They say that going to Hawaii is a once in a lifetime experience, however, Chris and I are lucky enough to have had this experience twice. The first time, we went for our 10 year wedding anniversary and we absolutely fell in love with the Hawaiian islands, so much so, that we returned with the rest of the family two years later. This time, Hawaii was a different experience because we decided to explore these beautiful islands with our two kids and our moms.
We decided to visit three of the six islands that tourist are allowed to travel to. Planning a vacation can be very stressful, however to reduce the stress, I make a daily checklist. This helps to stay organized, it helps with making sure that there is enough time to get everything in that we want to do without feeling rushed or overwhelmed, and it makes the trip more enjoyable and relaxing. This particular trip took about nine months to plan, even with the island of Oahu already being familiar to us. I started by booking our condo through VRBO and our flight through United Airlines, using their direct websites. Next, I made a list of everything that we wanted to do and broke it down by location. I try to plan everything in one particular area in one day, if possible, because this helps with decreasing driving time. Last, I researched places to eat in the particular area that we will be in. We try to eat only at local restaurants and our rule is to eat somewhere that we cannot eat at home.
We spent 17 glorious days in Hawaii and below is our time that we spent on the island of Oahu.
DAY 1
Our first flight departed at 5 am on a beautiful Friday morning. We flew to Chicago, then onto San Francisco before arriving in Honolulu at 4 pm. Hawaii has a five hour time difference from home, so our bodies were telling us it was nine o’clock at night. Yet we are smiling ear to ear because we finally made it to paradise.
Welcome to Oahu, Hawaii!
After we landed and collected our luggage, we picked up our rental car. This time we rented from Budget without any issues. When I booked our Condo, we had originally planned an doing on overnight flight Friday night, therefore the reservation started on Saturday. Since the flight schedule changed and we landed in Honolulu on Friday evening, I booked a one night stay through Hotels.com for Turtle Bay resort on the North Shore. It is about an hour drive from Honolulu to Turtle Bay Resort and after being up for almost 18 hours, we were tired, hungry, excited and running on pure adrenaline!!
DAY 2
The hardest part about travelling to Hawaii is adjusting to the time difference. We all finally fell asleep after the adrenaline rush wore off and woke up bright and early the next morning to explore the grounds at Turtle Bay Resort.
We walked to Lei Lei’s grill to eat breakfast. The restaurant is located on the grounds of Turtle Bay and our table had a beautiful view of the golf course.After breakfast we walked down to the beach area because the kids could not wait to get into the ocean. There is so much to do at Turtle Bay Resort, for example, there are miles of walking trails, a farm, a bird sanctuary, golfing, multiple swimming pools, and surf lessons. There have been quite a few movies and TV shows filmed at the resort. Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Hawaii 5-0, Magnum P.I., and Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates, just to name a few.After the kids swam in the ocean, we decided to take a dip in one of the many pools that the resort has to offer. Beside the pool, people were taking surfing lessons. It was fun to see the surfers in the water.
After we checked out at Turtle Bay Resort, we headed over to our condo to drop off our belongings. Our condo was also located on the North Shore near Sunset Beach, therefore it was a short 5 to 10 minute drive from Turtle Bay. The condo that we rented was across the street from the ocean for a couple of reasons. First, it was half the price of a condo located on the beach and second when Chris and I visited the first time, we rented a condo on the ocean and spent more time sightseeing and exploring than actually at our condo. This time we decided that price wise, it was worth staying across the street and just walking over to the beach every night. Our condo was attached to the owner’s house which was convenient because if we needed anything, they were right there. They were so nice and very friendly and by the end of the trip we all felt more like friends than guests at their house.
