. 

more wild flowers.

Definitely had to keep my eyes on the trail and not the views.  Lots of trip hazards!

 didn't notice this on the way there.  But if you made it this far, I don't think you need the arrow.

 wonder if these trees are white from ocean spray?  If so, that water came up a lot!

 love all the walking trees.

 almost back to the steps.

 made it up the steps---very slowly, but surely.

 nice to have some level ground again!

At the point where the 4 trails met, I decided to take a different on and see if I could get around the stream without going up the muddy steep embankment I had come down.  Eureka!  It was an easy trail that even led to a road!  Wonder where that road goes???

The little shed I had passed on my way down was to my left.  So I went around the shed and met back up with the trail I had come down.

 almost back to Sea Lodge

Looking back down---on the way down I had gone straight down to the right of the shed and turned right on a trail with steps on the near side of the stream.  Coming back I came up on the far side of the stream and far side of the shed.  Looks like there was a trail that went to the left here and around the shed,too.  The way back was considerably easier then the way I took down.

 Now to get back up to the street. 

 Finally back to the resort.  Sat out on our patio for awhile and watched a whale spout.  Sure haven't seen much whale activity so far!

this was as active as it got

 soon it was time for sunset.  So I headed over to our Anini overlook (the border of The Shearwater property) and watched for the clouds to turn colors.

 looking towards the golf course there.  I so wanted to walk on the golf course to the edge and watch the sunset but obeyed the no trespassing signs.

 another beautiful flower.

 and back to the sunset with the Shearwater units in the foreground on the left.

 interesting coloring in the water before it got dark

 the most color we got.

 The clouds to the west seemed to have kept the clouds from lighting up much.  So I figured it was time to head back and get to work on dinner.  Carolyn went out and bar b qed a great steak again, while I prepped the salad, cut up pineapple, cooked up some veggies, and set the table. 
Carolyn had bought some broccolini from the farmers market last Monday, so I cooked it up.  Had no idea how to cook it, so looked online.  It said to par boil it then saute it in garlic and other spices.  Didn't have spices, so I par boiled it then sauteed it in butter and salt and pepper.  It turned out really tasty!  Neither Carolyn nor I had ever had broccolini before.  I would definitely have it again.

 as did the rest of our meal.  Although we had so much food that the salads didn't get eaten. 

 I had hoped to get some snorkeling in today, but was foiled again.    I did get to enjoy a mile or so hike to a place I'd never been to before.  It turned out to be a great day even with the anxiety at the beginning of the day!