Elvis Presley’s ‘Blue Hawaii’
Elvis Presley put Kauai on the map with his 1961 movie Blue Hawaii, said Laura Bly in USA Today. More than 50 other films have also used Kauai’s “lush, staggeringly gorgeous scenery as a stand-in for paradise.” As the oldest and northernmost of the state’s four major islands, Kauai is prized for its inaccessible canyons, “razor-edged cliffs,” and balmy trade winds. A helicopter ride into the mouth of the volcanic crater Mount Waialeale reveals “a luxuriant tangle of ferns and waterfalls,” which give credence to its claim to be the “wettest place on Earth.” Only 5 percent of Kauai’s 552 square miles is designated for urban development. Yet locals are worried that tourism has brought too much change to the island, and that the rise of mega-resorts and increased ferry traffic will dampen its “laid-back, rural vibe.”
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