L&B Hawaii

H a w a i i

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Kaua'i

At first glance you would think you are looking at a part of the Grand Canyon of the American Southwest. Indeed, it is widely quoted that Mark Twain consider Waimea Canyon the Grand Canyon of the Pacific.

Waimea Canyon

The north-south trending Waimea Canyon is the centerpiece of Kokee State Park and is the central feature of the western interior of the island. The 3000 foot deep canyon may not have the depth of the mile deep Grand Canyon and may be less than a third the age of the 200 million year old Southwestern cousin, but it is no less impressive given where you are.

Samuel Cements, aka Mark Twain, did visit Hawaii in the 1860's. He toured Oahu, Maui and the Big Island of Hawaii, but he did not visit Kauai. His quote may be more tourism marketing than actual fact. However, the similarity between Waimea Canyon and the Grand Canyon is striking.

Both photos were taken from lookouts along Kokee Road (Route 550).

Photos: 2000 A.D.
The heat and humidity produced the far field haze you see in both photos.

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LIHUE, KAUAI