(Continued from last week) Humboldt County has a laid-back reputation, but if you compare it with Kauai, it’s the difference between the Indy 500 and a foot race. The locals go to hana (work) early in the morning and by 3 p.m. are relaxing at the beautiful beaches, parks and their homes.

The moisture-laden trade winds range from soft caresses to a pounding power that carves valleys in the soft lava rock. This paradise is being threatened by developers who are destroying the groves of coconut trees and the lush green fauna around them at a rate that has the locals writing about it in the island’s daily newspaper, The Garden Island, published since 1902. (See Kauaiworld.com)

Shirley, Nanci, Larry, and I, were quickly lulled by the island’s soothing rhythms, and we gaped like carp at every new sight. Kauai has 553 square miles of beaches, rain forests, desert, mountains and plains. We did our best to see it all in seven days.

We also tried to pick up as much of the Hawaiian language as we could, constantly practicing it’s melodious sounding words. The Hawaiian alphabet has only 12 letters — five vowels and seven consonants. It’s a streamlined approach to communicating that none of us properly mastered.

Hawaiian Pidgin words and phrases greeted us at every eatery and store. Some were easy to understand and those that spoke thick pidgin did so purposely to keep their conversations private.

You also have to take in certain voice inflections and body language to determine if a person is actually a kama’aina (longtime resident.)

Because we cooked some meals at the condo, we made sure to take advantage of the local farmer’s market — the Sunshine Markets — which offered locally-grown fruits and produce throughout the week.

Pleading numerous old injuries (and my gimpy knee), Larry and I elected to sit on our okoles (rear-ends) and didn’t snorkel at Po’ipu Beach Park, but our spouses did. Shirley reported seeing some beautiful blue fish and lots of legs as she was nearly carried away to another island with the treacherous current while sightseeing.

One thing everyone should know; Not all the beaches in Kauai have lifeguards. Signs, however, warn visitors on all beaches to be careful of the dangerous riptides and undercurrents. There’s also sharp coral rock underfoot which Shirley experienced first hand (foot?) during her snorkeling tour. Later, we watched in wonder as a giant sea turtle gracefully emerged from the surf and sunned itself on the sandy shore while disregarding the stares of the beachgoers and the local volunteers who roped off an area around it for privacy.

You must see Waimea Canyon to fully appreciate the diversity of the island’s terrain. Looking at the layers of rock surrounding Waimea Canyon can give you a geological picture of the various eruptions and the lava flows that formed them. It’s greener than Arizona’s Grand Canyon and is 10 miles long, one mile wide, and more than 3,600 feet deep. We were treated to the sight of pygmy goats navigating sheer shelves while searching for food.

Among other special sightings was the endangered Hawaiian Monk Seal. We took photos of one at Po’ipu Beach Park, and another at Kealia Beach. Volunteers were again posted on these beaches and immediately cordoned off an area around the seals to keep people away as the seals napped under the sun’s sultry embrace.

More than 50 movies have been filmed on Kauai. Jurassic Park was partly filmed at Manawaiopu Falls (it was also partly filmed here in Humboldt County’s majestic redwood forests). It’s a tenuous tie-in, to be sure, but when you think about the beauty we have here — and a slower way of life compared to our southern neighbors — we can claim some similarities to the island of Kauai.

Humboldt bird watchers will find Kauai is a great place to count species. From the protected Nene (they look somewhat like geese — who are state-of-the-art beggars — to the ever-present, brilliantly festooned roosters and their families, you’ll find yourself admiring this island haven for its birds and people, too. The kama’aina are quiet and gentle, wise and warm.

Final parting shots: There is a coffee plantation, but its beans don’t rival those famous Kona beans grown on the Big Island. Kauai’s best-tasting pizza is Brick Oven Pizza (on the south shore). It has license plates from cars all over the world sent in by happy customers to prove it.

As it stands, I could go on forever about Kauai, but life moves on, so Mahalo (thank you) for reading this series of columns.

Dave Stancliff is a columnist for The Eureka Reporter. He is a former newspaper editor and publisher. His e-mail address is richstan1@suddenlink.net.