Waimea canyon on Kauai came in at number 3 in a list of the top 10 free travel destinations in the United States.

The top destinations were determined by a combination of TripAdvisor editors and overall popularity on TripAdvisor.com

If you go bring a jacket (its frequently coved by clouds and rain) and if the weather is not what you wanted, just wait 10 minutes and chances are it will change.

Looking for the best kauai condos?

Visitor arrivals to Hawaii will decline by 3 percent this year, twice as much as previously projected, in part because of the shutdown of Aloha Airlines and ATA, according to the quarterly economic report released by the state of Hawaii on Monday.

The quarterly economic report from the Hawaii Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism expects moderate to slower growth for Hawaii this year, and in 2009.

“We believe that our economy will adjust to recent economic events and that our fundamental economic foundation remains strong,” director Theodore E. Liu said in a statement.

Kauai is going high-tech. The donation of a federal grant worth 1.1 million dollars to spur high-tech training and job development on the island was announced earlier this week by U.S. Senator kaniel K Inoye.

The grant will help to renovate a building that will be turned into a high-tech training field for young adults entering the work force.

“While the grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce is for the renovation of a building to house the Waimea Technology and Training Center, its benefits go far beyond bricks and mortar,” Inouye said. “The grant, in essence, supports the mission of the Center. With a new, modern home, the Center will have the facilities to better offer customized technology training.

In spite of winning in court and having most of the case against the Superferry thrown out the Superferry has decided not to resume service to Kauai just yet.

The decision was made shortly after Gov. Linda Lingle spoke to a crowd of about 1000 hecklers saying the Superferry would resume service. Members of Lingle’s staff said that they also shouted obscenities at the governor and cursed her.

“I have been going to public hearings for 25 years, but I have never seen the personal rudeness that went on not just against people who were there to share information, but to their own fellow residents,” Lingle said.

The Superferry has elected not to make runs to Kauai this week although a judge did not issue the asked for temporary restraining order.

There is a hearing scheduled for Monday, the 17th on a request for a permanent restraining order until a environmental study can be completed. If that one is turned down the Superferry will most likely resume service after the hearing.

In the meantime a Big Island attorney, Larry Sinkin, is asking the Coast Guard to repeal its emergency ruling creating a federal security zone extending 100 yards around the Superferry at the Nawiliwili Harbor.

Last night the night sky of Kauai was lit up with more than the stars that so many Kauai vacationers come to see. It was also lit up with fire.

A series of eight brush fires erupted between 10:30 p.m. and 2:45 a.m. Today two brothers were arrested for starting the blazes and are in police custody. They are Joshua Wong, 24 and Michael Wong Jr., 25.

By midday all the fires. except for one off Ahukini Road, were out and no air support was needed. Some of the smaller fires were put out by responding policeman. The rest were put out by firefighters from the Airport Crash Fire unit and personnel from the Department of Public works.

Kauai visitors will soon have much better access to a harbor in Kauai between the towns of Kekaha and Waimea on the southwest coast of Kauai. There a $19 to $22 million dollar renovation project has just begun.

The contract was awarded by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to a Kapolei firm, the Kiewit Pacific Company.

“The people of Kauai’ have waited a long time for the harbor improvements,” said U.S. Senator Daniel K. Inouye, a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee. “They were keenly aware that the improvements will strengthen harbor safety by eliminating dangerous conditions within the entrance channel, and will permit the safe passage of vessels entering the basin.”

Kauai is an island rich in natural wonder, wonders people come to visit from all over the world and it would appear the island is rich in a wonder not legal in the U.S. and that is the growing of marijuana.

The “largest outdoor growing operation ever prosecuted in Hawai’i” was discovered at the foot of Mount Wai’ale’ale in the area referred to as the “Blue Hole,” officials said.

The discovery was in regards to 6,000 marijuana plants that were seized on Kauai. The plants have a street value of 5.9 million.

On Sunday people, swam, stood and drove cars into the way of the Superferry in order to block its arrival and stop the cars from departing from the ship. It was not quite successful and eventually the Superferry docked and unloaded.

On Monday night they tried again this time 65 protesters were in the water and over 200 were cheering them on from the shore. They erected a human barricade of people. After 3 hours the Superferry turned away, defeated.

There are some tourist attractions that are extremely popular amongst vacationers to Kauai that are dangerous, prompting the Kauai Visitors Bureau to try to get guidebook writers to delete them from their books.

One such attraction is Kipu falls, just 10 minutes from downtown Lihue. The falls are beautiful rising 20-feet high and dropping into a deep pool. It is considered a swimmers paradise by some, but to the Wilcox Hospital emergency room it is a place where once a week an injury is brought in.