Kauai Coffee Company - Kauai, Hawaii

Driving back to our condo in Poipu from our Napali Riders excursion, we made an unplanned stop at the Kauai Coffee Company which turned out to be one of the highlights of our day. Little did we know that Kauai was home to the largest coffee plantation in the U.S.

The company started out as McBryde Sugar Company in the 1800s and today, Kauai Coffee is part of Alexander & Baldwin and has grown into a 3400 acre estate with four million coffee trees producing more then 3.5 million pounds of beans a year.

You can see the lush green of the coffee plantation from the visitor's center patio. The patio area is also where you'll end up if you want to sample their many different roasts. The center wasn't very crowded when we visited during the first week of June.

Coffee prices were about $5 less than what you'd pay off the island and our favorites were the Hawaiian Coconut Caramel Crunch flavored coffee and the Estate Roasted Kauai Mundo Novo premium blend. There were many delicious coffees to chose from and if you are a java junkie, you'll definitely satisfy your fix here. You can also purchase iced coffees and pastries, postcards, plush toys and visit their museum.

Overall, it's a very nice and picturesque stop. There were lovely plumeria blooming and they have even designated one of these beautiful plants for visitors to leave their mark on its leaves. Not too tree friendly but different.

The Kauai Coffee Visitor Center is free and open seven days a week from 9 am to 5 pm (808-335-0813). They are located on Highway 50 between Waimea and Koloa (Kalaheo Drive Kalaheo, HI 96741).

Kuai Coffee Company website: kauaicoffee.com