Happy Lei Day! Visit to Hanapepe

Swinging over the River, Sushi, Bookstore and Art

The Hanapepe River begins on Mount Kawaikini, at 1628 meters (5243 feet) the highest point on Kauai. The river itself is the third longest. The town of Hanapepe was not a plantation town. Located at the mouth of the river, it was originally home to both native Hawaiians raising taro and Chinese immigrants raising rice. It has never been incorporated, though once thriving with port facilities here shipped out sugar. Bars and opium dens satisfied the demands of sailors. Salt pans here were developed by the original people.

Aerial View of Hanapepe. Credit: WikiCommons

Today Hanapepe is an art town, with a bookstore, famous sushi restaurant, a swinging bridge, and small shops. Friday nights are most popular and reservations at Japanese Grandma’s are recommended.

The old town is nestled in the bend of the river, connected to the north shore by this swinging bridge.

The bridge is reached from the Main Street by following this sign:

Let me wish each of you a Happy Lei Day! May 1st is Lei Day, a symbol of aloha, celebrated since 1928.

Last night on the way to the swinging bridge a local lady, who didn’t want her picture published (“For your use only please”), was making and selling leis. The price: “whatever you wish.”

They were so sweet I couldn’t resist. She gave me extra flowers as well, including a small pua kini, a very sweet smelling little flower. Adorned the ladies with leis we ventured out on the bridge.

In addition to the several quality art galleries (check open hours, best is Friday night from 5-7), the craft shops are quite nice here, with ceramics, Niihau Shell leis, and creative Knick-knacks such as these Zen Clocks.

“A zen clock reminds us of one simple thing: it is always now.”

The Niihau shell lei are extraordinary, made only on the forbidden island of Niihau from shells only found on Niihau. I may cover Niihau in a future journal, it is a fascinating story.

My favorite spot in Hanapepe is this old book store. It was closed yesterday but I hope to return on Friday night. A great source for unusual books about Hawaii, and particularly the local history and geology of Kauai. Yes I’m a book nerd, thank you!

Do you remember the book “The Thorn Birds” and its television serialization? The 1977 novel by Colleen McCullough was turned into a CBS miniseries in 1983, featuring Richard Chamberlain, Rachel Ward, Barbara Stanwyck, Christopher Plumber, and many others.

Above is the Serikawa Hotel, built in 1921. Meals and lodging were $3/night. It was used as the set for a hotel in Queensland, Australia in the Thornbirds.

Grandma’s sushi was wonderful, served outside under an awning as the gentle warm rains nourished the Garden Island. We vowed to return on Friday for Hanapepe Art Night.

Thank you for joining us as we explore this lovely island!

Footnote: I want to acknowledge my inadequacies here, which are many, and apologize to any true experts. I am a student of the universe, not a teacher, and I am sharing my perceptions. Some of my perceptions may be different than those of others. I have found several excellent source books, and continue to look for more. Sometimes the sources conflict, and, more often, sometimes I misunderstand or misinterpret. But I am thankful to have you along to share my journey and appreciate any corrections or thoughts you may have.

Here are some of the sources I am using in this series about Kauai:

The Ultimate Kauai Guidebook, Andrew Doughty, 12th edition, 2022.

Kauai’s Geologic History, Chuck Blay and Robert Siemens, 2013 updated edition by TEOK Investigations. This is an incredible book.

The Story of Kōloa, A Kaua’i Plantation Town, Donald Donohugh, 2001. A detailed and amazing work focusing just on this part of Kauai.

Images of America: Kauai, Stormy Cozad, 2008. Full of historic photos and excellent notes.

As Uncle Rick would say, “Keep on Travelin!’”