Even a nickname like "the Garden Island" fails to do justice to Kaua'i's beauty. Verdant trees grow canopies over the island's few roads, and brooding mountains are framed by long, sandy beaches, coral reefs, and sheer sea cliffs. For years, Kaua'i managed to resist the rampant growth occurring elsewhere in the state. Its reputation for rain deterred tourists, and hurricanes in 1982 and 1992 discouraged development. Currently, a proliferation of new construction offers irrefutable proof that Kaua'i has been discovered, but life here remains simple, and the locals are determined to keep it that way.