Waimea means reddish water in Hawaiian, and the name is earned: the river that gives the town its name carries a good deal of red soil down from the canyon after rain. It is a small, sleepy place on the dry western side of Kauai, strung out along the shore, with low houses, a few shops and cafes, and a surprisingly big place in history. In January 1778, Captain James Cook anchored off this coast, the first recorded European contact with the Hawaiian islands, and a statue in town commemorates the visit.
The other relic is Fort Elizabeth, a ruined stone fortress at the river mouth, built in 1817 by agents of a Russian trading company who hoped to gain a foothold in the islands. It was abandoned within a couple of years, but the walls of lava rock remain, and are now a state historic site. West Kauai in general feels slower and less polished than the north shore, and many of the local families have been here for generations.
The ride begins here, climbing out of the sunny coastal plain into the mountains on the road to Waimea Canyon. The road rises quickly, through scrubby red hills and eucalyptus, with several tight bends and some steep sections, and views open to the ocean and the island of Niihau on the horizon. Before long the canyon appears: an enormous gorge of red, green and brown, carved by the river and the weather, often called the Grand Canyon of the Pacific. It is not quite as large as the original, but its colours are glorious, especially when the clouds break.
Fuel and food are here, or in nearby Kekaha, so make sure the tank is full, because the upper roads have none. Lihue, over thirty kilometres away, is the main town on the island. West-side weather is usually sunny at the shore, and cloud and drizzle can sit over the canyon, so take a jacket. Early morning is best, with the clearest views and the least traffic, since the tour vans come later in the day. Afterwards, try a plate lunch, a local mix of rice, macaroni salad and grilled meat or fish, from one of the small stands.