Lihuʻe

Lihuʻe is where most visitors land when they fly to Kauaʻi. It's the island's commercial center — Walmart, Costco, Home Depot, hospital, county building. Not a destination in itself, but worth a half-day on either end of a trip.

Kalapaki Beach is a 5-minute drive from the airport. Calm, lifeguarded, kayak rentals, and the gorgeous Kauaʻi Marriott behind it. Wailua Falls (10 min north) is a 173-ft double-drop waterfall you can drive right up to — used in the opening of Fantasy Island.

The Kauaʻi Museum on Rice Street has the island's best collection of Hawaiian art, plantation history, and Niʻihau shell lei (the rarest jewelry on the planet).