The second day after arriving on Kaua’i, we decided to go on a relatively moderate hike – the Kuilau Ridge Trail.  By moderate, I mean there was only about 650-700 feet of vertical elevation over 2 miles.  Doesn’t sound like a lot, does it?  Well, it was…it was almost all uphill in the first half of the hike, with a toddler on my back!

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The hike was a bit strenuous to us flat-landers, but the views were spectacular. We could see Mt Wai’ale’ale (the wettest place on earth) from the trail, along with miles of views on either side of the ridge, even down to the ocean.  We picnicked at the covered rest-stop at the top of the ridge; then, we hiked down to and turned around at the Opaeka’a Stream bridge.

The trail was about 4.5 miles round-trip, and we were pooped.  So, we grabbed some shave ice at the new Ono Ono Shave Ice stand in Kapa’a.  Turns out, this wouldn’t be the last time we visited this particular stand; it quickly became our favorite, and stopping here was mandatory each time we passed through!  🙂