THE FIRST WESTERNER. It is generally believed that Captain James Cook was the first westerner to visit Kauai during his voyage to Alaska in 1778. Waimea, on the southwest side of the island, is where he came ashore.

THE CHICKENS. There is considerable debate as to how Kauai's thousands of wild roosters and hens came to roam free. Some say sugar cane laborers in the late 1800s raised chickens to eat and to use in cockfights and many subsequently escaped. Others claim that Hurricane Iniki in 1992 destroyed a chicken farm and the freed birds quickly multiplied. Regardless, not a day or night goes by without them making their presence known.

KAUAI IN THE MEDIA. Stunning, sometimes otherworldly scenery has caused Kauai to be a highly sought after movie location. South Pacific. Donovan's Reef. Blue Hawaii. Raiders of the Lost Ark. Jurassic Park. All these movies were filmed here. Kauai has even served as the setting for the animated TV film and television series, Lilo & Stitch.