by Elizabeth Jardina, Sunset researcher
On the very western edge of Hawaii's westernmost island, you'll find a plush, 3-mile-long strip of golden sand.
Kauai's Polihale State Park reopened weekend before last. Heavy rains closed it in December, and stuck by a budget crunch, the state department of land and natural resources said it didn't have the funds to repair the washed-out road.
That's where a group of dedicated island volunteers came in. In a few weeks, using donated materials and labor, the volunteers regraded the road and helped repair broken water fixtures, as well as cut back overgrown vegetation and removed trash.
Visiting Kauai last week, I hadn't planned to head out to Polihale until we were in the state building to get a permit to hike part of the legendary Kalalau Trail. Everyone else in the office was a local, getting a permit to camp at Polihale. It went on the to-do list.
It is true, I am no conoisseur of beaches; a smidge of melanoma on my left arm removed 10 years ago—a dark, malevolent comma—left me resigned to the reality of vacations coated with a ghostly smear of sunscreen.
Those people who go on beach vacations wearing ridiculously protective hats and excessively technical clothing, the kind with built-in SPF 45? Hi. That's me.
So at a truly magnificent beach like Polihale, I'm a teetotaler on
a Wine Country getaway: aware that the vineyards are pretty, but
without a true devotee's understanding.
On the other hand, if I were the sort of person who liked to, for example, lie on a beach, towel warmed by the sun, feeling the softness of fluffy sand under me, perhaps reading a trashy novel, conveniently adjacent to a cooler of frosty beverages, I'd head for Polihale posthaste.
Because, the other people at the beach that day were living the life: Tents set up on the sand, families gathered for afternoon picnics, kids splashing in the water. There's only one spot in Polihale where it's safe to swim, Queen's Pond, a tiny pocket of reef-protected aqua water, calm as a bathtub, surrounded by crashing waves.
For Hawaiians, the area is more than a spot for family beach fun. The cliffs on the far north end of the beach, three miles from Queen's Pond, were considered a jumping off point for spirits as they left the corporeal world.
So, let's recap: soft golden sand, aqua water, sunshine nearly all the time, a laid-back attitude, a lack of tourists. Ready to go?
There's only one thing in your way: A dirt road, 3 miles and change, that snakes through the brush, till you take a left at the big monkeypod tree (I swear, these are the real directions). We did it in a rented convertible, which, while not recommended, did get us there with the car and ourselves unscathed.
Polihale State Park: Free, open daily, official website here.
