Tom Barefoot's Tours Blog

The Sheraton Caverns

2011-05-19T22:34:00.000-07:00

I remember for my 12th birthday, the only thing I wanted to do was get certified to go SCUBA Diving (12 is the minimum age you can be to get certified). It was not too long after when I finished all of the class work and got to go under the water and experience what it was like to "breathe like a fish". For me SCUBA diving was something that after doing once, I was hooked. A few years later when I started working, the first job I ever got was being an assistant to a dive instructor at a company on Maui. After SCUBA diving quite a bit during high school, I kind of fell out of the habit when I started going to college over in the landlocked town of Ashland, Oregon. After I graduated and came back home I have gone diving a few times, but I've been going with nowhere close to the consistency that I once did. This was the first time I have gone SCUBA diving on Kauai, so I was interested to see how it was going to compare.

I checked in early in the morning at the Seasport Divers office in Koloa. Once I got there they fitted me with all the dive gear that I needed. They had very nice BCD's that were equipped with really nice regulators and digital dive computers. Once the group was ready to go, we boarded their van that was waiting outside. From here our instructor took us down to the harbor, where our boat was waiting for us.

There was a slight delay because of a mechanical issue that another boat was having that was blocking the launch ramp. It only took a couple minutes for the other boaters give up, get there boat back on the trailer and then tow it out of the way of our boat and the others that were waiting to use the boat ramp. As soon as the ramp was clear our crew was able to get the boat in the water. When we were all boarded we pulled out of the harbor and began discussing where we should go diving.

It was a small group, and everyone was reasonably experienced so we could go pretty much anywhere we wanted. We decided that we were going to do a wall dive, then a cave dive. I enjoyed them both, but my favorite part was the caves.

After I got out of the water from the first dive, I knew that we were in for a for an adventure on the second dive. The "wall dive" had so many caves that we passed throughout I couldn't imagine what the "cave dive" was going to have. As soon as we dropped down to the bottom of the second dive I had much more of an idea how elaborate the cave structure on Kauai can be, but before I talk about the dive, I feel that we should talk about how the reef of Kauai is different from the other islands (which is the reason why these caves were so cool).

Kauai is the oldest island (except for the small privately owned island of Ni'ihau). The volcano of Kauai stopped erupting over 5 million years ago, and the island has been rapidly eroding ever since. The islands further down the chain all stopped erupting at a later time and have not gotten as far in the erosion process. Kauai has eroded so much, that it has formed a shallow plane that extends a great distance from shore out into the ocean, forming a shelf that circles all the way around the island. This plane of shallow water has been home to a vast network of coral reef that has been growing for millions of years. This kind of massively thick reef forms giant limestone layers that get eroded by the waves and currents to form massive superstructures of limestone that are so porous that they resemble the texture of Swiss cheese. The other islands do not typically have the kind of reef that is growing out of such thick layers of limestone (old reef). Most places I have been to seem to be more like reef that has been more recently rooted into an actual piece of the volcanic bedrock, or to thinner sheets of limestone.

Ok, I feel like I've done my best to explain how the bottom looked different from the other places I've gone in Hawaii. Lets get back to the dive. As soon as we dropped to the bottom, our instructor took us to what started out as a giant trench in the reef. As we made our way down the trench, it got increasingly deeper. The walls began to overhang further and further, until we were eventually going through a massive tunnel. On the sides of the tunnel there were there were other holes that lined the walls and were stuffed with all kinds of sea life. We saw some large Lobsters in one pocket of the cave and all kinds of big eyed nocturnal fish cramming themselves in under the ledges near the floor of the cave. As we rounded a corner in the cave, our guide turned and handed me his flashlight and pointed into a side cave in the wall that was about 4-5 feet in diameter. I crept in with the light in one hand and the camera in the other.

Inside, the cave was literally filled with fish. I sat there hovering in the stillness of the cave, deep under the surface and experienced a moment of sheer awe. There were Menpachi everywhere! Then as I shined the light around I could make out two massive puffer fish swimming through the cloud of Menpachi that were easily greater in size then the length of my elbow to the tip of my fingers.

After we exited the cave we saw some other interesting specimens, all kinds of reef fish, black coral, and we even saw a turtle. After we were done with our tanks we made our way up to the surface where the boat was waiting for us.

As we got back on the boat we began to make our way back to the harbor. I know that the other members of the group had a good time because two out of three of them asked if there was room to do it again the following day! I enjoyed a great first day of diving on Kauai, and am looking forward to going again soon.

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Jake Barefoot
Vice President
Tom Barefoot's Tours

The "Forbidden Island" of Niihau

2011-05-19T18:17:00.000-07:00

Today I got to take my Mom to see something very special.

In the 1400+ years that the Hawaiian Islands have been inhabited by humans, an amazingly rich culture has developed here. Throughout different migrations, people landed on these shores and contributed new and different things from their homelands. These migrations eventually merged together and developed a culture that is unique to any other on the planet. Massive farms, construction projects and armadas of advanced sea faring vessels have been common on these islands since ancient times. At various points in history, there were far more people residing on the islands that make up the state of Hawaii then there is currently today. However, even though the people of Hawaii had a great amount of natural resources available to them, there was a point in time where the entire Hawaiian population was in great danger of total annihilation.

When the European explorers, traders and missionaries first came to the Hawaiian Islands they brought with them deadly diseases that the immune systems of the Hawaiian People had trouble fighting. This resulted in plagues of an unimaginable scale. Disease killed off an enormous percentage of the native population. Unfortunately, because of a lack of written language, many of the ancient customs and culture that had been orally passed down through the generations was dieing off as well.

The Hawaiian culture possessed an absolute mastery of many incredible things. They mastered crossing the seas in well organized armadas of canoes navigating by the stars, winds, ocean currents and wildlife to find the relatively small islands of Hawaii. These voyages were done on a consistent enough basis to establish major trade routes to other far off areas of the Pacific. With no metals available the Hawaiians used the various materials that were available to make creations that in many cases were superior to their European counterparts. The coconut rope that was made in Hawaii was far stronger to the hemp rope that was common on European ships and was one of the first commodities that was traded. All of this knowledge and tradition was endanger of being completely lost.

In these times the majority of the land was owned by the Hawaiian Monarchy. In some cases the monarchy gifted large parcels of land to individual European settlers. One of these parcels that included the entire island of Ni'ihau as well as most of the West side of Kauai was purchased in 1863 by Elizabeth Sinclair for $10,000. Elizabeth Sinclair purchased the land directly from King Kamehameha IV and her direct descendants own it to this day.

During the years the the family (whose name has since changed to Robinson) has resided on this parcel they have made some incredible sacrifices to help preserve Hawaiian culture. Perhaps the single largest contribution to Hawaiians that has been made by any family on earth, the Robinson have set aside the entire island as a sort of living cultural preserve.

The Robinsons initially created the preserve of Ni'ihau to act as a quarantine zone to protect the Hawaiian bloodlines from Polio and Small Pox. They had strict policies of who could come and go from the island. To this day the amount of disease that is found on Ni'ihau is practically non existent....and the culture is flourishing.

The populations of this island still live in traditional ways. Hunting, fishing and farming for most of their food (the rest being shipped in by the Robinson family). This small population has been able act as a cultural time capsule. This small community is responsible for much of what is presently known about ancient Hawaiian culture to this day.

Today we went on a trip with Holo Holo Charters to the Napali coastline of Kauai. We took in the spectacle of these over 3000 foot tall sea cliffs before we made our way across the 17 mile wide channel to the island of Ni'ihau. Off the North shore of the island there is a large volcanic caldera that is known as "Lehua Rock". Lehua is a bird sanctuary. The island is surrounded by incredibly clear, tropical water.

We snorkeled here at a place that was called "Vertical Awareness". The reason it got this name is because of the shape of the bottom. There is a flat reef that is about 20 feet deep that drops off in a massive undersea cliff to well over a hundred feet down.

This area had an incredible amount of sea life that could be easily observed through the crystal clear water. What I really liked about this dive area is that there was a huge variety to what we saw. There were the typical reef fish that are common along the bright reefs of Hawaii's shallow coastal waters. Then, in addition to the little reef fish there were also some much larger, deep water pelagic species of fish that were buzzing around through our dive site. The captain told me that it is not uncommon to see Mahi Mahi, Ono or even Ahi cruising in out of the shallows from deep water.

After we were done snorkeling we come back aboard the boat just in time for lunch. The crew set out a large buffet of breads, meats, vegetables and cheeses for a sandwich buffet. In addition to sandwiches there was also a green, fruit and pasta salad selection.

After lunch we made our way back across the channel to Port Allen Harbor. The immense "Holo Holo" did a great job flattening out seas on the way home. This channel can get quite rough and all though we did get the boat rocking quite a bit it was much smoother then it would've been on a smaller vessel.

At the end of the trip both my Mom and I agreed that it was all well worth the early wake up and the rough seas. Seeing the cliffs of Napali, and the visiting the island of Ni'ihau with my Mom are memories I will never forget.

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Jake Barefoot
Vice President
Tom Barefoot's Tours

Princeville Zipline

2011-05-06T11:09:00.001-07:00

This year my girlfriend Simone and I decided that we were going to celebrate Valentines days a little bit differently then we have in the past. We decided that we were going to go up to the North Shore of Kauai and try out the zipline at the Princeville Ranch.

When we arrived at the Princeville Ranch Adventures headquarters our very friendly guides greeted us and outfitted us with our harnesses. After we were all geared up, we boarded their 6 wheeled military transport vehicle. The guides got in and started up the motor and we began our journey across the ranch to the beginning of the zip line course.

They had their operation set up so it was as safe as possible. One of the guides would clip you into the zipline at the top. After you were fully attached, you would ride down and then be unclipped by the other guide. Most of the ziplines on the course were single zips, except for the final zipline. The final line was called “King Kong”, and consisted of two zips that ran parallel to each other. This design allowed the riders to race each other on the way down.

As Simone and I made our way up the stairs to the beginning of “King Kong” I remember thinking about how I should almost give her a head start because I weigh so much more then she does. Then, when the guide was clipping me in she said:

“You’re pretty tall, that’s gonna make for a lot of wind resistance so you better tuck into a little ball.”

For some reason I totally discarded her advice. While Simone made her body into the smallest cannon ball she could, I tried to lean back and make my body as pointed as I could (like an arrow). My theory was a total failure because right as we started Simone sped off in front of me with her little cannonball and left me in the dust making my stupid arrow. I figure it was what I deserved for not listening to the professional zipliners advice.

At the end of the day we were a little more tired then I thought we would be. I think it had more to do with just being in the sun for most of the afternoon then from any sort of workout got from walking between the lines. The trip ended in the middle of the afternoon and we were left with plenty of time to be able to enjoy the sunset from Hanalei before we went to dinner.

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Jake Barefoot
Vice President
Tom Barefoot's Tours

Doors Off Helicopter

2011-05-01T15:05:00.000-07:00

Throughout my life I have had many opportunities to experience helicopter flights around Hawaii. I have been on helicopters on all of the major islands, so I feel that I can legitimately say that the flights on Kauai pack more into them then they do anywhere else in Hawaii. Throughout the entire flight we were constantly seeing new things around each and every corner. The excitement never stopped (or was even subdued) throughout the whole flight. The girl next to me had a look of awe on her face the whole time, and the couple that sat in the front seat was also had a great time (check out their testimonial at the end of the video). I think that the excitement levels were not only elevated by what we saw, but they were also elevated by the fact that there were no doors on the helicopter and there was nothing between us and the ground besides thousands of feet of air!

The helicopter that we flew in was Interisland Helicopters flagship MD 500. This design is also commonly referred to as the Hughes 500. This type of helicopter was originally designed in the Vietnam War era and has since been retrofitted for many different uses in the military, well as in many different civilian industries. The aircraft that we flew in was painted green camouflage and the were doors removed. The outside as well as the inside were impeccably clean. The spartan interior was simple, but comfortable.

You would think that having hundred plus mile an hour winds rushing by you would make for an uncomfortable ride. I was pleased to find out the MD 500 helicopter was really quite comfortable to ride in. I think the best way to simulate the winds and the ride of the helicopter would be to go for a ride in the back of a pickup truck with your back seated against the cab facing the rear bumper of the truck. You can feel the wind going by, but you're sheltered from the full force of the wind by the cab of the truck. In the helicopter the wind did come in the sides a little bit but it was mostly blocked by the wall that separated the first row and the second row of seating in the helicopters' passenger cabin.

The sights that we saw were absolutely incredible. We saw the 5 sisters waterfalls, the Waimea Canyon (the Grand Canyon of the Pacific), the Napali Sea Cliffs (over 3000ft tall), Kalalau Beach, the Hanalei Bay... and we even managed to sneek into the "Keyhole" of the island where we could view the wettest place on earth. Throughout the flight we saw some amazing things and I was able to take some amazing pictures.

Some advice on photography on open air helicopters: I brought along a Canon DSLR with a very wide 18-250 Sigma zoom lens on it. This is a long telescoping kind of lens. During the flight I extended the lens when zooming, and the tip of it went into the hard wind near the door of the helicopter. I only tried to zoom in on a couple of things and because of the extending nature of the lens and I think that it might have got slightly damaged from the wind. Upon landing, I could definitely feel a sticky spot in the zoom ring when extending or retracting the lens that could have easily happened because of the high wind environment the lens was exposed to on the edge of the cabin. I think next time I will bring either a fixed lens or a zoom that has purely internal motion with no extending action. I will also focus more on keeping the camera further inside the cabin. For the most part the majority of the shots that I took were at a pretty wide angle and if I had the range I would've gone even wider then my 18mm on the Canon cropped sensor would allow me to go. Unless your going with a two camera set up, I think you might prefer to use a wide angle lens throughout the flight. Changing between lenses mid flight is something that I would not recommend trying. I think that the smaller size factor of a point and shoot camera is something that makes the point and shoot option worth considering as well. Regardless of what you bring, just make sure it has a strap because inter island helicopters requires one on all passengers cameras.

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Jake Barefoot
Vice President
Tom Barefoot's Tours

Taking the "Movie Tour" on Kauai.

2011-04-28T15:22:00.000-07:00

Today we did something that I've wanted to do for a while, we went on the "Movie Tour" with Polynesian Adventure Tours. The movie tours' concept is simple, they have a TV screen in the bus that plays a movie they edited together. The movie contains scenes from many different movies that have been filmed on Kauai. Our driver TC stopped and started the movie between his narrations to coincide with our location throughout the tour. It was a pretty cool concept, the first place we pulled up to was the dock at Ahukini Landing. All of a sudden John Wayne came on the screen and in the backdrop of the film was the exact same lighthouse that we were looking at.

