Polihale State Park
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Polihale State Park is a remote beach on the western side of the Hawaiian island of Kauai. It is the western most point in the United States, with the exception of the forbidden island of Niihau. The beach is miles away from anything, and it can only be reached via dirt sugarcane roads, making a four wheel drive vehicle preferable. The beach is flanked to the north by the Na Pali Coast. It is several miles long, yet only Queen's Pond offer safe swimming.
[edit] History and mythology
This beach has a strong basis in Hawaiian mythology. Polihale means "House of Po", and Po is the Hawaiian afterworld. Spirits would travel to the coastal plain adjacent to the beach, and stay in the temple, known as the heiau. From there, they would climb the cliffs to the north, jump off into the sea to get to the mythical Po. So strong was this belief that all the homes built in the vicinity of Polihale would have no east facing doors, so that no traveling spirit could become trapped within.
A sea lettuce called pahapaha grows in the waters near Polihale. A wreath made from pahapaha can fade and dry out, but when soaked in water, it will revive to its original freshness. Only the pahapaha from Polihale does this. According to mythology, Na-maka-o-Kaha'i, sister of Pele and Goddess of the Ocean, blessed Polihale's pahapaha with this special quality. Visitors once took home wreaths made from pahapaha from Polihale to prove they had indeed been there.
