Jurassic Falls Helicopter Tour with Island Helicopters // Kauai, Hawaii

If there is only one thing you do in Kauai, take the Jurassic Falls flight with Island Helicopters! It is the best way to see the whole island and SO worth the money. 

Jurassic Falls Tour with Island Helicopters in Kauai, Hawaii // via Jitney's Journeys
Jurassic Falls Tour with Island Helicopters in Kauai, Hawaii // via Jitney's Journeys
Jurassic Falls Tour with Island Helicopters in Kauai, Hawaii // via Jitney's Journeys

Island Helicopters is right beside the airport (pictured to the right). We took the earliest flight that day and the weather was nearly perfect. The entire staff was incredibly helpful and friendly. 

You'll check in then hop on a scale to check your weight. They do this to comply with FAA regulations and (I'm pretty sure) to also balance the helicopter evenly. You'll hang out at the building until all of the passengers arrive then head over to get the rundown of the flight. You'll also get little white slipper booties that you'll wear to walk around the property of Jurassic Falls.

There are two rows of seating in the helicopter. We had the thrill of riding in the front! I was seated in between the pilot and JD then a family of four sat in the row behind us. We recommend requesting sitting in the front when you reserve your flight. 

We took photos with our Canon EOS Rebel T5 and videos with JD's iPhone. We wish that we'd purchased a GoPro before this trip!! 

Jurassic Falls Tour with Island Helicopters in Kauai, Hawaii // via Jitney's Journeys

Our pilot, Gary (pictured to the right), was the best!! Definitely request him if you're able! He created a playlist for the tour so (not to ruin any surprises) as we took off, the theme song for Mission Impossible began to play in our headset. It was the coolest thing!! Call me lame for saying this, but we felt like secret agents. Haha! As we began flying over the river leading up to Jurassic Falls, the Jurassic Park theme song began to play. I'm not embarrassed to say that we both started to shed a few tears. As soon as the crescendo hit, the Falls were in sight. It was one of the most breathtaking experiences in either of our lives. 

We landed for some photos, gawked in amazement, then boarded the helicopter to continue the tour. As soon as we took off, it began to drizzle a bit but we were still able to see the views perfectly. Waterfall after waterfall after waterfall, including the Mt. Wai'ale'ale (the second wettest spot on Earth).

We just happened to hike the Canyon Trail the day before so when we flew into the Canyon, we were able to see the places we hiked the day before. It was so neat being able to see the views from standing at the top of the Canyon as well as flying through the middle of it!

We continued the tour over the Na Pali Coast with exhilarating views of the landscape and ocean (scroll through the photos below). It was also around this time when motion sickness hit me pretty hard. Fortunately, there was a stack of bags sitting in front of us in case that happened. JD looked over at me, checked to make sure I was okay then took the camera from around my neck lovingly and kept taking photos while I peered over my bag, still in sheer excitement. True love at its finest. Sickness wasn't going to stop me from enjoying the ride!! Side note: I recommend picking up a tin of "For the Weary Traveler" tea from Island Soap and Candle Works in Old Koloa Town and drinking a cup before flying. Unfortunately, we didn't know about this tea until after the flight but it's helped in several other instances! 

Even with the sickness part, this was absolutely the most exhilarating thing we've done on our  travels!! We hope you'll have the chance to enjoy it too! Feel free to ask any questions or tell us about your experience in the comments below or contact us here

Hawaii : Pearl Harbor, USS Bowfin

Welcome aboard the U.S.S. Bowfin...

aka: The Pearl Harbor Avenger

From the USS Bowfin website

USS Bowfin (SS-287) is a fleet attack submarine that fought in the Pacific during WWII, and helped to make famous the term, “Silent Service.” Bowfin was launched on 7 December 1942, exactly one year to the day after the attack on Pearl Harbor. She was nicknamed the Pearl Harbor Avenger, so it is fitting that she is permanently homeported at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

It looks huge from these external photos, but you will learn that it is only a mirage once you get inside. 

God Bless America.

Watch your head when walking into the

entrance

exit. Yeah. We started the tour on the wrong side of the submarine. Whoops! Oh well. JD is rockin' that tour guide headset. 

The USS Bowfin is a super small submarine (I guess all submarines are tiny on the inside though). JD, being the studly tall man he is, would've never been able to work in there. I, on the other hand, strode through that submarine like a pro (being short does have it's advantages after all).

The door was half the size of JD. Would not have bode well in an emergency.

There is something I just love about these meters. They look so classy, vintage and cool. Don't you love them? Maybe I'll enlarge one of these and frame it. 

Keys to the chief's quarters.

Tour Tickets:

You can buy combo tickets for the USS Bowfin and USS Missouri. The Aviation tour is included but we didn't have time to go there.

Audio Tour:

A headset and handheld tour guide is included in the price of the package. There are two versions you can listen to - an adult and a family-friendly version. The adult version includes interviews from Bowfin veterans while the family-friendly version vividly describes historic scenes of what each part of the submarine was like when in action. I must admit, I

kind of

enjoyed listening to the family version just as much as I did the adult version.

Get the Picture:

Almost any tourist place or restaurant you visit will have a "house photographer". While most places have the typical cardboard layout, the USS Bowfin prints your photo onto the front page of a newspaper with info about the Bowfin. That alone makes the USS Bowfin a memorable experience. This is the one and only photo we would actually recommend you purchase.