I had no idea how many films have been filmed on Kauai. The list TC showed us was gigantic. We only drove along half of the island and were able to see these movie set locations:

"Pagan" was filmed in the bay of Auhikini
"Donovans Reef" was filmed at the Auhukini Lighthouse
"Six Days, Seven Nights" was filmed at Hanama'ulu Beach
"Wackiest Ship in the Navy" was filmed in many places we stopped
"Outbreak" Was filmed Kamokila Village
"Blue Hawaii" a classic starring Elvis, was filmed at many locations we saw.
"Honeymoon In Vegas" various locations
"Jurassic Park" various locations
"Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark" Kong Mountain
"Lord of the Flies" Kong Mountain
"Lilo & Stitch" Anini Beach
"South Pacific" various locations
"Dragonfly" Princeville Airport.
"Soul Surfer" was filmed in Hanalei
"Beachhead" Hanalei Pier
"Valor" Hanalei Taro Fields
and more....

Our guide, TC is a longtime resident of the islands and had some fantastic Hollywood related knowledge to share with us along the way. He has been a movie buff for a long time, no one was able to ask him a question that he couldn't answer. He pointed out the houses of different movie stars as well as some of his favorite beaches as he drove. The powerful air conditioning system in the bus kept the van cool as we moved from location to location.

We stopped for lunch in Hanalei on the North Shore of Kauai, at the edge of the picturesque Hanalei Bay. Here TC recommended some locations to eat and shop and then let us wander on our own for about an hour. I found a local plate lunch place that TC recommended in the Ching Young Village and tried out their signature "Chili Pepper Chicken" plate lunch. It was a very large portion and was extremely delicious!

After I was done with lunch, I still had some time to wander around and look in some of the surrounding stores. There was a surf store that was having a fifty percent off sale, and there was also a surf board exchange that was happening on the grass across the street that kept me occupied until it was time to get back on the bus.

On the ride back we stopped at some more movie scene locations and watched a very interesting segment about the making of Jurassic Park. As we pulled up to my drop off point, I said good bye to the friends that I had made on the bus during the day as well as our guide TC.

Since I went on the tour I have not been able to look at the places that we drove by in the same way. I have always been a fan of history, especially the local history of the islands. Some of my favorite books to look through over the years have been the ones that have old pictures of areas that I have been to. I love to be able to see how things were captured in a picture that I can compare to how they are now. Throughout this tour we saw many clips from older movies that did a great job documenting the changes that have occurred on Kauai. The classic Elvis film "Blue Hawaii" was filmed at many locations that we saw. To illustrate my point of what I'm saying further, there's a beach in Wailua that Elvis rode horses down in "Blue Hawaii" that I've passed many times before without even really giving it a second glance. Now I think about that beach as the Elvis beach every time I drive by.

My favorite location that we passed was the Coco Palms. This historic hotel was a cornerstone in the hotel industry for over 30 years. On September 11th, 1991 the island of Kauai was hit with one of the most powerful hurricanes on record; the grounds were devastated. The historic hotel was never rebuilt and has laid in ruins ever since. This was where the scene was filmed in "Blue Hawaii" where Elvis meets some visiting girls as they're checking in to their hotel. In the movie it had manicured grounds and looked amazing. Now the hotel lies in ruins, condemned after it was torn apart by the hurricane "Aniki". To be able to witness history in this sort of way was definitively my favorite part of the trip.

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Jake Barefoot
Vice President
Tom Barefoot's Tours

Peacock Bass fishing on Kauai

2011-04-26T19:34:00.001-07:00

Today we did something very unique, that I have never done before in the Hawaiian Islands (or anywhere else for that matter). We went fishing for Peacock Bass. We fished in the Waita reservoir above Koloa town, which is the largest reservoir in the state of Hawaii. Peacock Bass are a type of bass that are from South America that live in very warm water. Because of the Peacock Bass’ preference for a warm climate they are not found in the United States except for a few places in Florida and Hawaii. Being a longtime saltwater fisherman I was eager to try something a little different was pretty excited for this bass fishing excursion.

We checked in at the Kauai ATV Tours office in Koloa town where we met our guide for the day. Our guides name was Brian. He greeted us with a large grin and directed us to follow him in our car up to the reservoir. The reservoir was less then a five-minute drive from the main ATV office through the forest. As we came around the last corner and out of the trees, I was startled to see how big the Waita Reservoir actually is. It was constructed to irrigate the cane fields that used to cover this side of the island and is the largest freshwater reservoir in the entire state of Hawaii.

When we got there the boat was already in the water ready to go. This boat was ideal for the shallow waters of the lake. Its shallow draft design enabled it to float in very shallow water. Brian said it could float in water as shallow as ten inches. Brian explained that we were going to try a couple different fishing spots during the afternoon. The first place we were going to go was an area on the far side of the reservoir that had a rock wall submerged in shallow water. This area is known for finding the Peacock Bass because they like to use the rocks as their spawning grounds.

We tried many different kinds of bait and lures. I started out with a lure that resembled a minnow, it didn’t do so well so I switched to a silver spinning lure. When the spinner didn’t work I decided to try the live bait. Brian had a bait well full of live Tilapia. He rigged it on a fairly short leader that was floated by a red and white bobber. My girlfriend Simone had been using this setup the whole time and had already pulled in three different Peacock Bass onto the boat. I had a couple strikes that robbed my hook of the bait, but unfortunately I was not as lucky as Simone and did not catch any Peacocks.

As we started the motor to move on to the next spot I was curious if I was going to get a fish. The next spot we went to was a much shallower fishing spot called the “inlet”. This was a beautiful area that had much calmer water then the previous area we fished. As we came under the bridge into the shallow lagoon I was pleased to see some splashes and circular ripples extending out from where the fish were striking the surface to feed.

Brian explained that this area was a little more advanced because of the shallow water and the large amount of weeds growing out of the water. Here, casting accuracy was going to play a much larger part of the success rate. After a couple casts with a crawdad shaped lure I began to get a good feeling for the tip of the pole and started landing the lure right where I wanted it to go. A couple of times it seemed as if I dropped the lure right on top of the fish and scared it (evidenced by splashing in the water and no bite). Then finally I was able to find a clear line of sight over the reeds and drop the lure right past the fish and drag it backwards over the top of it. Instantaneously the fish struck and I fought it back to the boat. Fighting small fish with light tackle line in a river full of obstacles is a completely different feeling then fighting a larger saltwater fish in the open ocean. It was a much quicker fight that had to be carried out with much more finesse and I really enjoyed the challenge of reeling the fish back over the reeds.

I think in retrospect I might have used the live bait more. Brian had been collecting Tilapia in the live bait tank he had near the dock and we had a plentiful supply throughout the trip. Regardless of how much or how little I caught, the joy for me is the strategy of fishing and I had a great time learning some new things on a lake with one of the most beautiful backdrops I've ever seen.

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Jake Barefoot
Vice President
Tom Barefoot's Tours

Horseback riding/mountaineering

2011-04-21T22:59:00.001-07:00

When I woke up this morning and looked out the window, I couldn’t help but smile when I saw that it was an absolutely classic sunny Hawaiian day outside. I put on my long pants, socks and shoes, then made a quick breakfast before I left to go on the waterfall ride with Princeville Ranch Stables. I knew that there was going to be some sort of mountaineering that was involved in the days trip, so I was pretty excited.

We checked in at the Princeville Ranch headquarters on the makai (ocean) side of the highway. This was the same place where our zipline tour departed from. Getting there was very straightforward and clearly marked, there were signs that were easily visible from the main highway. After filling out some waivers and packing our saddle bags, we got back in our truck and headed to the stable (about a mile down the road from the headquarters). When we got there, our guides were waiting out front. The horses were lined up along the hitching post, already saddled up and ready to ride.

Before the ride began, our guides went over some the basics of how to get on and ride the horses. The ranch had small platforms called “mounting blocks” that made it very easy for the smaller riders in the group to get on their horses. As I was waiting my turn to get on my horse, I began talking with some of the other people in our group that were also going on the ride. These people were very friendly, their group was made up of a mother, a father and two kids. They had flown in from California earlier in the week and both the children were eager to try the “mountaineering section”. I was curious what that part of the trip was going to entail.

After we all got on our horses our guides opened the gate of the arena and we made our way into the pastures of the ranch. We couldn’t have had better weather for the ride. It remained sunny with clear skies throughout the whole trip. All the mountains behind the ranch were fully illuminated from the days bright sun. As we were riding, I was pleased to find out that this was not a “nose to tail” ride. Because the ranch was so open, the group was able to spread out quite a bit. As we all rode our horses in a big pack through the pasture I couldn’t help but to think about how it must have been on Kauai in the Paniolo (cowboy) days. Many people don’t know it, but Hawaii has a rich cattle ranching history dating as far back as the 1830’s.

The Princeville Ranch is a working cattle ranch that covers over two thousand acres and has a herd of hundreds of cattle. As we were riding through, we got to see quite a few of the cows and even a few baby calves. We passed through the different gates that divided various pastures on the ranch before we entered a more dense forest. As we got deeper into the forest and closer to the waterfall, the trail began to narrow and we fell into a single file line. Eventually we reached a hitching post where we dismounted our horses and emptied our saddle bags of the items that we wanted to bring down to the waterfall. I grabbed our towels as well as my cameras and made my way to the top of the trail.

The trail down to the waterfall was very steep. It zigzagged its way down the hill through some very dense jungle to the waterfall below. Along the way there were stairs that were dug in the ground. All the people in our group were in good shape and made it down the trail without any problems. However, I think that most elderly people, or anyone with health issues that negatively effects their personal mobility would have a great deal of difficulty with the hike. Once we got to the bottom of the trail the canopy opened up and we were greeted by a picturesque waterfall that was flowing into a pool. The pool had a gentle current and was large enough for us to swim in.

For some reason, I was expecting the pool to be much colder then it was. There was a changing station off to the side where I switched my long pants for my board shorts before I made my way to the pool. When I jumped in it was actually quite refreshing and I felt quite comfortable as I floated around in the water for about ten or fifteen minutes. Some members of the group climbed up the rocks and walked underneath the waterfall. While we were all swimming and playing, the guides emptied out their bags and unpacked our picnic lunches. We sat there on the rocks enjoying the views as we ate. After a while we all changed back into our dry clothes and prepared for our trip back up the trail.

Before we began our ascent, the guides issued us all some light mountaineering harnesses that were complete with large carabiners. They explained that we were going to go a different way up the hill that was going to take us over some streams and up a small rock climbing section. The younger members of the group were especially thrilled to get to clip in and conquer the rougher terrain. After I made it to the top I looked back down and realized that the whole section we went through was actually on the top of the huge waterfall that we were swimming in earlier.

Our horses were waiting for us at the top of the trail. We rode back to the stable along a similar path to the way we came. As we were riding back I talked with our guides and learned that they are much more involved in the equestrian culture then I had previously realized. They actually partake in a rodeo circuit where they regularly complete in events such as roping and barrel racing. These events take place on Kauai as well as the other Hawaiian islands.

As we rode through the last gate and pulled back up to the stables I noticed that there were smiles throughout the group as we all said our goodbyes before we parted ways. The experience we had at Princeville Ranch Stables definitely had a bit more excitement in it then I had expected from the days horseback ride. I definitely think that this will not be my last time at Princeville Ranch and I’m looking forward to doing it again in the future.

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Jake Barefoot
Vice President
Tom Barefoot's Tours

Kauai horseback ride to waterfall

2011-04-12T16:07:00.000-07:00

Before we even got to the ranch I knew that we were in for a special experience. The ride that we had scheduled for the day was at Silver Falls Ranch, which is located deep in the jungle, on the north side of Kauai. We had just had some rain the night before our ride; all the foliage seemed like it had become a brighter shade of green then it was the previous day. We turned off of the highway right before the Kalihiwai bridge on Kahiliholo road. After we had passed the 4th or 5th house on the road my girlfriend Simone turned to me and commented:

“I could drive up and down this road a couple times, just to take in the beauty of these peoples front yards".

When we got to Kamookoa Rd I turned to the left and we followed the signs towards Silver Falls Ranch. We passed the main corral where we could see our guide saddling up our horses. The beauty of the grounds of Silver Falls Ranch were beyond comparison with any of the estates we had seen lower down the street. I kept driving until we got to the barn where we parked the truck and made our way inside.

The check in office was located at the end of their central barn building. As we walked in, the ranch receptionist greeted us, then gave us a clipboard with some paperwork to fill out. She also gave us some helmets (if we wanted them, or an extra waiver to sign if we didn't). After completing our forms, we had a couple minutes to kill before the ride started, so we decided to walk around a little bit.

As we were mulling around the barn area I looked into one of the stalls and saw a newborn horse and it’s mother. Unfortunately, the newborn had a cast on it’s leg that went all the way up to the hip. One of the ranch hands explained to me that the horses’ leg was broken during birth. Sometimes, when horses break their legs they have to be put down because of the injury. However, because this one was so young, the local veterinarian thought that it had a better chance of making a full recovery then an older horse would. After hearing this, the ranch decided they would do everything they could to save it. We observed the baby horse for a few minutes before we wandered outside. We took some pictures of the peacocks that were mulling about in front of the barn. Then just after 9:30 we saw our guide begin to round up the members of our group by the corral area, so we made our way over to there to join them.

We met our guide who explained that he had been working as a ranch hand for Silver Falls for over fifteen years. He went over the basics of how to control the horses before he called each member of the group up to the mounting block to get on their horse. Once we were all mounted up, he took the lead and the group moved out of the corral and onto the trail.

The trail that we went on was absolutely beautiful. There are over 1,500 palm trees planted around the ranch. There were so many Hibiscus flowers, Lahala bushes, Bamboo trees and other different species of tropical plants around the property that I had a hard time keeping my eyes on the trail. Our route circled far back in the valley, over the ridge and into an ancient crater. This crater stopped erupting over five million years ago. Since the final eruption here, the mountain had been eroding into the thick soil that covers the entire area today. The nutrients in the soil provide the vegetation with everything needed to thrive. After journeying through this section of the ranch there is no longer any question in my mind why Kauai has earned the nickname of "The Garden Island".

Eventually we arrived at our destination, a calm jungle pool underneath a gentle waterfall. There was a small pavilion that the ranch constructed nearby where we ate lunch. After our meal, we journeyed down the stairs to take a dip in the pool. From the shore it looked like it was going to be cold but when I jumped in I was happily surprised that the pool was actually a much more refreshing temperature then I had anticipated. The falls were beautiful, and made a perfect backdrop for our jungle swim.