After we checked into our condo, we drove to the small town of Haleiwa (in the Hawaiian language the w is pronounced like a V, therefore the town in pronounced like Holly-Eva). Our condo was located about 8 miles away. This is looking out from the bridge in Haleiwa.I personally feel like you cannot go to Oahu and not eat at Matsumoto’s Shave Ice (in Hawaii, they leave the D off when pronouncing it, for instance we say Shaved ice, they say Shave Ice). The store is located in the center of Haleiwa right off the Kamehameha Highway (also known as the Kam Highway).Matsumoto’s is open daily from 9 am to 6 pm. A bowl of shave ice is about $3 and you can add toppings for extra money. Some of our shave ice has cream(condensed milk) on top, which is an additional fifty cents and little man’s has a side of Mochi which is an additional $1.The Anahulu Stream Bridge, also called Rainbow Bridge, is known for it’s double arches. The bridge was built in 1921 and is one of the top things to see in the town of Haleiwa.We decided to watch the sunset at Haleiwa Beach Park, which is located right off the Kamehameha Highway at the end (or the beginning, depends on which way you are coming from) of Haleiwa. The water here is shallow and the ocean floor is rocky, therefore there are not many swimmers in this area, mainly canoes and paddle boarders.As we sat on the beach watching the sunset over the ocean, this was the view to our left. It is so amazing to see the ocean right in front of you and a mountain range right beside you. Pictures do not do the beauty of Oahu justice.The beautiful sunset at Haleiwa Beach Park.
Day 3
Today, we woke up bright and early and ate breakfast at the condo. We left about 8:30 a.m. and drove to Waimea Valley. This botanical garden, also located on the North Shore, was about a 15 minute drive from our condo . We arrived a little bit before it opened, however, there are a few things to do to occupy your time. There is a gift shop, free coffee, and a small area with tables that you can sit at while you wait.
Waimea Valley is located on the Kamehameha Highway on the North Shore. It is open seven days a week from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and the admission price is $16 for adults (12 and older) and $8 for kids (ages 4-12).The entire loop is a mile and a half round trip and it is on a path paved the entire time. It was so nice to just take a leisurely walk, breathe the Hawaiian fresh air, and enjoy the scenery.Waimea Valley consists of 1,875 acres and has been a sacred place in Hawaii for more than 700 years. Many of the descendants of the high priests of Oahu cared for this land from 1090 up until 1886.One of the greatest attractions of Waimea Valley is 45-foot Waihi Waterfall.On most days, as long as is has not rained a lot, you can swim at Waihi Waterfall. Seen here is Chris, little man, and our moms enjoying the soothing water.Chris loved to throw me and little man into the waterfall, which was so much fun! As you can see, everyone is wearing a life jacket. The water is deep so there is a station set up right before you walk into the swimming hole where you pick up a life jacket at no charge.
After our swim and short mile and a half hike, we were hungry. While in Hawaii, eating from the food trucks is a must! There are two places where you can eat at the food trucks on the North Shore. One is located in the town of Haleiwa, but our favorite is located at Kahuku. This was a short 10 mile drive from Waimea Valley.
There are two food trucks that we like to eat at in Kahuku. The first one is Hawaiian Island Extreme Smoothies that is parked next to Giovanni’s Shrimp Truck. We each drank a Strawberry smoothie and ate sliced Pineapple with Li Hing Mui sprinkled over it. This red powder is salty dried plum. It mixes the sweet from the pineapple with salty all in one bite. It is delicious!A plate of food from the famous Giovanni’s Shrimp Truck. Each plate is $14 and you get a dozen shrimp and two scoops of rice. You have the choice of Shrimp scampi, Hot and Spicy, or Lemon Butter.
After lunch, our next stop was the Valley of Temples located in Kaneohe. It was about a 45 minute drive south along the coast. Located here is a cemetery with garden’s that honor the Christianity and Buddha faiths. The cemetery is free to visit and is open daily from 6 a.m. to dusk. If you drive to the back of the cemetery, you will find The Byodo-In Temple.
The Byodo-In Temple is a replica of the 950 year old Byodo Temple in Uji, Japan.The temple grounds are open daily from 9a.m. to 5 p.m. There is a small admission fee of $3 per person and they accept cash only.This is a non-practicing Buddhist Temple, however out of respect, remember to remove your shoes before entering.
After we left The Valley of Temples, we headed north toward the town of Laie. On the way, we stopped at Kualoa Regional Park to let the kids play.
Kualoa Regional Park is located just of the Kamehameha Highway and is a huge grassy area to relax and enjoy the beauty of Hawaii. The kids loved running and playing and the view of Chinaman’s Hat and the Turtle are breathtaking.
After we played at the park, we drove into the town of Laie and visited the Laie Hawaiian Temple.
The Laie Hawaii Temple sits on a small hill overlooking the Pacific Ocean. It is a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This temple is the oldest to operate outside of the state of Utah and is the fifth oldest Latter-Day Saints temple still in operation. The temple was completed in 1919.The Laie Temple Visitor’s Center is located on the grounds of the temple. It is open daily from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and the admission is free. This globe is located inside the visitors center and there are 46 Books of Mormon lying around it in all different languages.As soon as we walked in, we were greeted at the door and had two “tour guides” that explained the history of the Mormon religion, their beliefs, and how they differ from other religions. They also took our picture with Jesus.
