Kauai - Hawaii with Kids - page 371

The Legendary Little People
According to ancient Hawaiian legend, among Kauai's earliest settlers
were the menehune, a race of small people who worked at night to
accomplish magnificent feats. Above Nawiliwili Harbor, the Menehune
Fish Pond —which at one time extended 25 miles—is said to have been
built in just 1 night, with two rows of thousands of menehune passing
stones hand to hand. The menehune were promised that no one would
watch them work, but one person did. When they discovered the spy, the
menehume stopped working immediately, leaving two gaps in the wall.
From Nawiliwili Harbor, take Hulemalu Road above Huleia Stream; look
for the HAWAII CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU marker at a turnoff in the
road, which leads to the legendary fishpond. Kayakers can paddle up
Huleia Stream to see it up close.

Fun Fact

Kauai Museum All ages. The history of Kauai is kept safe in an imposing
Greco-Roman building that once served as the town library. This great little
museum is worth at least an hour-long stop before you set out to explore the
island. It contains a wealth of historical artifacts and information tracing the
island's history from the beginning of time through Contact (when Capt. James
Cook “discovered” Kauai in 1778), the monarchy period, the plantation era, and
the present. You'll hear tales of the menehune (the mythical elf-like people who
were said to build massive stoneworks in a single night) and see old poi pounders
and idols, relics of sugar planters and paniolos, a nice seashell collection, old
Hawaiian quilts, feather leis, a replica of a plantation worker's home, and much
more—even a model of Cook's ship, the HMS Resolution, riding anchor in
Waimea Bay.
4428 Rice St., Lihue. & 808/245-6931. www.kauaimuseum.org Admission $5 adults, $4 seniors, $3 stu-
dents 13-17, $1 children 6-12. Mon-Fri 9am-4pm; Sat 10am-4pm. First Sat of every month is “Family Day,”
when admission is free.
THE POIPU RESORT AREA
No Hawaii resort has a better entrance: On Maluhia Road, eucalyptus trees
planted in 1911 as a windbreak for sugar-cane fields now form a monumental
tree tunnel. The leafy green, cool tunnel starts at Kaumualii Highway; you'll
emerge at the golden-red beach.
Allerton Garden of the National Tropical Botanical Garden Ages 12
and above. Discover an extraordinary collection of tropical fruit and spice trees,
rare Hawaiian plants, and hundreds of varieties of flowers at the 186-acre pre-
serve known as Lawai Gardens, said to be the largest collection of rare and
endangered plants in the world. Adjacent McBryde Garden, a royal home site
of Queen Emma in the 1860s, is known for its formal gardens, a delicious kind
of colonial decadence. It's set amid fountains, streams, waterfalls, and European
statuary. Endangered green sea turtles can be seen here. (Their home in the sea
was wiped out years ago by Hurricane Iniki.) The 2 1 ⁄ 2 -hour tours are fascinating
for green thumbs and novices alike.
Visitor Center, Lawai Rd. (across the street from Spouting Horn), Poipu. & 808/742-2623. www.ntbg.org.
Admission $30. Guided 2 1 ⁄ 2 -hr. tours by reservation only, Mon-Sat at 9, 10am, 1, and 2pm. Self-guided tours
of McBryde Garden, Mon-Sat 9am-4pm, $15 (trams into the valley leave once an hour on the half-hour; last
tram 2:30pm); guided tour Mon 9:30am, $30. Reserve a week in advance in peak months of July-Sept.