After everyone was done at the waterfall, we got back on our horses and made our way back towards the main barn where we had initially checked in. Once we got back, our guide posed us for some pictures with the mountain in the backdrop before we dismounted. We thanked our guide and made our where back to the barn, where we stopped to see the baby horse with the broken leg one more time. All in all we had a great time, both Simone and myself thoroughly enjoyed the horseback riding experience we had at Silver Falls Ranch.

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Jake Barefoot
Vice President
Tom Barefoot's Tours

Kealia Dog Walking

2011-04-10T14:51:00.000-07:00

When I was a kid, my family lived in Kihei on the island of Maui. During the 1990s when I was growing up, Kihei was one of the fastest growing towns in the nation. Unfortunately, it grew so fast that some of the city planning came in after the fact. These rapid developments led to a fairly chaotic urban sprawl across South Maui. When I was in high school there was much talk about a “Greenway” that would cut through the entire town of Kihei. This space was supposed to provide a safe haven for pedestrians away from the hustle and bustle of South Kihei Road and the Pi’ilani Highway. Unfortunately, this “Greenway” in Kihei was never constructed. I was delighted to find out that there is a similar project in Kapaa on Kauai that has been approved, and is currently under construction.

This path is planned to span the entire stretch of coastline between Lihue and Anahola. Currently, the construction of the path has only been completed on two sections. The north section travels between Kapa’a and just north of Donkey's Beach. This stretch spans just over four miles. Farther south, the other two-mile segment of the bike path goes in front Lydgate Park (which is located just south of the Wailua River). The construction that will join these two segments of the path is expected to be completed in the near future. The completed sections of the path are perfect for taking a bike ride, hike, rollerblading outing, skateboarding ride or dog-walking journey.

Today we decided to take my black lab, “Holly Girl” for a walk on the bike path. We started out at the Kapa’a Boat Ramp, then worked our way north around the point to Kealia Beach. This stretch of coast is absolutely beautiful. From the point on the south side of Kealia you can see all the way down the coast. The view extends past Kapa’a and the Wailua River, all the way to the islands main airport in Lihue. We took our time walking and stopped to see all of the sights along the way. Pavilions were located periodically on the side of the path to provide users of the bike path with shade, as well as a comfortable place to sit down.

We stopped once we made it to Kealia Beach. I threw a stick for Holly Girl for a little over half an hour. The waves were rough but I was confident she would be fine. She has been a beach dog since she was a puppy. When she was small I used to take her to Makena Beach on Maui (Makena Beach is known for having a pretty strong shore break). I would go skimboarding and she would make it her mission to chase after me down the beach and into the water and oncoming waves. At first when she would do this I would try and make her stop; I worried that she would get hurt by the waves. Keeping her out of the water was easier said then done. Nothing I could do short of tying her with a metal cable would keep her from chasing me. Even if I did tie her she would cry like a little kid that was told “Christmas was canceled”. Eventually, I just started letting her go for it and miraculously enough, there has been no serious incidents. Through these beach experiences as a puppy she developed the ability to completely submerge her nose under the water. This skill has helped her to learn how to do all kinds of stuff in the ocean that most dogs never learn how to do. Playing in the surf is one of her favorite things, and it is really fun to watch her in action.

We stayed at Kealia for a just under an hour until we started getting hungry and made our way back to Kapa’a. All in all, we spent about three hours from the beginning to the end of our trip. After we were done my girlfriend Simone told me:

“I wish we had known about this earlier, because we should definitely do this again.”

We decided that we definitely wanted to do an excursion on the bike path again soon. I think next time we’re going to start at Kealia Beach, then go north to the end of the path just a little ways past Donkey’s Beach. This morning we saw some people riding tandem bikes down the path…… Maybe we’ll have to give that a try at some point too.

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Jake Barefoot
Vice President
Tom Barefoot's Tours

Waimea Canyon bike ride

2011-04-08T19:42:00.000-07:00

We showed up at the Outfitters Kauai office in Poipu at just before 6AM to check in for their downhill bike trip. The ride goes down the road along the rim of the Waimea Canyon. A couple weeks ago I went on a hike along the opposite rim of the canyon, so I knew what kinds of incredible landscapes we would encounter on today’s bike ride. It was a rather grey morning at the headquarters in Poipu so I was a little worried that rain could become a factor during the ride. My worries dissolved as we traveled westward towards Kekaha because the weather improved significantly as soon as we got past the town of Kalaheo. Once we reached Kekaha we turned up the hill and our guides began some very interesting narrations.

Andy paused to show the group some various trees that we passed on the way up the hill. He shared his wealth of knowledge about Hawaiian plants and history by clearly identifying the species of most of the plants that we passed as well the country of origin. Andy was also able to elaborate on many of the stories behind the plants (which he did). He explained how most of the plants in Hawaii were originally brought to the island by people. He also told us what the original purposes were behind their initial introductions. Until this morning I did not know that all the Eucalyptus trees along the road to the Waimea Canyon were originally planted to help stabilize the soil around the road during its initial construction. I also did not know that the road to the Waimea Canyon was originally constructed to service the elaborate aqueduct system that was in already in place throughout the highlands of Kauai to divert rain water out of the swamps to provide irrigation water for the fields below.

The bikes we were outfitted with were purpose built for this trip. They consisted of a beach cruiser style frame with modern breaks and a single gear. As we began our ride down I instantly noticed the massive stopping power that the cable disc brakes provided, which I appreciated. I also liked the wide seats and upright bars. If I were to go off-road or up a hill I would definitely want to ride a bike that was set up differently. However, for the downhill, paved trip we were doing today... these bikes were perfect.

How this tour was set up was similar to the other bike tours that I have done before on Maui. Andy drove the van behind the group and the other guide Maggie, took position as the lead rider at the front of the pack. Maggie and Andy each had two-way radios and were constantly communicating with each other. Andy would drive behind the group and block the downward traffic with his the van. Periodically the whole group would pull over to the side and let traffic pass. When I got to the end of the ride I was talking with one of the other riders and he said:

“To tell you the truth, I thought that we were going to have to go pretty slow because we were on a tour. I was wrong.”

I had similar expectations, and was also very happy that we didn’t have to ride the brakes the whole way down. Towards the beginning of the trip we didn’t go that fast because of the corners. We weren’t going slowly, but I was definitely using my brakes. When we got farther down towards the bottom of the road it straightened out and we got to let the brakes go and see how fast we could ride. We finished the high-speed section at the end of the tour and we pulled up at the market where the ride ended. I looked around as I got off of the bike and every single person in the group had a smile on their face. I think it’s safe to say that we all had a good time.

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Jake Barefoot
Vice President
Tom Barefoot's Tours

Napali coast dinner whale sail

2011-04-07T20:45:00.000-07:00

As we checked in at the Blue Dolphin store in the shopping village of Port Allen I looked up at the grey threatening looking sky and thought to myself:

“If nothing else, I’m sure we’ll see whales.”

I had just done a trip along the Napali

Coast about two weeks prior and there were whales everywhere then, so I was pretty confident that we were about to have at least one encounter with a playful group of whales today. If I had only known how many whales we were about to see I would’ve strapped my GoPro cameras down all over the boat because we were literally surrounded by a group of whales for almost ten minutes. I think that any camera pointed in the direction of the water would’ve got some good pictures of the whale encounter. After the excitement of the whales subsided the Captain was able continue on and navigated us down the coast past the Pacific Missile Range and Polihale Beach to the Napali Coastline. The Napali cliffs are over 3000 feet tall and I am sad to say that although I got some good pictures, none of them were able to capture any sense of the actual scale of how tall the cliffs of Napali really are. The Captain kept the boat in close to the cliffs on the way up the coast until we

reached Kalalau Beach. Here we turned around and the Captain moved our course farther out to sea so we could get pictures of ourselves with the entire cliff line in the background. We spent the rest of the evening eating and sipping from our bottomless MaiTai cups as we watched the sun go down over the ocean. The seas were calm, the crew was friendly and the grey clouds did not drop a single bit of rain on us. We enjoyed our time we got to spend on the boat with Blue Dolphin Charters.

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Jake Barefoot
Vice President
Tom Barefoot's Tours

Sugar cane and 4x4's

2011-04-07T19:25:00.000-07:00

Today we went out with Aloha Kauai Tours on their Kauai Backroads 4x4 Tour. We met the group at the Kilohana Plantation where we parked my truck and jumped in their customized 4x4 van. We became acquainted with the other members of the tour as our soft spoken driver eased the van back onto the highway. Our driver explained that he was born and raised on Kauai and that he was over seventy years old. He told stories of his youth, and the many changes that the island has gone through since that time. As he turned the van off of the highway and onto a dirt road, he gestured towards the dense jungle and told the group

“I used to work in a sugar cane field that was once here, where these trees are now.”

The group was silent as they took in the amount of change this man had witnessed that was evidenced

in the height of the foliage alone. Luckily for us he had the keys to the many gates that divided up the large section of pasture that we were traversing in the van so he was able to take us to areas where we wouldn't otherwise have been able to go. The trail turned uphill and we eventually made our way to the top of the Kilohana Crater. We spent some time observing the views before we got back in the van and made our way back to the highway. Once we reached the highway, we turned right and headed to the old plantation town of Koloa. Our driver shared an excellent historical narration throughout this section of the tour. He seemed to be able to time his speeches perfectly, so at the end of every story he would stop the van point out the window and say:

“All that happened right....here”

We continued through Koloa and on to Poipu where we journeyed to a section of Maha'ulepu beach at the end of a long dirt road, quite far down the Maha'ulepu coast from Poipu. Here we spent some time walking around as we tried the various snacks and beverages that our driver had brought for us. The cliffs on the left side of the beach over hung extremely far, and looked like they could collapse into the sea at any moment. I got some cool pictures of this area.

After we were done at the beach we loaded back up in the van to make our way home on a “shortcut” the driver knew of. We drive up a wide dirt road up into what seemed like a sheer wall of foliage. As we got closer to the top, a small hole with a pinprick of light at the far end could be made out in the distance. Our driver explained that when the sugar cane industry was in its prime one of the main producers named “Wilcox” owned the area we were on. His fields were split by this large mountain range, and for years he was forced to drive around it using the regular county roads. This was a great hardship on his production because he had to use “street legal” sized trucks and the loads would cool down by the time they got

to the factory because of the distance around the hill (I didn’t quite understand why, but from what he said it seems that the quality of the sugar was lowered if it was allowed to cool too much after the field was burned). In addition to the longer distance to the mill, he was also racking up fines with the county for over use of the road. To remedy this situation Wilcox brought in laborers from China to dig a private tunnel large enough to fit one of his sugar cane “super haulers” that were on a similar scale to modern day monster trucks. Our guide told stories of the amount of wind these machines would create as they raced their haul back to the factory passing by the field workers at sixty plus miles an hour. As we were dropped off back at the Kilohana Plantation I couldn’t help but to feel like I had a much greater understanding of the island of Kauai. (Click here for more information about this trip or to make a booking)

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Jake Barefoot
Vice President
Tom Barefoot's Tours

Wailua River paddle

2011-04-06T14:55:00.000-07:00

I had an idea of what we were getting into when I showed up at the headquarters of the Wailua River Guides in Kapaa, but I had no idea how much I was going to really enjoy the kayak and the hike up the river that we did today with Wailua River Guides. The story actually starts before I got to the headquarters when I was getting ready to leave my house. I was having one of those mornings where it was just taking me forever to get everything ready. Then, because I was already behind, I started feeling pressured for time and lost my rhythm. This resulted in a feeling that I needed to be constantly double checking to make sure that I had all my photo equipment (which there is a lot of in my bag). Lets just say, when I got there I was still feeling little bit of lingering anxiety from earlier in the morning. Once I got on the boat and got wet, then paddled for a few minutes and got my blood pumping it felt like the rocky start to the day had never even happened.

When we got up the river to the trail head I opened up the dry-bag that the Wailua River Guides provided and gathered together my camera gear for the hike. It was a slippery hike, but at no point was I worried enough that I was going to fall enough to want to put my DSLR camera back in its pelican case that I had in my backpack. As we traveled through the jungle our guide shared many interesting facts about the plants and areas that we passed along the way. We learned about the "Hala" tree that was used by the ancient Hawaiians to create the thatch roofs that were common in their buildings. We also learned about many of the farming techniques of old as we passed through ancient agricultural terraces on the way to the waterfall.

The waterfall was well over a hundred feet tall and had a rather large pool that was calm enough to swim in. It was shallow at the edges and much deeper towards the center. The stones at the edges were loose and slippery which made it difficult to get in and out, but I managed to make it unscathed by staying on all fours and getting low. It is dangerous to swim under any waterfall because it is possible for rocks or even pebbles to fall with the water with enough force to cause injury to anyone in their path. I felt it was worth the risk and went for a shower under the falls, it was amazing!

On the hike back we took a different path that led us next to a small pool that the guide said was man made by ancient people as a private bath. After further investigation, experts now think that it was meant for the exclusive use of royalty. It was an absolutely beautiful place. At first when he said it was man made I was a little skeptical. He continued explaining and pointed out that all of the stones in the waterfall were standing strait up vertically, which is opposite from how nature arranges them. This observation made complete sense and my mind could not help but to imagine what life was like for the people that created this amazing water feature.

The paddle back was a very leisurely one, my friend Chris and I finally got our timing down and ended up making it back in a bit less time then it took us to paddle up the river. We pulled up next to a dock in front of one of the houses and talked with one of the residents that was sitting at the end of his dock drinking a beer out of a green bottle. He was an entertaining guy and we were kinda sad when the rest of the group caught up and we had to say "bye" to him.

After going on the paddle up the river I was in such a good mood. The exercise and the mellowness of the paddle of the river completely erased the rough start to the day. I was already smiling as we were driving home, and then my smile got even wider when I saw a woman on the side of the road selling Ahi. We stopped and picked up an 8lb Yellowfin Tuna for $25 and then went home and spent the rest of the day eating sushi hand rolls and giant sashimi platters. It was a perfect ending to an amazing day!

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Jake Barefoot
Vice President
Tom Barefoot's Tours

Kauai outdoor photography class

2011-04-06T14:47:00.000-07:00

I remember passing by the sign for Kauai Photo Tours in Kapaa when I first came over to Kauai in January and thinking to myself how much I was looking forward to going on that trip. I noticed on the sign it said they had a photo shop in addition to the tour. That was great information to know because the very next day I realized that I had left my lens cleaner on Maui. I went strait to their store to get more. Being an amateur photographer myself, I was impressed by there selection and ended up walking out with lens cleaner, as well as a UV Filter, and a Circular Polarizing Filter. After visiting the shop and meeting the staff I became even more interested in the photo tour. When I woke up this morning, I was very excited got to finally have the opportunity to go on this tour, hopefully learn some new techniques, and to get some good photography opportunities along the way as well.