Day 4
We woke up bright and early, ate breakfast at the condo, and headed to the Dole Plantation. Yes it is very touristy, however, when visiting Hawaii you are a tourist and I feel that the Dole Plantation is a must. It can get really crowded so we decided to arrive about 30 minutes before it opened. The plantation is located on the Kamehameha Highway in between Honolulu and the North Shore. It is open daily from 9:30 am to 5:30 pm.
Located inside the gift shop is the Plantation Grille, this is where you buy the famous Dole Whip. We decided to get the Pineapple split with Strawberry, Chocolate, and Caramel toppings and split it between the six of us. It is $26 but well worth the money.There are a number of things to do at the plantation, you can pick and choose what activities you want to do and pay for them separately. We decided to do a package and we chose the Train Ride and Garden Maze. Each package is approximately $14 a person. Get in line early for tickets as it gets very crowded, very quickly.Located on the grounds of the Dole Plantation was this beautiful rainbow Eucalyptus tree. As you can see the bark sheds annually at different times with bright green being the inner bark. The bark then changes color as it matures, the colors are blue, orange, purple, and maroon.The train tour was very interesting and knowledgeable. It takes 18-20 months to grow a pineapple and they are all harvested by hand! Also, Hawaii is the perfect place to grow pineapples because the temperature has to be about 80 degrees year around.
We spent about three hours at the Dole Plantation, after we ate our Dole Whip we went to the Polynesian Culture Center. We arrived there about 1:30 p.m. and explored the villages for about four hours before our Luau and Ha! Breath of Life evening show.
There are so many luau’s to choose from on the island of Oahu but we ended up going to the Polynesian Cultural Center to experience their Luau. It is cheaper to buy your tickets online, in advance. With your Luau package, you get admission to all 6 villages. I would go early and spend time seeing the shows and walking from village to village. BYU brings natives from Polynesia to Hawaii and while they attend college, they work at the Cultural Center about 20 hours a week teaching about their culture.In the village of Hawaii, we learned how to hula dance.Little Man learned how to play the traditional drums in “Tonga” while at the Polynesian Culture Center.I love this picture of her kissing the freshly picked flower.The Moai Statues at the Rapa Nui Island exhibit.For the Luau, we chose the Ali’I Luau package which is approximately $100 a person. The price includes all-day entrance into the Polynesian Culture Center, the all you can eat buffet style luau, and entrance into the wonderful Ha: Breath of Life evening show that is performed after you eat.I love this picture of her watching the luau show while hugging daddy.When everyone finishes eating and the Luau show ends, you can go down to the stage and have your picture taken with some of the performers.The kids had to get their picture made with some of the Luau dancers. The Ha: Breath of Life show is performed at another building on the grounds of the Polynesian Culture Center. When you book your luau, you also get to select your seats for the evening show therefore you can take your time walking over to the theater.
DAY 5
While visiting Oahu, Pearl Harbor is a must stop and plan on spending at least half a day there. Since we were staying on the North Shore and Pearl Harbor is near Honolulu, we had about an hour drive. The tickets to Pearl Harbor USS Arizona are free, however they are time stamped and only 2,000 are given out a day. The hours of operation are 7 a.m. – 5 p.m. daily. We arrived a little before 6 a.m. to stand in line for tickets. We were the first group of 50 people to enter and the second group for the U.S.S Arizona tour that day. You can purchase additional tickets for $35/person to tour the USS Bowfin submarine and USS Missouri which I highly recommend.
