Right after World War II, Walter Smith, Sr. owned a rowboat and little else. He borrowed a motor and started providing tours on the Wailua River, said to be the only navigable river in all of Hawaii. Over the years, Smith upgraded his equipment and expanded his operation to include a small theme park and a weekly Luau. We missed the luau, but we took the river trip up to the fern grotto. The adventure was low key, the scenery beautiful, and the staff extremely pleasant. The fern grotto was interesting, but we were disappointed that visitors were no longer permitted to enter it. In as much as it is an important part of the ancient Hawaiian heritage, that is probably a wise decision, but disappointing none the less. On the way back to the pier we were entertained with Hawaiian songs and a gracious hula dancer.
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