Waimea Canyon Day Two
Waimea Canyon ins absolutely spectacular. It is billed as the Pacific’s Grand Canyon and it is every bit as scenic. The canyon is lined with colorful cliffs of alternating orangey-red and green. Multiple scenic lookouts provide good vantage points for photos and are lined with tourists all taking photos.
I always like to look at the license plates at parks and was surprised to see only Hawaii plates–until I realized that there aren’t any bridges or roads to the other states. I hear a few people speaking French but surprisingly no Japanese or Korean although there are several groups that look like likely prospects.
A large group of school children are gathered around a guide at one scenic overlook and we eavesdrop as he explains the legend of the origin of the canyon and lectures on the importance of staying in school. Dropout rates here are high and many feel tourism will be their job and why study hard to be a gardner or hotel maid or waitress. I can see why as the atmosphere here is almost soporific—every day pretty much the same as the last with little variation in temperature. Perhaps since I hail from Northern climes, I am much more like a squirrel needing to scurry about to put away things for the winter ahead.
Speaking of food stores, wee stop at a Big Save market and buy fixings for breakfasts and lunch and go rather crazy—looking for local produce and products. Glen bought some pickled radishes—they STINK! and I bought some locally baked animal crackers and shortbread. And of course, we got some Spam–for our breakfast along with pineapple rum raisin bread.
More photos of this spectacular place are on smugmug at
