Kahili Mountain Park / Kauai

. . . The prospects for travel on our budget are none too good this year. Sound familiar? Yes, there are many choices I could have made over the past 13 years that would have facilitated travel and I regret the sacrifices my family has had to make on account of them. (My market investments are all in retirement accounts that I plan not to touch until I'm 70-1/2). But I believe that God has a plan for each of us and that the plan for me involved some rather impecunious endeavors, nonetheless fulfilling.

. . . Also, my daughter is getting married this summer and we are just now talking about those expenses. But, if I were traveling, one stop would most certainly be Kaua’i. Having lived there off and on for approximately a decade, there was a time when I felt as though I knew every rock. I would like to go back and retrace the steps I made a thousand times to see what, if any, stones had been turned—and in the case of Hawaiian politics and culture, to see who, if anyone, climbed out from under any of those rocks—this latter comment being a joke, ko’u hoaloha (my friend).

Here’s what I’d like to know:

Does the Hyatt Regency at Poipu still serve a fantastic buffet breakfast?
Can you still rent a room there for half of the regular day rate and use the facilities? If yes, how much is that?
What golf packages are available to those without a kama ‘aina< (native born; term used loosely for those qualifying for discounts, based upone residency) rate?
Can you still see damage from Hurricane Iniki, especially along the road to Kokee State Park near the top of Waimea Canyon?
What is travel like among the islands without Aloha Airlines?
Is the bypass road open now between Lihue and Poipu, such that you don’t have to drive through Koloa?
How much does it cost to play Kukuiolono municipal golf course, including a cart, if I wanted one (which I don’t, but feel obliged to get this information for others)?
What does the beach area surrounding Polihale look like? Does it look as it once did, as if you’re driving into Burma in the 1940’s, or is the vegetation all cut back and well manicured? (I’m hoping it’s the former.)
**Are Kahili Mountain Park cabins available to tourists again? If yes, what is the cost?**
What are the best restaurants these days? (the Kapaa Fish & Chowder House; Brennecke’s Beach Broiler; Roy’s Poipu Beach Grill; Brick Oven Pizza; A Pacific Café, Tip Tops, etc.)
Are the shower and monkeypod trees still in bloom in front of the courthouse In Lihue? Has the look changed any?
What is the condo we used to own worth now?

For this time, in this issue, I think I’ll focus on Kahili Mountain Park (Question 9). I love that place! It is located in a hidden away area that looks like a campground at the foot of some mountains in a relatively obscure part of Kaua’i. I say relatively obscure, because the island is so small that, “How can anyplace on Kaua’i be remote or obscure?”

The answer this time is because it’s inland, off the beaten path, near the village of Koloa. When headed west toward Waimea Canyon on the main road, it’s a right turn into what looks like just a bunch of sugarcane.

It’s a mile or so inland until one reaches a Seventh Day Adventist compound, including an athletic field, play area and school. The campground is adjacent to the compound, adorns its perimeter and sprawls in several different directions from the point of entry.

Don’t expect much in terms of “amenities,” a word I grew to hate, when we used to rent out our Poipu condo in Kaua’i. What I hated about it was the greed of the prospective guests relative to their willingness to pay for the lifestyle they sought—the ugly American syndrome (ala The Ugly American, a novel by Eugene Burdick & William Lederer, 1958), captures it best.

Kahili Mountain Park is for people who aren’t like that. The cabins are clean and adequate, but lacking in décor and creature comforts, such as televisions. The mosquitoes have conventions and rallies there, just waiting for the next car full of human flesh to drive up the road. But, you can get bug spray and citronella candles to burn, while you are there. You’d better buy them before you come, though, either at K-Mart or Walmart in Lihue.

But, Mon Dieu! Just look around you. The setting could not be anymore idyllic. There are trees, ferns, flowers, warm tropical breezes fanning the leaves and rolling hills galore. Trails abound and invite you into the surrounding hillsides. Talk about a contrast with the Twenty-First Century. This is it!

While there, not too long after Hurricane Iniki, I was inspired to write the following poem: God Speaks. There are also some pictures of the park on the web page with the poem.

The poem is also found in a booklet with other "mostly Hawaiian" photos and short stories. It is available for $9.95, plus a nominal charge for shipping and handling.

This poem is dedicated to Linda Hardy, who was then one of the receptionists on behalf of the Seventh Day Adventists, who own and operate the park. In my experience, the hosts always greet their guests in a Christ-like fashion—with love and respect, whether or not we’ve proven ourselves worthy of that treatment. What a great starting place for a warm, friendly, relaxing stay.

So, now for the answer to my question:

Yes, it has reopened after a period of closure (my fear was that it would still be closed.) I notice from their website http://www.kahilipark.org/ that a cabin suitable for 4-people is presently going for $85 per night. What a bargain! More details are, of course, available on their website.

I remember from yesteryear that it was listed as one of the best kept travel bargain secrets in the world. Viewed for what it is (and isn’t) and with a keen appreciation for nature and the sort of spirit that revels in the bounties of God’s green earth, it truly is.

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If you, my readers, will vote below on which of the following you’d most like to hear about the next time I write about Kaua’i (or write to me with your suggestions) E-MAIL FORM, I’ll try to accommodate you.

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