Kipu Ranch Adventures

After our visit to Waimea Canyon we had an ATV tour at Kipu Ranch. I have to say this was the most fun I've had so far. This is a working cattle ranch and also the locations for quite a few famous movies. This mountain and field below were in Jurassic Park - the part where Alan and the two kids were running from a herd of dinasaurs and they hide behind a log. Neat-o!





The trails started out pretty tame, paved at first then flat dirt roads.





And then this.

This is what they called their "training hill" to prepare everyone for what was ahead of us on this tour. The picture doesn't really show you how steep it is - pretty scary - and it didn't help since this was the training hill everyone watched you going down. I was nervous but made it down with no problems. After the training it was on! I didn't expect to be allowed to go as fast as we did but we were cookin' down these trails. Huge roots and ditches were everywhere making it very very bumpy but soooo much fun.

As we got deep into the woods we drove through huge mud puddles and tunnels of trees - awesome and gorgeous. Unfortunately it's impossible to operate a camera when moving - considering you use your right hand for the gas and the left for the brake.

When we stopped I could take a couple though.




This is the river that Harrison Ford swung across in the beginning of Raiders of the Lost Ark. We were given the oppurtunity to reenact it - but only guy was brave enough to try it.

Near the end of the tour we drove up a semi-paved road to a lookout onto Kauai's most secluded beach.

All the area surrounding it is private property so unless you kayak to it you could be arrested for trespassing.

This beach was also the location where Six Days and Seven Nights was filmed - another Harrison Ford movie.







The ride back down was a scenic one - I got brave and snapped this photo - ignoring my brakes for a few seconds. Worth it - I think.

The tour lasted about 4 hours and at the end we both felt as though we had been beaten and then run over by a truck. But I would so do it again in a heartbeat - one of the most exhilarating and fun experiences of my life.