Island Activities — April 2015

Westside sunset

The Westside is the best side to watch the sunset on Kaua‘i. It lingers momentarily over the forbidden isle of Ni‘ihau before dropping behind the ocean.

Theo, Nancy and Chip Downes-LeGuin dry off after a swim at Ke’e Beach, at the end of the road on Kaua‘i’s North Shore. It was a no-snorkeling day there due to the high surf. The Downes-LeGuin family, from Portland, Ore. say they are used to rain. Chip said the trip, so far, had been “wet but good.” They weren’t affected by the no-snorkeling rule, as they only wanted to swim a bit.

“The sand was hot on the beach,” Nancy said. “It felt good in the water. We’ll play more when the sun is out.”

The Downes-Leguin family

The crew stopped at the Hanalei Farmers Market for some fruits and veggies on the way to Anini Beach Park, where they were staying. Chip, a second-grade student who loves to read, said he and his parents were going to check out some books at the Princeville Library before heading back to Anini.

James Rack and his niece James Mead, of Wawautosa, Wis., enjoy a cool morning doing pencil sketches of the Kilauea lighthouse. They share a name as well as an artistic talent. Uncle Jimmy, a retired artist who paints realistic landscapes, spends about a quarter of each year on the islands. He attended the University of Hawai‘i where he met fellow painter and Kaua‘i resident Gary Smith. The two have been friends for many decades.

“I saw eight or nine nene geese fly by,” Jimmy said. “They came very close to me and looked me right in the eye. Have you ever heard of anything like that?”

Edna Ray and Cornelia Works welcome the public to admire quilts made by local artists at the Annual Quilt Show at Kukui Grove Center in Lihu‘e. The works ranged from large to small, hand-sewn to machine-sewn and embroidered.

Edna Ray and Cornelia Works

“We’ve had a really good turnout this year,” Edna said of the event hosted by the Kaua‘i Society of Artists and sponsored by Kaua‘i Quilt Guild, No Nene Quilters, Kapaia Stitchery, Singer Discount Fabric and Vicky’s Fabric..

Cornelia, on the right, said her sister is selling a quilt at the Relay for Life event in Hanapepe in April to raise funds for the American Cancer Association.

The Hanapepe Swinging Bridge hovers over the river on a hot afternoon in March. The bridge provides a quiet place to look out over the town. A sign up top says “No Diving Off Bridge,” with an added reminder to “No Talk Heavy.”

The Kapa‘a Skate Park in Old Kapa‘a Town is where skaters practice their passion. Levi from Canada does an aerial maneuver in the bowl.