When I got there the sky was kind of overcast, there was a slightly gray hue to the day but it looked as if the sun was going to stay out for us at least enough so we were not going to have to deal with any rain. One of my friends was visiting me from the mainland who is also a beginner photographer. My friend had ordered a DSLR for the trip, but because of a shipping delay his camera didn't get to his house until after he had left, so he did not have it with him. It all worked out well because when we checked in at the Kauai Photo Tours gift shop we were pleased to find that they had a very nice selection of rental cameras. He got outfitted with a whole setup, including polarizing filter (which we'll talk more about later) for a little more then $30. As soon as the rest of the group arrived at the gift shop we boarded the van and began our days journey.

The outline of the days activities was very simple: we were going to board the van and go to a variety of beautiful locations. At these various location we were going to be able to take some pictures (and get some photo tips from our guide if we requested them). On Kauai, there are so many world class locations to take pictures that the guides at Kauai Photo Tours usually do not have a hard time accomplishing this task. In addition to taking us to some amazing place our guides were also available to answer questions and offer advice. I really appreciated that the guides made it a point to only offer advice of narration when it was requested, it made for a very casual environment.

One of the first locations that we went to was a waterfall. The waterfall was located down a trail, behind a locked gate in the middle of the east Kauai jungle. When I asked our guide what he recommended as far as camera settings go, he suggested that I play with some slower shutter speeds to "Smooth out" the waterfall. Lowering the shutter speed does two things. The most noticeable effect is that the slower shutter makes for more of a motion blur from anything that is moving in the image. The second result which is less apparent, is that the slower shutter speed also requires using a higher aperture setting (in most conditions), which will result in a greater depth of field. This deeper depth of field will allow more to be in focus in the final image. I was able to get some nice shots here, where a good portion of the background was in focus and the waterfall had a nice motion blur to it. The motion blur on the water really smoothed out the appearance of the falls nicely. From here we moved onto another spot, where I got to learn how to use polarizing filters.

We pulled the van down a dirt road that dead ended right before it reached the coastline. We got off the van to find a beautiful view of the bay with some of the clearest water I have ever seen. I asked our guide what he recommended doing to get a good shot here. He suggested a couple different locations to get a good shot from before he mentioned that I should be using the polarizing filter. The polarizing filter is a device that you attach to the end of the lens. It consists of two polarized pieces of glass that are attached to each other in a manner that you can swivel the outer piece of glass to adjust its position in relation to the inner piece. The result of using this filter is the user having complete control of the amount of polarization in the shot. The difference it can make on a shot is astounding.

After we finished at the bay we stopped at some beautiful beaches and lookouts before we stopped for lunch in the town of Hanalei. We ate at a local plate lunch place. There were many choices on the menu (mainly local Hawaiian food), I had a delicious Kalua Pig and Poi plate lunch that I enjoyed immensely. After eating I took some fast shutter speed shots of the chickens that were roaming in the yard of the restaurant before we all got back in the van to check out some more spots.

We went to many amazing locations throughout the afternoon. I think one of my favorite was the Kalo fields just outside of Hanalei. Kalo was one of the staple foods that was brought over by early Polynesian settlers that originally inhabited Hawaii. Poi (a staple food in the early Polynesian diet) is made from a mixture of ground up Kalo root and water.

Poi tastes rather bland and is meant to be mixed with other items (it looks kind of like pudding, and most people who've never tasted it before expect it to have a flavor like chocolate pudding for some reason). My favorite way to eat Poi is on a plate of fresh Ahi Poke that is drowned in one finger poi (where the poi has a very thick texture from being more concentrated).

We got some great photos of these fields from many different angles. Eventually, after our great photo session was over, we had to make our way back to Kapaa. After we finished the tour, my friend and I discussed the details of it as we drove back to the house. He had literally never even used a DSLR once prior to this trip, and he had a very good understanding of how to use them after we returned. We also both picked up some great shooting techniques from our guide on how to compose landscape shots. If you're going to be on Kauai, and you are even remotely into photography.....you should take this trip.

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Jake Barefoot
Vice President
Tom Barefoot's Tours

Napali coast dolphin/whale sail

2011-04-01T20:09:00.001-07:00

I love the sunset sails on Kauai. I really appreciate that with these sails, there is an actual destination to the whole adventure. You get to sail all the way to the Napali coast while you watch the sun go down. The enjoyed this much more then some of the other sunset sails that just sort of aimlessly travel around in circles watching the sun go down. We saw dolphins and whales along the way were pretty amazing, but the sight of the 3000+ foot tall cliffs is what I've always considered to be the highlight of these trips.

The cliffs of the Napali Coastline extend from sea level to over 3000ft into the sky. They are so rugged, that the state never even considered trying to construct a road here. They make up a stretch of about 17 miles in length that goes from Polihale Beach on the south all the way to Ke'e Beach on the north end of the Napali Coast.

Today we went on Kauai Sea Tours which has been a major player in the Napali Coast Tour industry on Kauai for quite some time. Their boat the "Lucky Lady" is a very stable catamaran that has large motors as well as sails. We checked in at their office in Port Allen. Once everyone had arrived we walked down to the pier and boarded the boat. After a quick safety briefing the crew untied us from the pier, and we motored out of the harbor.

The trip leading up to the cliffs is amazing. The land that we passed was for the most part undeveloped. Most of the land was used during the last century to cultivate sugar cane. This stopped when the mill closed down in 1999. Most of the land now lies unused. We passed the towns of Waimea and Kekaha that were at one point central hubs to the sugar cane industry of the west side of Kauai. Just past Kekaha begins a magnificent stretch of sand that extends about 17 miles from Kekaha Beach Park all the way past the military base to the end of Polihale State Park. It was about half way through this stretch that we began to see the dolphins.

Dolphins have used the waters off of Polihale Beach and the Napali Coast as their feeding grounds since long before the first settlers canoes reached the shores of Kauai. This coastline is abundant with marine wildlife and the dolphins feast on the large fish populations. We saw the smaller Hawaiian Spiner Dolphins and at one point were completely surrounded by them, with the majority of them crowded in the water surrounding the bow of the boat. We also saw the larger Bottle Nose Dolphins. We encountered so many dolphins on this trip that people literally got bored of seeing dolphins before we even got to the Kalalau Valley.

Kalalau Valley is where the boat turned around and began heading back towards the harbor. This valley is where the Napali Coast hiking trail (that begins 11 miles to the north at Ke'e Beach) ends. The Kalalau beach is nestled under one of the most beautiful cliff faces that you will find anywhere on the planet. It is one of the most beautiful spots on Kauai and can only be viewed by air, sea or from the Kalalau Beach. The Napali Coast Trail was rated a 10 out of 10 in difficulty by the Sierra Club.

As soon a we turned the boat around and started to go with the swells of the ocean the ride smoothed out considerably. The crew took advantage of the smooth sailing conditions and set up a delicious buffet dinner. When they were done setting up they took turns manning the open bar that was serving beer, wine and cocktails until we got back to the harbor. Mai Tais were definitely the most popular drink of the night.

We ate dinner and enjoyed the incredible views of the sun going down behind the distant island of Niihau. As I sipped cocktails and made new friends from far off corners of the globe I couldn't help but to catch myself enjoying a moment of sheer bliss as I realized how happy I am to be able to have such incredible experiences in my life.

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Jake Barefoot
Vice President
Tom Barefoot's Tours

Aerial Whale Watching

2011-03-22T14:13:00.000-07:00

Today we had something happen that was slightly out of the ordinary. We were on an air tour around Kauai with Airventures Air Tours, when out of the depths of the ocean underneath us appeared a pod of massive Humpback Whales. The pilot saw them and made a massive figure eight around them so people on both sides of the plane could see them.

Not that long before our whale encounter we checked in at the Airventures hanger in the Lihue commuter terminal. Upon arrival we were greeted by their receptionist and then taken out onto the runway and seated in the aircraft. The plane was very comfortable with 3 rows of 2 seats next to each other and one seat in the back. I was lucky enough to get the copilot seat so in addition to having my own side window like everyone else, I also had a good view out of the front windows.

As soon as we lifted off from the tarmac in Lihue I began to snap away shots out the window with my camera. The first place we passed was the "private" coastline of Kipu Kai. After we passed here we moved on to the coastline of Poipu before we veered inland to get a better look of the Waimea Canyon.

The Waimea Canyon was absolutely amazing. While you're on Kauai you definitely need to schedule some sort of outing to see the Waimea Canyon. I've hiked all over Waimea and done my best to see all I can from the ground and I have yet to find a vantage point from anywhere on the ground that rivals what you can see from the air. There is one place where we saw an entire sequence of waterfalls making their way down the cliff. Another where we could see the canyon split and a side canyon go off into the distance with waterfalls cascading down the side of the valley. The Waimea Canyon was a great place to warm us up for the sight we were about to see, the Napali Coastline.

After passing by the large golf ball shaped radar domes on the edge of the military base the bottom dropped out and we found ourselves suspended off of the edge of a 3000+ft cliff. As I turned and looked north I was greeted with the classic aerial perspective of the Napali Coast. We circled and banked our way through the major valleys in the coastline as we worked our way north towards the picturesque Hanalei Bay. Once we got to Hanalei we made one final circle over the ocean before we turned inland up the Hanalei Valley.

Once we got into the Hanalei Valley we admired all the waterfalls and cliffs untill we eventually got the the Puhi area where we made a turn towards Kapaa. We flew over Kapaa and the Wailua Falls to the Lihue Airport. In just over an hour we basically circled the entire island and saw virtually everything that there is on Kauai from the amazing perspective of a plane. For a seasoned repeat visitor to the Garden Island, or a first time visitor to Kauai a flight on a plane is something you might want to consider doing to acquaint (or reacquaint) yourself with the island.

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Jake Barefoot
Vice President
Tom Barefoot's Tours

Learning to surf in Hanalei

2011-03-17T16:47:00.000-07:00

I remember the first time I stood up on a wave. It was a sunny day at a break near Oluwalu on Maui. It was in the middle of one of the summertime adventures with my uncle Dennis that were commonplace during my childhood. I was about 5 years old and the surf was a little over waist high on me at the time. I was on an old short board that was probably about 3 inches thick so Dennis had no problem pushing me into the wave. I remember standing up and putting my arms above my head, screaming and feeling so proud of myself as I proceeded to ride the wave strait in all the way onto the shallow reef where I crashed, cutting my arm and ending my session. Too bad I did not have a nice sandy place like Hanalei Bay to learn, or I probably would’ve been able to catch more then one wave and enjoyed a much better first surfing experience (regardless of the cut, that first wave I stood up on was still amazing!).

My Girlfriend and my friend Chris (who was visiting from California) had never really surfed before, and really wanted to do a surf lesson. The waves seemed to be more active in Hanalei then down in Poipu, so we got in touch with Hawaiian Surfing Adventures and arranged for a lesson the following morning. We were told that the days lesson was going to be at the Hanalei Pier and we agreed to meet them there bright and early in the morning.

As we arrived to the Hanalei Pier, I could tell it was going to be a great day for my friends to learn. There was the remains of a large swell that was still bringing consistent (although small) surf into the bay. There was no wind, which left the surface of the ocean as smooth as a sheet of glass. We could see Mitchell Senior and Mitchell Junior unloading boards from their truck, so we made our way over to meet them.

Hawaiian Surfing Adventures is a family owned and operated business. Mitchell Alapa Senior and his son Mitchell Alapa Junior jointly own and operate the business. Mitchell Senior is a delightful older Hawaiian guy that was born and raised in Hawaii. Throughout his youth he supported his family for the most part by doing construction, and surfing on his time off. His Son, Mitchell Junior was lucky enough to grow up surfing the sandy breaks of the north shore of Kauai with his Dad and has developed quite an amazing talent on his stand up paddle board. This winter he’s been busy collecting footage of himself taming some of the largest waves on Kauai with his SUP. Many years ago the father son team decided they would be able to have more time in the water by starting a surf school. Together, the Alapa's have combined their skills, talents and passion to create one of the premiere schools on the north shore of Kauai. How they run their lessons is simple and effective.

Beginning on land, they went over the basics of surfing. They wanted to make sure that everyone had a firm understanding of exactly what they were going to be doing before they got in the water. They went over the basics of positioning yourself, paddling, standing up, steering, crashing and getting back on the board before getting into the water.

Once the land lesson was over the group got into the water and paddled out through the surf. Mitchell Junior did a great job of explaining where the rip current was and how to use it to your advantage to make padding out easier. Once everyone was positioned in the lineup (the best place to catch the waves, right where they break) he huddled everyone together and had a final discussion before he started pushing the students into waves. Mitchell Juniors experience and skill was evident in the results, all 3 of the 3 students in the class stood up and surfed all the way to the shoreline on their first attempt.

Something that I really appreciated about the Alapas operation was their commitment to educate their students enough so they could catch waves on their own. Mitchell Junior repeatedly told the class:

“It’s easy for me to just push you into waves all morning, but my goal is to educate enough so you could go surf out here, catch waves and have fun on your own.”

Mitchell achieved his goal because by the time the lesson was over I saw each student not only catch a wave, but lineup and catch a wave and ride it in completely on their own. Ever since the lesson both Simone and Chris has continued surfing and catching waves which I think had a great deal to do with the amazing introduction to the sport that the Alapa team at Hawaiian Surfing Adventures provided them with.

Thinking about my own early experiences surfing over 20 years ago, I can’t help but wonder how my surfing career would’ve been like been altered, if the first time I had caught a wave had been on the soft sandbar of Hanalei Bay, instead of the sharp reefs of Oluwalu…….

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Jake Barefoot
Vice President
Tom Barefoot's Tours

Waterfall Tour, Kipu Ranch Adventures

2011-02-16T20:42:00.001-08:00

This morning I woke up to very wet and rainy weather at my house in Lihue. My girlfriend had to work and I really wanted to do something more exciting then messing around inside on my computer all day. I got out my checklist of activities and immediately Kipu Ranch ATV stood out on the list. As I picked up the phone to make a reservation I thought to myself how perfect an ATV ride was going to be on a muddy day like today.

As I pulled my truck into the parking area at the Kipu Ranch ATV headquarters I could see the guides pulling the ATVs and side by sides out of the garage, and lining them up in front of the office. As I opened the door and got out of my truck I could feel a steady flow of small raindrops drizzling down on my forehead. I couldn't help but smile as I thought about how fun the trails were going to be with a healthy layer of mud on top of them. After our group had all arrived and was ready to go, we gathered around our guide for instructions on how to operate the machines.

