Hanalei is a beautiful town. It's a fairy tale-- lush mountains with waterfalls cascading; blue sea with waves rolling; good coffee; inspiring yoga; delicious foods; it just has an all around good time vibe. And a great way to view Hanalei is from the Okolehao Trail in the Hanalei River Valley Wildlife Refuge, which is just over the one lane bridge and beyond the taro fields. 

Cook Pines and fluffy grass stand tall at the first clearing along the Okolehao Trail, Hanalei, Kauai, Hawaii

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Peeking through the pines. Hanalei Bay and Makana Ridge lies farther in the distance. Hanalei, Kauai, Hawaii

The view from the Okolehao Trail just gets better and better. The "snout" like protrusion at the north end of Hanalei Bay is said to be the head of Puff the Magic Dragon made famous in Peter, Paul and Mary's song of the same name. The trail actually continues on up the ridge from here, but becomes exceedingly difficult as the pitch increases and the ridge steepens. Hanalei, Kauai, Hawaii

I like the this fluffy grass. It grows in patches all along the trail. Hanalei, Kauai, Hawaii

Cook Pines in morning light. This is probably my favorite section of trail. The cook pines are so fresh and green! Hanalei, Kauai, Hawaii

Interlude.

If you are in Hanalei in the evening then you must spend a little time at Hanalei Bay. And Hanalei Bay on a summer evening means watching sunset at the Hanalei Pier. This is a tradition for locals and visitors alike. In general, the locals park right of the pier and tailgate on the beach. Visitors park in the lot and take their chairs and coolers and set up left of the pier. Either way, it's all good. As a photographer, the scene can be quite challenging. There's a lot of people enjoying the day, one another's company and, of course, Kauai's beauty. But all that means is you just have to be a little creative with your perspective and camera angles. 

The world is a big and wonderful place. Hanalei Bay, Kauai, Hawaii

​Together. Hanalei Bay, Kauai, Hawaii

Aloha Po (Hana Ho!). Hanalei Bay, Kauai, Hawaii

Aloha,

lee