The week we were in Honolulu, the dock was being rebuilt to the USS Arizona memorial, therefore we did not get to walk onto the memorial. The boat took us around it as close as it could get. Before you get on the boat there is a video that you watch explaining the events that happened on December 7th, 1941. The feeling that you get during the video and while you are out on the water is unexplainable and is an experience that every one should have at least once in their lifetime.Little Man sitting on the USS Bowfin Submarine. If you are claustrophobic, you may want to pass on this tour because it is a tight fit.After we toured the USS Bowfin and rode the boat out onto the water to see the USS Arizona, we hopped on a bus that takes you over to the USS Missouri.In August 2011, this statue was placed in front of the USS Missouri. It is a life size version of the famous Times Square kiss at the end of WW II.The USS Missouri was built in 1944 and was in use off and on until 1992. It was opened for the public to tour in 1999 at Pearl Harbor. Give yourself plenty of time to tour the USS Missouri. We spend approximately two and a half hours touring this battle ship.Where the soldiers would sleep.Japan surrendered to the US on September 2, 1945 to end WWII on the USS Missouri, and this marks the exact spot where that happened.After spending approximately seven hours at Pearl Harbor we were starving. We decided to eat at the famous Helena’s Hawaiian Food restaurant. It is located on N. King Street in Honolulu and there will probably be a wait. Helena’s is open Tuesday – Friday 10 am- 7:30 pm and the restaurant is cash only.Helena’s has been opened since 1946 and is a well known place among the locals. We decided to try everything, the bowl filled with green contents is Luau Chicken and Luau Squid. It is green because it is cooked in Taro leaves and is actually really delicious. Everywhere you go in Hawaii, they serve you macaroni salad, seen on the far left. The two bowls that looks like a salad with meat is Kalua Pig with Cabbage. The Green plate with two pieces of meat is fried Ahi while the bowl of soup is beef stew. Last but not least, the plate with the white square with the additional plate on top is Haupia, which is cocunut milk cubed dessert. The bowl with pink contents is salt grown on the Big Island.After our interesting lunch, we decided to relax on Waikiki Beach.The Ghandi Statue is located at Kapi’olani Park in Waikiki and erected on October 27, 1990. The day we visited there was a memorial laying there for the victims of the Orlando Night Club shooting.On Kuhio Beach in Wakiki there stands a statue of Duke Kahanamoku. Duke was a native Hawaiian, an Olympic medalist, and also made surfing a popular sport. This is why he is known as the “Father of modern Surfing.”The famous Duke Statue was erected in 1990. It is nine foot tall and on most days is adorned with leis. The Statue is also one of the most photographed places on Waikiki Beach.
DAY 6
Today is one of our relaxing days at the beach with a Kualoa Ranch tour in the afternoon. We spent all morning at Waimea Bay, which is a beach located along the North Shore. Yes, the North Shore has tons of beaches, however Waimea Bay Beach Park is one of the most popular beaches in this area.
This rock is what makes Waimea Bay Beach one of the most popular beaches. This is known as cliff jumping and Chris was the only one brave enough to jump it, twice. It is about a 20 foot jump but the bottom is a little rocky, therefore be careful when you land in the water.After swimming, we decided to grab lunch at Kono’s located on the Kamehameha Highway in Haleiwa. This little gem is only open from 7 a.m. -2:30 p.m. seven days a week. The Strawberry Lemonade is worth the stop.Kualoa Ranch is a 4,000 acre ranch located in Kaneohe. They have plenty to offer from basic bus tours to ATV tours. We chose to do the Hollywood Movie tour and it was very informational and enjoyable. It is approximately $45/person.While waiting to load the bus you can explore the grounds, pet the animals and get your picture made on a horse statue.I had booked our tickets online earlier in the week and the 3 p.m. tour was the only one left. I advise to book your tour well in advance if you want an early morning tour.This picture was taken at our first stop, which is also where the movie Pearl Harbor was filmed. Inside the underground bunker, there are several movie and TV show props that you can get your picture made with.The beauty of this ranch is breathtaking. I can see why so many movies and TV shows are filmed here.Another stop that you make is where Jurassic Park was filmed. The driver of the bus takes your picture and this is one of my favorite memories of us.After our tour of Kualoa Ranch, we stopped at Laie Point as we made our way back up to our condo on the North Shore. Laie is known as the windward side of Oahu and the winds were strong that day. Laie Point is a little gem tucked away in a neighborhood and is worth the detour, especially for photography lovers.As we made our way back to our condo, we stopped at a fruit stand on the side of the road. We decided to just try everything that they had. We bought Dragon Fruit, Mountain Apples, Sour Sap Fruit, Star Fruit, Papaya, Strawberry Papaya, Star Apples, Coconut, Kiwi and Pineapple.It was amazing to end our day on the beach, which is located across from our condo, watching the beautiful sunset.