Operating the ATVs was very simple. There was an automatic transmission so there was no shifting of gears or clutch that the rider had to deal with. There was basically a throttle, brake and handlebars for steering. We took a practice lap around the headquarters to get acquainted with the controls. After we were all warmed up, we journeyed onto the ranch to explore the trails.

The terrain of Kipu Ranch was absolutely amazing. After touring the grounds and seeing for myself the beauty of the area it does not surprise me that such major Hollywood productions such as: "Jurassic Park", "Outbreak", "Mighty Joe Young" and "Tropic Thunder" all used the ranch to film on during production.

We found all kinds of mud during the tour and even got an opportunity to wash it off in the river. There was a rope swing at the swimming hole that had some interesting history behind it. In the opening sequence of the film "Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark" Harrison Ford escapes the cave that is booby trapped with blow darts and giant boulders only to get robbed of his treasure by a rival archaeologist. After he hands over the gold statue from the cave, he makes a daring escape on foot down a hill while being chased by a huge group of native warriors. Just as you think he is gonna get caught he grabs a rope swing and launches himself out into the river where his friend in a seaplane picks him up and they fly off into the sunset. Do you remember this part of the movie? That rope swing was the exact same rope swing used in the movie. Our guide even joked around and said:

"Wanna see why they should have cast me as Indiana Jones?"

Immediately after saying that, he launched a huge flip off of the swing and came down with a tremendous splash. I definitely think he outdid Harrison Ford's jump (especially if the judging criteria was based on splash size and acrobatics). We all took turns doing our own Harrison Ford impressions on the swing before we made our way back to our ATV's to go to a different waterfall for lunch.

As we pulled up the the waterfall that we were going to be eating our lunch at one of our guides explained that this exact location was recently used by the popular television show "America's Next Top Model" to film one of their photo shoots. After seeing the falls it makes sense why they chose this location, it's beautiful.

After our lunch we got back on our ATVs and visited another waterfall before we mounted our ATVs again for the final segment of the ride. We ended back at the headquarters where we started. We took off our helmets and ponchos before we said our good byes and went our own ways. On the drive home I couldn't help but smile as I thought about how even on a rainy day I can still manage to find a way to make the absolute best of it. I think that the mud made the ride much more fun then it would've been if it was dry and I thoroughly enjoyed my experience at Kipu Ranch.

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Jake Barefoot
Vice President
Tom Barefoot's Tours

Zipline Tour, Just Live Kauai

2011-02-10T18:49:00.000-08:00

Every time a new zipline is built in Hawaii it seems like they're always trying to out do all the other courses by having a longer or a faster zipline. The designers of the course at Just Live Ziplines on Kauai decided to outdo their competition with a different criteria. So, they designed the course that is the highest zipline course off the ground.

The Just Live Company started out as a ropes course that was created to help teach teamwork and serve as a “challenge course” for the youth of Kauai. Over the years they have been able to help thousands of local youth learn to overcome their fears and work together. The facilities steadily grew in size, incorporating more and more elements as time went by. Eventually, the management of Just Live began designing programs that allowed the islands visitors to also take part in the activities that happen here.

The excursion that we did today was unique from any other in the Hawaii zip line industry. Most lines are set up so the rider begins and ends on firm ground. At the Just Live course, riders begin by climbing a large tower and then zip lining across a line that crosses a gulch and lands on a wooden platform that was built about 70 feet off the ground, in a massive ironwood tree.

From this platform we crossed to other platforms built in neighboring trees using other zip lines as well as suspension bridges. Eventually, we traveled through a circuit that wound its way through the trees before launching us on a massive zip line onto a tower that has been constructed far away in the pasture located across the gulch from the grove of ironwood trees.

Once we got onto the tower (which was constructed like some sort of element on a military training ground) we climbed up a ladder to the top level where another large zipline began. We clipped into the final line and at the end of it our feet struck hard ground for the first time since we climbed up the tower where we clipped into line one.

I’ve done quite a bit of rock climbing as well as almost every zipline course in the Hawaii so I am pretty experienced with being in high places and relying on ropes and harnesses. That doesn’t mean that I don’t still get a rush of adrenaline every time I climb up something high and then look off of it towards the ground. Each and every time it gives me that fear in the back of my head that slows down my movements and makes me become hyper vigilant about exactly what I am doing right then. As long as the danger is not too real I can have that feeling in small doses, I really enjoy it. Being scared really brings my consciousness into the moment and then overcoming fear brings with it a feeling of personal accomplishment. I like both those feelings, and the feeling of being really high off the ground (but clipped in) the entire time made it more fun for me. I think this is a great tour for anyone who is a thrill seeker, and I think that this is a great tour for anyone that wants to work on any issues with heights as well. We had a great time.

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Jake Barefoot
Vice President
Tom Barefoot's Tours

Helicopter Ride, Blue Hawaiian Helicopters

2011-02-10T18:43:00.000-08:00

Today we went on a helicopter ride with Blue Hawaiian Helicopters around the island of Kauai. The views were incredible and there were smiles all the way around the cabin of the spacious ECO-STAR helicopter.

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Zipline Tour, Kauai Backcountry Adventures

2011-02-08T19:36:00.000-08:00

Ziplines are a phenomenon that is rather new in Hawaii. The first ziplines were created on Kauai, and then they spread throughout the state. The Kauai Backcountry Zipline is located in Hanamaulu, and is one of the originals. Hanamaulu us very conveniently located, close to the airport and the cruise ship harbor. Kauai Backcountry Adventures is the same company that we did the inner-tubing tour with. We checked in at the same place, right at the Kauai Backcountry Adventures headquarters building (you can’t miss it, it’s bright yellow).

After we checked in, we were issued harnesses and taken out front where out guide was waiting for us, in a 6-wheeled military troop carrier. We jumped in and began our trip up to the zipline course.

Our guide explained that the ranch we were on has a rich history behind it. At one point it was part of a gigantic sugar plantation. Then, in 1999 when the sugar plantation went out of business the land was purchased by America Online Co-founder Steve Case. Mr. Case vowed to never allow the land to be developed (to keep Kauai from suffering the same overcrowding such a problem where Steve grew up on Oahu) and has since allowed only low impact developments such as: activity companies, video productions and farmers to lease the land back from him to use.

The area is absolutely beautiful, after seeing it for yourself there will be no question left in your mind why such films as: “The Thin Red Line”, “Tropic Thunder”, “Jurassic Park” and “Mighty Joe Young” were filmed here. This lush environment was a pleasure to the eye.

When we got to the top of the road we got out of the troop carrier and made our wat towards the top of the hill. As we walked towards the first zipline and crested the hill we could see the zipline course extending out into the distance, crossing back and forth across the valley beneath us.

One of our guides went down first and the other stayed at the top and helped us clip our harnesses into the zipline. After we zipped down the second guide helped us unclip. We repeated this process for each zipline throughout the trip.

*Simone requested to get bounced.

Some of the lines were long and others were much shorter. One of the shortest ones (line #6) actually turned out to be my favorite. The zipline had a great deal of slack in it. Before you went down it the guide would ask if you wanted to be “Bounced”. If you agreed, then the guide would pull down on the cable sending a wave through it that gave the rider a free fall sensation when they went over it. It was really fun!

After we finished the final zip line of the course, our six wheeled transport was already there waiting for us. We did not load up to go back down the hill right away. Instead, we sat under their pavilion and ate lunch. After we ate a few members of the group went for a swim in a pool in the nearby stream.

Unless you went up to the ranch with Kauai Backcountry Adventures, (or someone else that had the key to Mr. Case’s property) you would never know that there was this kind of beautiful terrain, so close to the islands busy commercial center. If your on Kauai (even for just the day) and are looking into finding something exciting then to do then you should definitely consider checking out the zipline with Kauai Backcountry Adventures.

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Jake Barefoot
Vice President
Tom Barefoot's Tours

Napali Sunset Sail, Captain Andy's Sailing

2011-02-08T19:28:00.000-08:00

It is not often at all that I go on a tour and am completely and utterly impressed with the experience that I have. Today, when I went on the sunset sail with Captain Andy’s Charters up the Napali Coast, was one of those days. The weather, the service of the crew, and itinerary of the trip were all flaw less.

We started out at the harbor in Port Allen where we checked in at the Captain Andy’s store. After the group was gathered, we proceeded to make our way down to the pier where Captain Andy's luxurious “Gold Coast” catamaran awaited us. We took our shoes off and put them in the rack before boarding the boat and making our way into the cabin for the safety briefing.

After the briefing was over the crew untied us from the pier and we were off. Our journey began by touring the coastline of the west side of Kauai. As we passed the town of Waimea and continued towards the far west town of Kekaha, we enjoyed the views of the rolling hills that at one time were all covered with sugar cane.

Once we got to Kekaha, the coastline turned to sand. This stretch of sand continued, uninterrupted for 17 miles. The beach stretched from Kekaha, all the way to the far western end of Polihale State Park. Here, the 100+ foot tall sand dunes of Polihale were completely dwarfed by the cliffs of Napali that put their foot in the ocean, and extend upwards to over 3000 feet into the sky.

As we were in sheer amazement of the spectacle of the cliffs that were hanging over our heads, some friendly creatures decided to pay us a visit. At first we saw one jump in the distance, then another one came and swam up right near the boat. All of a sudden with a giant spout of water a humpback whale surfaced next to our boat. After swimming near us for about 30 seconds the whale showed us its tail before it dove down into the depths, never to be seen again.

After our whale sighting we continued up the coast admiring the cliffs, hidden beaches, and lush tropical valleys that we passed by. We continued up the coastline until we reached the mouth of the Kalalau Valley. After admiring the enormous beach and waterfall here we turned around and made a course due south, back towards the harbor, and out away from the cliffs.

Once we turned around the ride of the boat smoothed out immensely and the crew was able to set up our buffet dinner (which tasted incredible). Remember earlier, when I said that we had amazing cooperation from the weather? We had literally one of the most beautiful sunsets I have ever seen. I even got a picture of the elusive “Green Flash”. Drinking cocktails and watching the sunset was an amazing finale to an already amazing evening out on the boat with Captain Andy’s.

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Jake Barefoot
Vice President
Tom Barefoot's Tours

60 Minute Tour (Doors Off), Jack Harter Helicopters

2011-01-30T02:00:00.000-08:00

Today we went for a helicopter tour with Jack Harter Helicopters. Going for a helicopter ride with the doors off makes for a whole different experience. The wind is rushing through the cabin and you feel a lot higher off the ground then when you have a closed cabin. Another interesting difference is you can literally smell the areas that you are passing over.

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Smith's Luau, Smith's Tropical Paradise

2011-01-30T01:52:00.000-08:00

The activity that is essential to of any classic Hawaii vacation is a Luau. Going and experiencing a little bit of Hawaiian culture is something that every visitor should do when visiting the islands. Some local food, dance and drinks will always lead to an enjoyable evening (for me). On Kauai, we have one of the most classic luaus that can be found anywhere in the state. It is owned by the Smith family and is set on their magnificent garden estate that is nestled into the banks of the Wailua River.

As we entered the Luau gardens we made our way through their picturesque archway. As soon as we entered we were greeted by a massive reflection pond that was surrounded by various gardens on all sides that extended over the horizon. There was a tram that was waiting just to the right of the entrance as we walked in. The tram driver was offering free tours of the gardens which sounded like a good idea, so we jumped on.

Our drivers narration was amazing! He was able to name every plant that we passed along the way. That feat is easier said then done, because the Smith Gardens are almost like a botanical Noahs Ark for everything that grows in Hawaii. They had every kind of Pineapple, Coconut, Macadamia Nut, fruit and flower that you could imagine.

The tour concluded at the imu pit. Early Hawaiians perfected the use of an underground oven called an imu many centuries ago, that has been used ever since. It’s concept is simple. You dig a pit. Then, next to the pit build a bonfire. Throw river stones into the bonfire until they are super heated. Meanwhile, wrap pigs, fish and poultry in banana leaves and season them with Hawaiian sea salt. Once the rocks are sufficiently heated, use tongs to pull them out of the fire and place them in the pit. Once all the rocks have been moved into the pit, pile the banana leave wrapped bundles of food on top of the rocks and then bury it all. Allow the bundles to cook underground with the rocks for the entire day and then uncover everything. The resulting is a slow roasting of any item that is placed in the imu. The pig comes out so tender that you can literally pick up the bone and all the meat will fall back onto the plate.

The Smith family had a beautiful imu pit, we watched as the luau workers dug up the pig that had been cooking all day. MC Kamika Smith narrated throughout the imu ceremony. After this was done, when the imu had been emptied, Kamika invited us to the dining hall for some drinks at the bottomless bar (unlimited free drinks).

The luau hall was a giant pavilion that had bars on two sides. There was a stage with live entertainment that we enjoyed. Our group conversed and sipped on our tropical beverages (MaiTais were the favorite drink of our table). After a couple rounds of drinks, our table was called to the luau buffet.

The luau buffet is always my favorite part of any luau. I grew up eating Poi, Kalua Pig, Poke, Teriyaki Chicken and Pulehu beef so I jump on any opportunity to have a crack at an all you can eat buffet that is stocked with all of my favorite foods. I made a mountainous plate that was absolutely saturated with Poi, grabbed another drink from the bar and made my way back to the table with an ear to ear grin across my face.

We enjoyed our plates of food as we watched a beautiful dance by one of the Smith sisters. The band played a few more songs before Kamika came on stage and informed everyone that the luau show would be starting in the amphitheater in a few minutes. We finished our drinks, then made our way over to get seated for the show.

The show at Smiths luau is my favorite part of the entire event. It was a Polynesian show, not a Hawaiian show. This means that they had not only the traditional dances from Hawaii, but they also had dances from: Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, New Zealand, Tahiti, the Philippines, Japan, China as well as a few other Polynesian locations. The show culminated with an amazing fire dancing display which was a crowd favorite. The skillful dancer was very talented at his profession, and I was able to snap some great photos.

I’ve been to many luaus across the state of Hawaii and it is rare to find one that has the sort of down home family feel that the Smith family Luau has. This luau has been a central part of what the Smith family has done for generations. The pride the family show in taking part of their family legacy is evident by the extreme attention to detail that is apparent in all aspects of the operation. From the extremely manicured gardens, to the caring attentiveness they show to the needs of their guests. When I watched Kamika Smith (the operations manager) do his duties throughout the night I could tell this is more then a job for him. This is his families’ legacy, and it is apparent that he takes an immense amount of pride in everything that happens here. All the hard work and effort that has been put into this luau by the Smiths over the years has paid off, because they have created one of the most quality Luaus that can be found anywhere in the entire state of Hawaii.

