• Fern Grotto landing • Fun visit despite rain Fern Grotto landing I am having trouble getting excited about the rush to repair the Fern Grotto pier. Really, I do wish that the good folks at Smith’s can get back
• Fern Grotto landing
• Fun visit despite rain
Fern Grotto landing
I am having trouble getting excited about the rush to repair the Fern Grotto pier.
Really, I do wish that the good folks at Smith’s can get back to earning their livlihoods, but I’m angry that the million-plus dollars awarded last year to improve the park and this repair expenditure do not benefit me.
I found this out the hard way when my husband and I attempted to take our then-three-year-old kayaking on the gentle waters of the Wailua. When we went to lift our daughter to safety, we were told by boat personnel to “take our cargo” elsewhere. We proceeded to lift her ashore on the slippery, muddy bank. We would never have tied our kayaks to the dock, for fear of blocking a boat slip, but were confused that our daughter was referred to as “cargo” and subjected to a more dangerous landing when the docks were wide open at that time.
A call to the DLNR confirmed that boat personnel were partially correct: Apparently, the State owns the dock, so perhaps we could have used it, but there is no legal access to the park for those not purchasing a diesel boat ticket, so what’s the point? Another confusing thing was that a familiar State Parks sign greeted us onshore which read “Wailua River State Park – Fern Grotto area.” Whenever I see this, I presume that I, a taxpayer, am welcome.
Thus, the only reason to spend the money to improve the park and repair the pier appears to be to benefit tourists and a private company. If anyone can help me understand this issue further, I would appreciate it.
Mary Alexander
Wailua Homesteads
Fun visit despite rain
Our family visited your beautiful island for one week just after Christmas and are now back at home in Toronto, Ontario (Canada).
Despite a fairly rainy week, we had a wonderful time and marveled at the spectacular scenery and landscape of your island.
One of the many highlights for our two boys, aged 10 and 6, was our visit to the Kaua’i Children’s Discovery Museum. The KCDM was the perfect spot for
them to spend a few hours, especially when waiting out the rain. There were activities and exhibits to interest both of them.
They especially enjoyed solving the “maritime mystery” about a sailor’s journal.
We hope to return to Kaua’i for a vacation at the earliest opportunity and will always make a visit to the KCDM a part of our itinerary.
P.S. The treasure chest of toys our son won yielded so many toys that we left some behind with a family that we met near the museum. Some of the remaining toys will find their way to needy children around the world via a donation to one of the many toy drives that operate in Toronto throughout the year, including the recent ones for the Indian Ocean tsunami victims.
Karen and Victor Figueiredo
Toronto
