Queen's Bath
Jeff and I visited Queen's Bath twice durring our week's stay in Kauai. It's a beautiful natural pool carved out of lava rock, next to the open ocean. Its water is refreshed constantly when the surf crashes up against and over the lava rock and flows into the pool, also bringing in a variety of fish. Don't forget your snorkel!
The trail, only a short mile from our condo in Princeville, travels steeply down a bluff, through a thick luscious jungle, and past a couple of small waterfalls.
The trail then opens up onto a lava-rich coast. At first, we had mistaken the first pool (not shown) at the trails-end for Queen's Bath. It was rough and unswimmable. We sat and watched the unforgiving ocean pound on the lava.... the water was building, rushing, crashing, splashing, spraying... and resting... it was quite mesmorizing. After spotting a sea turtle, we decided to hike west along the lava rock to explore the coast.
We eventually came to the true Queen's Bath. And I have to tell you.... we felt like royalty. These pictures are from our second visit to Queen's bath, when the surf was more gentle.
Floating in calm ocean water is so relaxing.
The first time we brought snorkel gear and Jeff and I attempted to "round-up" the fish. We hearded the fish all to the back of the pool. We felt like we were in charge, but I don't think the fish cared too much about us.
The water pouring over the lava rocks into the pool.
We spotted another sea turtle just out side of the pool in the open ocean.
And then we spotted three ocean canoes headed east from Hanalei Bay.
A morning veiw of the Hanalei Mountains from Queen's Bath.
The sign at the end of the trail. Don't come here in the fall or winter, or a rogue wave may knock you off of the seemingly safe lava rocks, bang you up, then take you out to sea. You'd be like a ball of yarn in the paws of a playful kitten.
Darn it. Queens Bath. We'll have to do that one next time, I guess!
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