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Jake Barefoot
Vice President
Tom Barefoot's Tours

70 Minute Tour, Wings Over Kauai

2011-01-30T01:45:00.000-08:00

Today we did a trip that I think is one of the best values that we have on our entire site. We went on a 70 minute long air tour around the entire island of Kauai in a 6 passenger Airvan. This tour goes for a little over $120 (and it is also offered in a 2 passenger Cessna for the same rate). What you get for the cost is an exceptional value to say the least.

Today I woke up at my house in Lihue eager to get down to the airport to go on a flight I had scheduled a few days prior. My girlfriend is not so keen on flying; the huge passenger plane going to California and back makes her uneasy already. I’ve been trying to convince her to go on a helicopter ride for a long time but she is adamantly against the whole idea. However, I was able to convince her to fly in a small plane to see some waterfalls.

We got to the airport and met our pilot, Captain Bruce. Bruce is the owner of Wings Over Kauai and also does most of the flying. We began by going over the map of the island and he showed us the flight path that he normally does. After he was done showing us, he asked the group:

“I am willing to take you anywhere you want to go as long as it fits into our 70 minute flight plan, is there any special requests?”

The group agreed that the normal flight plan would probably be the best because we would get to see the Kipu Kai coastline, the Waimea Canyon, the Napali coastline as well as the Hanalei River Valley. It turned out to be a great call because as soon as we took off we got more then we bargained for.

Right after we took off from the Lihue Airport we were greeted by a pod of Humpback Whales that were playing in the waters off of Kipu Kai. We made a few circles over the whales (in opposite directions so passengers on both sides could see). Captain Bruce then eased the course of the plane towards the Waimea Canyon.

The Waimea Canyon was amazing. From an aerial perspective we were able to see all kinds of places that are hidden from view from anywhere on the ground. We saw some waterfalls (or to be more accurate, many series of waterfalls) that were absolutely gorgeous. After making a few passes on some of the highlights of the Waimea Canyon we moved on towards the Napali Coast.

The Napali Coastline is the fastest eroding coastline in the world. The cliffs resemble a drip castle that children make at the beach, but on a massive scale. These cliffs are well over 3000 feet tall and it is almost impossible to really even get a perspective on their actual size in any photograph, because they’re SO ENORMOUS.

After viewing the cliffs of Napali we moved on past the Hanalei Bay and up into the Hanalei River Valley. Here we saw a completely different kind of terrain, that was covered with one of the most lush forests that you’ll be able to find anywhere in the world.

After we finished our tour and landed I had a new found respect for airplane tours. We saw pretty much everything that I saw on the last helicopter flight that I took around Kauai, and the ride was amazingly smooth. I think what impressed me the most about the entire trip, more then the big windows, or the amazing scenery, was the fact that Captain Bruce asked us where we wanted to go. If I said, I want to fly over my house (which we did, but it was on the normal flight path), or I want to fly over my favorite surf break, or just circle around one waterfall for 45 minutes. Whatever I requested, Captain Bruce was ready and willing to make it happen.

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Jake Barefoot
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Tom Barefoot's Tours

SNUBA Tours of Kauai

2011-01-30T01:38:00.000-08:00

As we pulled up to the beach to go SNUBA diving in Poipu, I honestly had no idea what to expect. I've done quite a bit of SCUBA, Diving but I never did SNUBA before. When I was a kid I used to have a job as an assistant dive instructor for an intro dive company that operated off of the beach in South Maui. From my experiences working there I know that when you go diving from the beach, an experienced staff is very, very important.....and SNUBA has much more air hose involved then SCUBA so I was interested how they kept everyone from getting tangled up. As soon as we showed up, I could tell that I had nothing to worry about, these guys were pros.

Before we even got close to the water, we had a very thorough lesson covering all the basics of how to SNUBA dive. We went over the equipment, what it does, and how to use it and some of the common things to watch out for.

SNUBA Diving is very similar to SCUBA Diving except it is a bit simplified. Instead of carrying the SCUBA Tanks on your back you have them floating on a small raft. The regulator hose is extended to about 20 feet long. The SNUBA diver puts the regulator hose in their mouth and swims under the surface. The length of the hose determines how deep the SNUBA diver can go. Because the SNUBA system does not require the user to operate a buoyancy compensator and has a shallow maximum depth, it is easier, and safer to do.

As we got out in the water I was amazed how fast Simone picked up SNUBA diving. Within minutes she had her face under the water and was swimming around trying to get a better look at all the fish. The reef we explored in Poipu was shallow, which made it pretty easy to find the fish. At different times during the dive each one of us was completely surrounded by fish.

Our guide was right there with the group the whole time. He was not only making sure that everyone stayed safe throughout the trip, but he was also there make sure that everything was documented. He had a Sony HD camera in a massive marine housing that he was using to document the entire experience. When we got out of the water we got to see how dialed filming part of this operation really was.

The SNUBA Tours of Kauai van was outfitted with TV screens on the inside of it. Using this on-board video system we could get an instant preview of the video from the day as we were drying off. Some of the footage he captured was great!

As we were driving back home from the dive, I could not help but to replay the mornings events in my mind. I was absolutely amazed how well our guides were able to keep everyone safe and under control. With their two man team, they were able to make things as simple for the customers as going in the water, grabbing the regulator from the guides, (that was attached to a float that was already launched) and go diving. When the dive was done we just had to take the regulator off and give it back to the guide. It was so simple. I did not have to really deal with any: setup, breakdown, or launching of the floats. They made it so easy I think that almost anyone could do it!

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Jake Barefoot
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Secret Falls with Ali'i Kayaks

2011-01-12T23:12:00.000-08:00

When we checked in this morning at the Ali'i Kayaks office on the north side of the Wailua River, I knew it was going to be a wonderful day. It was one of those beautiful blue bird winter days with not a breath of wind in the air. After check in, we boarded the Ali'i Kayaks bus to make our way to the boat landing on the southern banks of the river.

As we pulled up to the boat launch, our guide was waiting for us with our kayaks. Before we launched the boats we were given some time to pack our boats and dry bags with our lunches as well as any belongings we wanted to stow. Our guide went over some of the fundamentals of paddling, as well as a detailed summary of what our days itinerary was going to entail. After our guide was done with the briefing and we all had our gear squared away, we dropped our boats in the river.

The paddle up the Wailua River was one of the most relaxing, "serene experiences" (as described by another member of our group) I have ever been a part of. The glassy, still water of the river and the calm, rhythmic stroke of the paddle almost put me in a state of trance as I just let myself enjoy the jungle views.

Our guide pointed out an ancient Hawaiian village on the banks of the river that was used in the making of the medical drama "Outbreak", starring Dustin Hoffman. He also pointed out some beautiful native and non-native plants and flowers that grew along the banks of the river. Before we got too tired, the first paddling portion of our trip ended as we pulled our boats onto the shores. The beach that we landed on was also the trail head of the path leading to the "Secret Falls".

We gathered our gear off of our boats before our guide pulled the boats onto the banks of the river for us. As soon as everyone and their boat was out of the river, we began our hike to the falls. The hike was an adventure in itself. The trail contained one major stream crossing, and the rest of it was made up of a moist single track trail. The trail was mostly shaded by the thick canopy of the jungle. The surface of the trail was muddy and we had to use extreme caution as we made our way up the hill, and closer to the waterfall.

Once we got to the falls, we were greeted by a massive waterfall with a strong flow that emptied into a swimming pool surrounded by jungle foliage. It was magnificent! I wasted no time and placed my belongings on the shore before I made my way down to the waterfall for a swim.

Some words of caution on swimming here: Swimming under and around waterfalls brings with it a certain set of risks. These include and are not limited to: slipping on the rocks, kicking or bumping the bottom of the pool or getting hurt by debris contained in the waterfall hitting you. To sum it up, be careful and realize that your taking a risk by swimming near waterfalls.

After I was done with my swim, and we all finished our meals we made our way back down the trail to our boats. From here our guide launched our boats for us. We then boarded them, and then began the paddle back to the boat landing near the mouth of the river. We took our time and enjoyed our paddle back up the river. When we got back to the landing, our guide loaded our boats back onto the trailer. The group loaded back in the bus for the ride back to the Ali'i Kayaks Headquarters.

We lucked out, we had an awesome trip, with perfect weather and a great guide. I enjoyed this tour so much that I might have to look into some kayaks or canoes on craigslist. I've loved paddling since I was a kid. I used to do canoe club in the Summers, this trip might have been just the motivation I needed to get back into it.

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Jake Barefoot
Vice President
Tom Barefoot's Tours

Evening Theater, Oceanside Productions

2011-01-12T21:06:00.001-08:00

The evening theater with Oceanside Productions is a delightful evening activity on the south shore of Kauai. Their comedic performance consistently puts smiles of the faces of their audience.

For more information click here

Kauai ATV Adventures

2011-01-12T20:58:00.000-08:00

When I was growing up, I always had a love for all things off road. I don't know if it was because my early childhood years were influenced by the monster truck racing that seemed to always be on TV, or if it had more to do with the childhood adventures on my mountain bike, or if it was a combination of the two. Whatever it was, if it was off-road, I was there. If it had a motor and it was off road, I was there even faster (probably fighting to get towards the front of the line). It was no accident that one of the first things I signed up to do upon arriving on Kauai, was Kauai ATV Tours.

We checked in at the Kauai ATV Tours office in old Koloa Town. Koloa Town used to be a hub of the once thriving sugar industry, but has since shrunk to a few shops and restaurants. After checking in, we were given a map to the ATV barn where we met our guide Pat.

Pat was a very nice guy that had a farm hand-ish sort of look and personality. He went over the basic operation of the ATVs as well as the two person buggies (which my girlfriend Simone and I elected to try). We also changed into some camouflage pants and t-shirts that were provided for us to use by Kauai ATV Tours. After we were all geared up, we started our engines and began our ATV adventure out on the ranch.

Pat explained that this ranch was once all a giant sugar plantation that extended for thousands of acres on both sides of the mountains. For years the owner of the plantation was forced to pay heavy fines because he had no other option but to use the states public roads to transport the sugar from the fields in Koloa and Poipu, to the mill in Lihue. Eventually, (because of the cost of the fines he was constantly paying the state) he decided that it would make more sense economically to dig a private tunnel through the entire mountain then it would to continue using the states roads. So he did exactly that, and brought in Chinese laborers to make it happen. The tunnel is still there to this day, and we got to drive through it during the ATV tour.

After we made it through the tunnel to the other side of the mountain, we continued our full throttle journey around a giant loop that took us all the way to theside of the highway in Puhi. After going parallel to the highway for a stretch we eventually turned and made a giant loop, but not before stopping for lunch.

Following Pats lead, we eased off of the gas and made our way down a small side trail. The trail led to a wooden pavilion that sat next to a picturesque waterfall. Pat unpacked our picnic lunches from the cooler that he had strapped to the cargo rack on his ATV. We spent about half an hour or so checking out the waterfalls and eating our sandwiches. In the back of my head I was kicking myself for not wearing my bathing suit, because the waterfall and the pool looked like it would make for a nice place to take a break from the hot Kauai sun.

After we all finished our lunches we got back on our off road vehicles and completed our loop around the ranch before we ended up back at the ATV barn. Here we hosed ourselves off in the shower and then changed back into our dry clothes that we were wearing when we checked in. After the tour we decided to go for a swim in the ocean at the nearby "Shipwreck Beach".

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Jake Barefoot
Vice President
Tom Barefoot's Tours

Tubing the ditch!

2011-01-12T20:47:00.000-08:00

Kauai Backcountry Adventures offers an inner-tubing tour in the mountains of Kauai. This tour is an action pact inner tube tour, with a historical twist.

When we checked in at the Kauai Backcountry Tours office in Hanama'ulu. After check in, we walked around the headquarters and checked out some of the informational plaques that were mounted on the walls. The plaques detailed the history of the ditches that the tubing tour goes through. The ditches were constructed during the sugar cane days of Hawaii in the early 1900's. These ditches were some of the first pieces of major infrastructure that were installed on Kauai by the European settlers. The gravity fed aqueduct system of Kauai is an engineering marvel, even by the engineering standards of today. The system meanders through lush jungle valleys and even tunnels through entire mountains at points to maintain the consistency of the mellow downhill slope that is essential to the flow of the entirely pump-less, gravity fed system. After we were done looking around the headquarters, our guide assembled the group to issue our equipment and go over some details of the trips itinerary.

We were issued helmets with headlamps on them so we could see in the dark going through the tunnels on our route. After our group was done getting fitted with helmets, we moved out to the front of the building where our other guide was waiting with a 6 wheeled military transport vehicle. The transport vehicle that had a trailer attached to the back of it that was loaded with giant inner tubes. We boarded the vehicle and began making our way up the hill towards our drop off point high up on the mountain.

Our guides pointed out where different films were shot on the ranch lands and jungles that bordered the road. The war films "Tropic Thunder" and "The Thin Red Line" were filmed in these fields. Also, the early 1990's Stephen Spielberg dinosaur classic "Jurrasic Park" had some scenes that were filmed here too. We stopped along the way at a scenic point where to took pictures and admired the views of the lush interior of Kauai.

Once we made it to our drop in point, our guides went over some last minute instructions before we began our journey down the man made stream. Right before we began our journey I remember wondering how cold it was going to be. I was pleasantly surprised to find our that while the water in the stream was colder then the ocean, it was not nearly as some chilling as the freshwater streams on Maui.

Our group leisurely pin balled its way down the ditch, enjoying the views of the jungle along the way. Our guide told us something was really helpful, he said:

"Today you cannot say sorry if you run into anyone".

This really helped to set a playful tone for the tour. Within about 2 minutes of being on the river the whole group was using their inner tubes like giant bumper boats, bouncing off the walls as well as the other members of the group.

We went through some sections where the current was faster then it was in others, but I think that the most exciting part of the tour was when we got to go through the tunnels. These tunnels were created when the methods of construction were still very primitive. They would have a team of workers tunnel towards each other from opposite sides of the mountain. Most of the time they were very good at lining the tunnels up so both of them met in the middle. However, there were some tunnels where they didn't meet in the center as planned and had to change course midway through the construction. This resulted in tunnels that ended up with an "S" shape to them. We went through one such tunnel. It was quite a thrill to bounce our way around the corners in the dark while we were floating in the giant inner-tubes.

