Kauai, Hawaii, Aerial View Postcard

"Kauai, Hawaii, Aerial View" by Catherine Sherman. A view from an airplane window shows Waimea Canyon on the island of Kauai, Hawaii. You can see the ribbon of highway curving along the canyon’s edge. Kauai is the oldest of the main Hawaiian Islands. Also known as “The Grand Canyon of the Pacific," Waimea Canyon is the largest canyon in the Pacific. It’s ten miles (16 km) long, one mile wide, and more than 3,500 feet deep in places. The Waimea River runs through the canyon, which was carved through the ages by rivers and floods that flowed from Mount Waialeale’s summit. The river was named for the red hue of the water, as Waimea means ‘red waters.’ The red tint is caused by several natural processes that break down the ancient rock inside the gorge. The area is among the wettest places on earth. The canyon has a unique geologic history. It was formed not only by the steady process of erosion, but also by a catastrophic collapse of the volcano that created Kauai. Although you can’t see the forests from the air, Kauai is nicknamed “the Garden Isle” because of the tropical rainforest covering much of its surface. The dramatic cliffs and pinnacles of its Na Pali Coast have served as a backdrop for major Hollywood films.