Waimea Canyon Kauai scenic drive and must-see sights

After visiting Fort Elizabeth, we continued our drive to one of Kauai's most popular "tourist attractions": Waimea Canyon.  
 
It's one of those places, where the journey is as unbelievable as the final destination.  On the way up the mountain we were treated to a view of Hawaii's so-called 'Forbidden Island' Ni'hau.   You can see it way out in the distance in the photo below.

Another sight, on our way to Kauai's Waimea Canyon, that we particularly enjoyed was a small waterfall that poured over the reddest dirt we’ve ever seen.   We just parked along the side of the road where we were treated with this.  Doesn't it look like it's right off of Mars?

 

There's me...a few days pregnant and didn't know it yet

The banks of the waterfall were so perfectly rounded and soft it was like nothing we’ve seen anywhere else in Hawaii. That is.... until we got to the top of Waimea Canyon where the view is simply breathtaking.

Feeling really small right about now!

As I stood here overlooking the beautiful and massive Waimea Canyon...little did I know a little further along the road and we'd be treated to perhaps the best view in Hawaii, certainly on Kauai: The Napali Coast. 

We'd previously seen the Napali Coast by helicopter, but being at this vantage point and looking down one of the widest valleys along the NaPali Coast what else can you say besides – Only in Hawaii!   It was so impressive it deserves its own post....