At the end of our trip I think it was safe to say that we all had a good time. Everyone of all ages seemed to be smiling and I couldn't help but think to myself that I wanted to do this trip again. I think I will save it for next time some of my family from the mainland comes to visit, I know a few of them that would really enjoy this tour.

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Jake Barefoot
Vice President
Tom Barefoot's Tours

Circumnavigate Lanai, Ocean Riders

2010-12-28T14:58:00.001-08:00

We couldn't have had better weather to Circumnavigate Lanai with Ocean Riders then we did today. The seas were calm and it was very warm, but the partial clouds kept it from getting too hot. We had a great time on this trip. We saw whales, octopus as well as an enormous amount of fish and other marine life. We snorkeled at three different locations. Throughout the day we explored the entire coastline of Lanai including the over 1200 foot tall sea cliffs on the backside of Lanai....

For more information click here.

Dolphin Adventure, Captain Steves

2010-12-28T14:54:00.000-08:00

Today we had an amazing encounter with a pod of dolphins on Captain Steves Lanai Dolphin Adventure. They literally surrounded our boat for minutes on end. This experience is something I do not think I will ever forget.

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Lanai Dolphin Adventure, Maui Adventure Cruises

2010-12-17T19:31:00.000-08:00

Today we went over to the island of Lanai with Maui Adventure Cruises on their Lanai Dolphin Adventure. We experienced perfect weather and were lucky enough to see dolphins, sea turtles and whales. We got to snorkel at two different locations and got back to the harbor at about noon...

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Molokini Snorkel, Quicksilver Charters

2010-12-07T16:14:00.000-08:00

Today was one of those amazing Molokini days. The sun was out, the winds were calm and we had the privilege of going out with Quicksilver Charters on their Morning Molokini Snorkel Excursion. We saw some amazing marine life including a trigger fish that actually killed and ate a box jellyfish. It really was quite interesting experience.

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Father Damien Tour, Hawaii Expedition & Adventures

2010-11-21T01:20:00.000-08:00

The tour that we went on today with Hawaii Expedition and Adventures is perhaps one of the most unique as well as historic tours that we offer. We took a small plane to the island of Molokai where we did a tour of the Kalaupapa Leper Colony. This area was set aside by the state of Hawaii to serve as a quarantine zone for those that were infected with leprosy. Since its opening towards the end of the nineteenth century over 8000 patients lived and died here. What many people do not know is that this is still an active colony and at the time we went there were still 11 patients that live here.

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Complete Island Flight (Eco Star), Blue Hawaiian Helicopters

2010-11-21T01:12:00.000-08:00

Truly the best way to see Maui is from the air. This morning we got to get to go on a complete island flight with Blue Hawaiian Helicopters on their Eco Star helicopter that is the largest most comfortable model of sightseeing helicopter that is currently in production.

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Morning Horseback Ride, Makena Stables

2010-11-21T01:02:00.000-08:00

This morning we went for a horseback ride with Makena Stables. Their ranch is located on the southern tip of the island of Maui, right next to La Perouse Bay. The ride took us down along the coastline as well as high up onto the mountain where we were able to take in some incredible views of the south Maui coastline as well as the surrounding islands of Lanai, Kaoolawe and the Big Island.

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Luau, Polynesian Village

2010-11-21T00:47:00.000-08:00

The Polynesian Village Luau is a new luau that operates out of the Maui Lu hotel in North Kihei. The show has a very authentic feeling to it that seemed to be enjoyed everyone in attendance.

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Luau, Hyatt Regency

2010-11-21T00:31:00.000-08:00

We have been to this luau before and we were pleased to see that everything was just as we had remembered in our previous visits. The food and entertainment at the Hyatt Regency was exceptional.

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East Maui Waterfall & Rainforest, Hike Maui

2010-10-21T18:16:00.000-07:00

Today we went on the East Maui Waterfall and Rainforest Hike with Hike Maui. We were able to eat a variety of tropical fruit, walk through beautiful areas of rain forest and even go for a swim in a rain forest pool underneath a waterfall.

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Molokini Snorkel, Seafire Charters

2010-10-21T18:11:00.000-07:00

Seafire Charters took us on a three hour snorkel cruise. On this day we had such great weather we were able to snorkel at four different spots. We went inside Molokini Crater, along the backwall of Molokini, the shipwreck of the St Anthony, and Captain Dons favorite spot to see turtles.

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Molokini Snorkel, Lahaina Princess

2010-10-11T13:30:00.000-07:00

The Lahaina Princess departed from Lahaina Harbor to take us to Molokini to go snorkeling. After we were done snorkeling at Molokini we went to another snorkel spot called Turtle Point. This was in the Oluwalu area of West Maui and when we arrived the winds were very calm. As we were all snorkeling the crew of the Lahaina Princess set up the water trampoline. The trampoline was a blast and we all took turns bouncing and flipping off of it into the ocean.

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800 Foot Flight, West Maui Parasail

2010-10-10T12:13:00.000-07:00

Parasailing is perhaps one of the most classic vacation activities that we offer. There is little else in our selection of tours an activities that can match the thrill of parasailing for anywhere close to the price. Today we went out with West Maui Parasail on their 800 Foot Flight and it was quite an adventure to say the least.

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Morning Tradewind Sail, America II

2010-10-07T12:20:00.000-07:00

The America II is a world class racing yacht that was originally constructed to compete in the 1987 Americas Cup race. After this purpose built racer was retired from service at the end of the racing season she was retrofitted to be a sailboat charter vessel and now offers sailing trips out of Lahaina Harbor on Maui. Today we went out on their Morning Trade wind Sail.

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Ultralight Flight, Kauai Aerosports

2010-09-28T22:43:00.000-07:00

This trip with Kauai Aerosports was perhaps the most exilerating air tour I have ever been on in my life. That is saying a lot for someone who has been on luxury helicopters and airplanes all over the state of Hawaii. Although not for the faint of heart, this tour is bound to leave those who are brave enough to take it in a state of absolute awe...

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Napali & Ni'ihau, Blue Dolphin Charters

2010-09-26T22:37:00.000-07:00

This trip with the Blue Dolphin Charters was a bit different from most of the Napali Snorkel cruises because after they toured the Napali Coastline they set off across the channel to the island of Niiha'u and the nearby atoll Lehua. Here we were greated with some of the clearest water and some of the largest fish that can be found anywhere in the state. The weather conditions were excellent and it turned out to be a fabulous day.

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Wailele Luau, Westin Maui

2010-09-25T22:31:00.000-07:00

The Westin Wailele Luau left little to be desired when it came to the food, or the entertainment. Instead of the standard buffet, the Westin Luau has table service. All of the food and drinks will be brought to the table so your conversation and entertainment will not have to be broken up with trips to the bar to get another round. The location provides excellent views of the sunset and the entertainment was of very high quality.

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Napali Snorkel Excursion, Kauai Sea Tours

2010-09-22T22:25:00.000-07:00

The boat "Lucky Lady" that is operated by Kauai Sea Tours turned out to be ideal for this excursion up the Napali Coast. It is an ideal blend between a large power boat and a smaller sailing catamaran. We left from Port Allen Harbor early in the morning and made the cruise past the famous Western shoreline of Kauai. The trip starts out with a large stretch of sandy coastline which fades into some of the tallest, most beautiful sea cliffs you will find anywhere in the world...

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Napali Coast Snorkel, Captain Andy's

2010-09-21T18:27:00.000-07:00

Going snorkeling with Captain Andy's is always a treat. This company is one of the original companies to offer trips on the Napali Coastline on sailing catamarans. The crew was very attentive to the needs of the passengers and made sure that everyone was comfortable throughout. We were even able to put up the sails and do a downwind run on the way back. It was a fantastic day!

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Sunset Dinner Cruise, Spirit of Lahaina

2010-09-20T20:36:00.000-07:00

Going out of Lahaina Harbor and enjoying the four island view of the West side of Maui is always fun. Tonight the Spirit of Lahaina did not disappoint. The crew brought the first round of drinks around as soon as we got out of the harbor and the top deck made for a great place to take in the sunset with the islands of Maui, Molokai, Lanai, and Kahoolawe in the distance. On the back of the boat were large BBQ's where the crew prepared the nights meal...

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Napali Coast Snorkel, Catamaran Kahanu

2010-09-20T18:19:00.000-07:00

Going snorkeling on the Catamaran Kahanu felt more like going out on one of my friends private boats then most commercial charters do. The crew consisted of the Captain and the First Mate and the boat was large enough to be comfortable yet small enough to be able to tour very close to the shoreline. The crew shared some fantastic stories and facts about the area throughout and I think it is very safe to say that I was not the only one on the boat that had a good time.

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Sunset Dinner Sail, Holo Holo Charters

2010-09-19T18:10:00.000-07:00

Today we went on a Dinner Cruise with Holo Holo Charters. This cruise took a very scenic route that went along the Napali Coastline. This stretch of coastline is one of the most beautiful areas in the world and has been chosen as the set for many Hollywood films. We enjoyed dinner and cocktails as we took in the sunset over the island of Ni'ihau.

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Molokini Express Early AM, Kai Kanani

2010-09-09T01:07:00.001-07:00

This early express morning snorkel trip with the Kai Kanani left from the Makena area and was able to take us out to Molokini as well as Turtle Town and have us back by 9:00am. The large catamaran provided plenty of deck space for the group to spread out as well as easy entry into the water from the swim step in the front or the gate on the side.

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Learning to Wakesurf, Wake Maui

2010-09-08T23:00:00.000-07:00

Wake Maui is a company that offers wakeboarding and wakesurfing tours off of the western coastline of Maui. Although they have been around for a while I have never been out with them before. I elected to try the wakesurf board and I was impressed with how fun and easy it was. Wake Maui offers private as well as shared wake boarding sessions.

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Molokini & Turtle Arches Snorkel, Aqua Adventures

2010-09-07T17:59:00.000-07:00

Going snorkeling with Aqua Adventures was a great start to what turned out to be an amazing day. We experienced smooth sailing on the way out to Molokini and excellent water clarity upon arrival. After we were done with our snorkeling here the boat continued on to turtle arches. We spent some time here swimming through the arches and observing the sea turtles.

For more information click here.

Deep Sea Fishing, Kai Akua Sportfishing Charters

2010-09-01T01:31:00.000-07:00

This morning I met the "Kai Akua" at the Lahaina Harbor hours before the sun came up to embark on their deep sea sports fishing charter. The fisherman of Hawaii rely on deep sea buoys known as FAD's (fish aggregation devices) to attract the majority of the fish that are caught. The buoys provides shelter and the algae that grows on the cable provides food for small marine creatures. The larger pelagic (carnivorous) fish that are sought after by sports fisherman are commonly found around these buoys feeding on these creatures. Today we went to the SO buoy that is located far off of the southern coastline of Lanai. We got lucky and landed quite a few Mahi-Mahi.
For more information click here...

Turtle Town Snorkel, South Pacific Kayaks

2010-08-28T10:07:00.000-07:00

Today we went out with South Pacific Kayaks on their 3 Hour Turtle Town Kayak Snorkel. We enjoyed a leisurely cruise out to our snorkel spot which took a little less then half an hour. We actually didn't go to the snorkel spot we were initially going to because we encountered a group of turtles that were surfacing near us. The water was so clear that we could see them swimming all around us and the group figured that it would be an opportune time to go for a snorkel. The guide told us where some interesting were as we geared up and got in the water. We saw the turtles, large schools of fish and some really interesting caves and coral formations on this first snorkel spot as well as on our second.

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Molokini SCUBA Dive, Lahaina Divers

2010-08-20T16:34:00.000-07:00

Today we went SCUBA Diving at Molokini with Lahaina Divers. I had not been SCUBA diving for about a year so I was really excited for this dive. We left from Lahaina and made our way out to Molokini. Here we went on two different dives. Both of them were incredible but the second dive I must say earned a spot on my top ten career dives. The sheer amount of fish that we say was nothing short of incredible. We saw schools of Jack, Reef Shark and much more...

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Luau, Grand Wailea

2010-08-19T16:25:00.000-07:00

The Luau at the Grand Wailea was quite an event. The Luau started out with some time to peruse around the vendors that were selling various souvenirs as well as Hawaiian cultural exhibits and games. After this the Luau Buffet was unveiled and then the show started. It turned out to be a very nice evening.

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Doors Off Helicopter Ride, Alex Air Helicopters

2010-08-19T16:11:00.000-07:00

Going on a helicopter is always an amazing experience. However, going on a Doors Off Helicopter Ride with Alex Air Helicopters really takes it to a whole new level. With the doors off you have winds upwards of 80 miles per hour rushing through the cabin. The thing that really was quite nice that I hadn't foreseen is that these winds carry with them the smells of everything you are passing over. I noticed this at first when we flew over a massive field of wild ginger and the whole cabin instantly smelled like wild Awapuhi Shampoo. If you are not afraid of heights and are looking for the more adventurous route then this is the way to go.

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Luau, Makena Luau

2010-08-18T16:05:00.000-07:00

The Makena Luau had a show that was very entertaining. It began right as the sun set and the moon was rising in the backdrop. The entertainment consisted of a wide variety of traditional dances from all over Polynesia. There were acts from Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, Tahiti, Hawaii and more.

For more information click here

Lanai Snorkel Adventure, Paragon Sailing Charters

2010-08-17T15:52:00.000-07:00

Going to Lanai with Paragon Sailing Charters is always a treat. This spacious 47' catamaran is one of the fastest sailboats around with maximum sailing speeds well over 20 knots. Today we were fortunate enough to run into a pod of over two hundred dolphins not only on the way over, but on the way back too!

For more information please click here

Jet Ski Rentals, Pacific Jet Sport

2010-08-16T15:41:00.000-07:00

Renting a Jet Ski from Pacific Jet Sport is something that I have been meaning to do for quite some time. Almost every time I drive out past Kaanapali I see the jet ski riders speeding around the Pacific Jet Sport platform splashing around and think to myself "I should do that next time". Well, I decided to give it a try and made a reservation and it turned out to be a blast.

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UFO Parasail, Deluxe Ride

2010-08-03T11:18:00.000-07:00

Today we went out with UFO Parasail on their deluxe trip that lets out 800 feet of line from the back of the boat. The views were incredible, we could see far into the valleys above and deep into the crystal clear blue water far enough to make out most of the reef formations near the shoreline. The ride can be done single or tandem, and you have the option of going for a "dip" as well as doing a "freefall" during the ride.

For more information about UFO Parasail click here

Pride of Maui, Morning Molokini Trip

2010-05-05T17:17:00.000-07:00

We just got back from going on the Pride of Maui on their Morning Molokini trip. We had a great time snorkeling at Molokini and Turtle Gardens. We saw a baby Turtle, went on the waterslide, checked out the glassbottom window, ate a BBQ and enjoyed a cocktail on the way home. It was quite and eventful morning! -Jake Barefoot
Click Here For More Information About This Tour...

Ekahi Tours, Hana Adventure

2010-04-25T14:33:00.000-07:00

On Friday I went out with Ekahi Tours on their road to Hana Adventure. The tour picked up early in the morning and started out by viewing some surfing beaches on the north shore of Maui. From here we worked our way east and made our way into the rain forest of Hana. The tour continued all the way around to the backside of the island where we were able to see the desert lands of Kaupo and Kanaio before we made our final stop for some wine tasting at the Tedeschi Vineyard. -Jake Barefoot

Maui Ocean Center Aquarium

2010-04-24T15:25:00.000-07:00

My father and I recently went to the Maui Ocean Center to check it out the Aquarium Admission Package. We literally saw thousands of species. There were all kinds of fish, jelly fish, sharks, rays, turtles, star fish and more. Some of the exhibits that we enjoyed the most were the giant walk through tanks that had huge sharks rays and Ulua inside. We got there just in time for the feeding. Being able to see these large ocean predators eat was really cool. The jellyfish tank, and the touch tank were also very interesting. This aquarium was especially interesting for me because to have the opportunity to be able to see all of the fish close up in an aquarium setting really helped me improve my fish identification skills. I will definitely be returning the next time I have family in town because the aquarium is a must do for children. -Jake Barefoot

Tom & Jake Barefoot Go Paragliding - Proflyte Hawaii

2010-02-12T10:49:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I went paragliding with Proflyte Hawaii on their 3000ft trip and it was one of the most incredible experiences I've ever had. We started off running down a grassy hill and then took off and flew over an entire forest. I went tandem with a pilot that was controlling everything. He was sitting in the back and I was sitting in the front. It was easy I didn't have to do anything except for run about fifty feet and the best part about it was my dad was flying right there with me! -Jake Barefoot
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Four Winds, Morning Molokini Trip

2010-02-10T18:16:00.000-08:00

Today I went out on the Four Winds Two on their Morning Molokini Snorkeling Trip out to the island of Molokini. We saw so many whales that I couldn't believe it! This mother Humpback did some of the most extended breaches I have ever seen Almost her entire body came completely out of the water. -Jake Barefoot
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Air Maui, West Maui/Molokai Helicopter Flight

2010-02-03T18:11:00.000-08:00

Today I went on a helicopter flight with Air Maui Helicopters from Maui over to Molokai and back. We saw waterfalls, immense jungle valleys, the highest seacliffs in the world, the Kalaupapa leper colony and even giant Manta Rays off the southern shore. -Jake Barefoot
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Maui Kayaks, Whale Watching

2010-01-29T13:42:00.000-08:00

Today I went out on Maui Kayaks whale watching excursion from the Oluwalu area with my step-brother Justin. We had an amazing time snorkeling with turtles and sharks and even having an extremely close encounter with a mother Humpback whale and her calf. -Jake Barefoot
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Maui Downhill, Sunrise

2010-01-28T13:36:00.000-08:00

Today we went up and saw the sunrise from the rim of the Haleakala with Maui Downhill and then rode bikes down from the entrance of the Haleakala National Park. Here are some sections of our ride. -Jake Barefoot
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Safari Boat Excursions to Lanai

2010-01-27T20:40:00.000-08:00

Today my friend Bill and I went out on Safari Boat Excursions to Lanai. It was Kona winds so Captain Dave took us to the North side of Lanai to see whales and explore the shipwreck of a World War Two era "Liberty Ship" that was used to bring supplies throughout the Pacific theater during the war. We also had some very close encounters with a pod of whales on the way over which you can see in the video below. - Jake Barefoot

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Kahoma Ranch ATV/Waterslide Tour

2010-01-21T16:45:00.000-08:00

Today we did something really exciting.....we went out with Kahoma Ranch Tours on their ATV/Water slide Tour. We drove the side by side 4x4 Polaris ATV's up the hill to a reservoir that had some pretty exciting waterslides going into it as well as a floating platform and some kayaks.
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New Product: Grand Wailea Spa

2010-01-18T15:00:00.000-08:00

We now have a new Spa that we are offering on Maui. The Grand Wailea Spa has an immense variety of spa packages including massage, facials, body wraps and more.
-Jake Barefoot
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Aloha Blue Bottom Fishing

2010-01-18T14:52:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite things to do is to go fishing. I like to fish from a Kayak, from shore, go sportfishing off a fishing boat in the deep sea, spearfish. Any kind of fishing count me in. Today we went out with Aloha Blue Charters to go bottom fishing. One of the nice parts of this trip is the crew of the boat allows you to take whatever fish you catch home with you to eat. This worked out great for us because we didn't just fish, we caught. We caught not only one, but two yellow spotted Papio. These fish are a smaller cousin of the Giant Trevally (Ulua). The larger of the two was just over 10lbs and made for a delightful dinner.
-Jake Barefoot

Haleakala Bike Company

2010-01-18T14:45:00.000-08:00

One of my college buddies was visiting and we used to go mountain biking together quite a bit in our Southern Oregon University days. We wanted to go on a ride but were looking for something a little less "tame" then the guided bike rides so we opted to check out Haleakala Bike Companies unguided tour where they drop you off and you can ride down at your own pace. This made for a very different experience, we could go at our own pace (which in our case was FAST!) but the downside was we had to be very alert to the traffic and hazards in the road. We paid attention, rode safe and had a great time!
-Jake Barefoot
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Valley Isle Excursions

2009-12-22T14:39:00.000-08:00

Today I (Jake Barefoot) had a friend visiting and we thought it would be a good idea to take advantage of the Kona winds and go for a tour of the Hana side of the island with Valley Isle Excursions. Normally with our typical trade winds the Hana side of the Island is very wet with rain almost every afternoon. However during Kona winds the wind comes in from the Southwest and the Hana side of the island becomes very clear and sunny. Check out how nice it was in the video clip below.
-Jake Barefoot
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Gemini Snorkeling

2009-12-19T14:31:00.000-08:00

Today was a different kind of day on the Gemini, we were experiencing Kona winds that make the leeward sides of the island which is normally very sunny and nice rather cloudy and windy. This made it so the conditions of dive spot that is normally gone to were less then ideal. Luckily for us our experienced Captain had a backup plan. We went to a reef off of Mala in the Lahaina area. There used to be a large pier there that was destroyed during the hurricane in 1992. Over the years since the piers collapse the coral reef has taken over the concrete debris and an entire thriving Eco system has developed here. The video below shows some snorkeling as well as some whale watching that we did on the way back from the dive site. Even with the less then ideal weather we still managed to have an amazing day!
-Jake Barefoot
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Lani Kai

2009-12-18T14:27:00.000-08:00

Today we went out with the Friendly Charters on their boat the Lani Kai. This was a private trip for the production crew of "Best of America on Horseback" we went out to Molokini and did some snorkeling, I brought a waterproof camera on the trip. This is a bit of what I saw.
-Jake Barefoot
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Lahaina Stables

2009-12-15T14:22:00.000-08:00

Today we went out with Lahaina Stables for a morning horseback ride. We saw some amazing views, rode way back up in the valley to a reservoir. The horses were very clean and well behaved, we had a great time!
-Jake Barefoot
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Jaws "Peahi" is HUGE!

2009-12-08T14:14:00.000-08:00

Today we stepped away from our regular schedule of going on activities for something different. We had a swell that was forecast to bring the largest waves Maui has seen in fifty years. While the forecast of the wave size was a bit exaggerated the waves were still giant. A friend of mine who owns a fishing boat was hired to take out the Red Bull film crew for the day. He called me up and invited me to come along because there was still one extra seat left on the boat. I jumped on the opportunity and went along for the day. This is one of the best waves that we saw today, from the perspective of the boat and then from the perspective of the cliff where our Sales Manager Seth Cutts was able to get a shot of the same wave from where the crowd of spectators collects at the base of the pineapple fields.
-Jake Barefoot

Mountain Riders

2009-12-04T14:09:00.000-08:00

Today I (Jake Barefoot) had a friend visiting from Alaska and we decided it would be fun to go for a bike ride down the crater with Mountain Riders. Sure enough we were greeted with wonderful weather that made for a very relaxing cruise down the mountain.
-Jake Barefoot
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Maui Sporting Clays

2009-12-03T14:00:00.000-08:00

Today my Dad (Tom Barefoot) and I (Jake Barefoot) went out shooting with Maui Sporting Clays. This shooting range is located on the southern side of the island above Makena at the end of a long private road. The range is constructed in an ancient volcanic crater, with many stations spotted throughout the perimeter as well as in the center. I have limited shotgun shooting experience, mainly from shooting with my Uncles while visiting them in Texas. David the Owner of Maui Sporting Clays was able to help out my shooting technique and scores with some simple tips. When I started I was having trouble hitting one of the two clays that were thrown at a time and when I was done I was routinely hitting both clays in the pair.
-Jake Barefoot
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Atlantis Submarines

2009-12-02T13:48:00.000-08:00

Today I went on the Maui Oddessy Submarine trip with Atlantis Submarines off of the coast of Lahaina. Our dive site was the shipwreck of the ancient whaling boat the "Cartheginian" that used to be moored in front of Lahaina Harbor until it was sunk some years ago. The wreck was full of fish, we saw some large schools of reef fish, a few white tipped reef sharks and even a large Blue Trevally (Omilu). The submarine is unique because it allows the riders to stay at depths of over a hundred feet for more then half an hour because of the fully pressurized cabin. To put it in perspective the recommended amount of time you can stay at this depth with conventional scuba gear is about five minutes.
-Jake Barefoot
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Inter-Island Airways, Maui to the Volcano

2009-12-01T13:36:00.000-08:00

Today my Dad (Tom Barefoot) and I did something a little different we went with Inter-Island Airways to the Big Island. The trip began at the commuter terminal of the Kahului airport on Maui where we met our plane and disembarked for the Hilo international airport. We viewed the Hamakua Coast on the way over and then checked out the Volcano's National Park and the Thurston Lava Tube. This trip showed us so much in one afternoon, a great choice for anyone who is curious about the volcano but does not have a great deal of time to work with. - Jake Barefoot
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Maui Mountain Cruisers

2009-11-17T19:08:00.000-08:00

Today's ride with Mountain Riders was a little bit different. It was one of those days where plans turn to spontaneity. We had traveled up to the top of the mountain to capture another time lapse video of the sunrise. The weather was not very cooperative and the time lapse didn't seem to be going very well while we were making it, it was wet and I kept having to wipe dew off of the camera and eventually gave up before the sun was clearly visible above the clouds. Then right as we were getting ready to leave the clouds suddenly parted leaving a magnificent view of the new days sun for everyone to see. Check out the video we got of it!
-Jake Barefoot
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For more information, to see more videos, or to make a booking: Please click here

Cruiser Phil's Bikes

2009-11-10T14:45:00.000-08:00

Today me and my Dad traveled up to the top of Haleakala with Cruiser Phil's bike rides to see the sunrise over the crater and then ride bikes back down. The sunrise was amazing (as you can see in the movie below!) If you have any questions about our trip please leave it as a comment on this post.
-Jake Barefoot
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For more information, to see more videos, or to make a booking: Please click here

Flyin Hawaiian Zipline

2009-11-04T16:40:00.001-08:00

Flyin Hawaiian Ziplines is the most recent zipline course to be added to our inventory. It just so happens to be the longest one in the whole state at over three thousand feet long! There were seven ziplines total and the maximum speed was over 65 mph.

Here is one of my favorite parts of this trip, the longest line!
-Jake Barefoot
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For more information or to make a booking or look at more videos: Click Here

Pi'iholo Ranch Zipline

2009-11-04T16:06:00.000-08:00

The Pi'iholo Ranch Zipline is located in the beautiful upcountry region of Maui just up the hill from Makawao town. This course is home to the largest double zipline in the state. The video below shows me going down it with my Dad (Tom Barefoot) in front of me on the other line.
-Jake Barefoot
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For more information, to watch more videos or to make a booking: Click Here

Pacific Whale Foundation - Wild Dolphin & Snorkel

2009-11-04T16:05:00.000-08:00

The next trip that we did was the Lanai wild dolphin and snorkel with the Pacific Whale Foundation. This trip leaves from Lahaina to go over and explore the waters off of the island of Lanai. Most of the time dolphins are spotted, as you can see in the video below, we saw plenty!
-Jake Barefoot
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For more videos, information or to make a booking for this tour: Click Here

Bike It Maui

2009-11-04T16:04:00.000-08:00

Me and my Dad went on the sunrise trip with Bike It Maui. This was a smaller company that had very personable guides. It was a rough wake up to make it to the 2:30AM pick up that took us up to the top of the mountain to see the sunrise. Luckily when we arrived at the summit the clouds were low enough to get a good view of the sunrise. My apologies for the shaky camera, I forgot my tripod and it was cold!
-Jake Barefoot
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To get more information about this tour, see more videos or make a booking: Click Here

Skyline Eco Adventure Zipline, Kaanapali

2009-11-04T16:03:00.000-08:00

The Kaanapali zipline course with Skyline Eco Adventures is nestled in the hills above the Wahikuli area. These zipline harnesses attach on one point which allows the riders to spin around and view the entire area. The guides were a lot of fun as well.
-Jake Barefoot
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To see more videos, find more information or book this tour: Click Here

Kapalua Adventures

2009-11-04T16:02:00.000-08:00

The Kapalua Zipline Adventures zipline tour is located in the hills above the majestic Honolua Bay. A large off road military troop carrier transports you up the hill in style. In addition to ziplines they also have a challenge course.
-Jake Barefoot
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To find more information or to make a booking for this tour: Click Here

Skyline Eco Adventure Zipline, Haleakala

2009-11-04T16:01:00.000-08:00

The Skyline Eco Adventures Haleakala course was the original zipline course on Maui. It has the single point harnesses that allow rotation and it has the only zipline on the island that is designed to go both forward and backwards. Here is a video that we made with a combination of camera angles, one being mounted on my Dad (Tom Barefoot)
-Jake Barefoot
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Low Price Guarantee

2009-11-04T16:00:00.000-08:00

Today we never had a tour set up and we wanted to test one of our new camera methods so we made this video describing our "Low Price Guarantee". Next week we will be doing some more bike tours down Haleakala. Please subscribe to our blog and comment on our posts with questions or suggestions so we can make continue making the quality of these postings rise as we move into the future.

To find out more about the "Low Price Guarantee" click here