DAY 7
We knew today was a busy day, therefore we all were up bright and early to leave the condo before 6 am. It is about an hour drive from the North Shore to Diamondhead State Park. We wanted to get there early to not only beat the crowd but also the heat.
Diamondhead is a volcano, located in Waikiki, that has been inactive for 150,000 years. It is a fairly easy walk to the top along a concrete path. I would suggest getting there early before it gets crowded and hot. It took us a little over an hour to do the hike roundtrip.Diamondhead is free to the public and open from 6a.m. to 6p.m. This is the view of the path, it is switchbacks which makes it a little easier to walk. There are places where you can sit and take breaks if needed. I would suggest taking a bottle of water as there are no water fountains along the path.This is the view of the parking lot which is located in the center of the inactive volcano. Parking is free but also limited, another reason to get there early. The volcano was named in 1825 when British sailors noticed clear calcite crystals at the crater and thought that they were diamonds, therefore they started calling the crater Diamondhead and the name stuck.We made it to the top! A beautiful view of Waikiki and the Pacific Ocean.After our hike, we drove around to the east side of Diamondhead to get a photo of the Diamonhead Lighthouse. The first lighthouse at this site was built in 1899 but had to be rebuilt in 1917 due to structural damage, which is the lighthouse seen today. It has been updated to modern lighting by using 1000 watt electric bulb and can be seen up to 18 miles away.We ate lunch at the Rainbow Drive-In which is located at 3308 Kanaina Ave in Honolulu and has been in operation for over 50 years.Chris ate the Loco Moco, which is a very popular Hawaiian dish made up of Rice topped with hamburger patties, fried eggs, and brown gravy.
We wanted to explore downtown Honolulu and parking can be an issue as well as expensive. Daily parking is approximately $20 so we ended up parking at the Cathedral of St. Andrew for a fee of course.
The Cathedral of St. Andrew located at 229 Queen Emma Square. This is a beautiful church that was built in the late 1860s.There is an exact replica of the Liberty Bell and is located in downtown Honolulu. It was gifted to Hawaii from the United States of America in July 1950.Hawaii became the 50th state on August 21, 1959.Iolani Palace is located in Honolulu and was the official resident of Kamehameha III,IV, and V. It was made into a museum in 1978 and you can take an audio tour of the palace Monday -Saturday between 9am-4pm for about $20/person.Inside the palace is absolutely gorgeous and very well perserved. The audio tour explains the history of the palace,the architecture, and the Queen’s imprisonment.Iolani’s Palace was built in 1882 and is where King Kalakaua and his successor Queen Liliuokalani lived.Queen Liliuokalani was imprisoned inside her own palace by the British for nine months. During her imprisonment she stitched this beautiful quilt that is on display inside the room where she was imprisoned.The statue of King Kamehameha I located in Honolulu. He united the Hawaiian islands into one kingdom in 1810.We visited Chinatown located in western Honolulu. There is so much to see and do within Chinatown between the shops, markets, and restaurants. We even seen women hand making leis, which was an amazing experience for our kids.Inside Maunakea Marketplace in Chinatown there is a small museum on the second floor that is free to the public. It is very small, however, it tells the story of chinatown in Honolulu. There was an outbreak of the bubonic plaque in 1899 and 41 fires where set to chinatown on January 20, 1900 that resulted in 40 deaths. This was devastating for this area, however in time they did rebuild.Chinatown’s historic buildings and unique architecture is worth a visit while in Honolulu.After spending some time in Chinatown, we decided to walk to Foster Botanical Garden located at 180 N. Vineyard Blvd. The hours are 9am – 4 pm and the admission price is $5/person. Before you enter the gardens, you walk past Kuan Yin Temple, which is seen here. The temple was closed when we arrived, therefore we did not get to go inside.Foster Botanical Gardens measures 13.5 acres and is the oldest botanical garden in Hawaii. This is a great family photo located at one of the many huge trees within the gardens.This is Loulu Palm tree and the only palm tree that is native to the Hawaiian islands.This is from a giant Kapok tree that was planted within the Foster Botanical Gardens. The tree is a native of Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbeans. There are pod seeds located on the tree and when Chris picked one of the seeds up a cotton-like white fluff came from it.While at the Gardens, we were lucky enough to see a rare Corpse Flower. These flowers are fascinating and yes they do smell like a rotting animal or corpse. The flower is actually an inflorescence, which means a mixture of male and female flowers grow within it. The Corpse Flower requires about 10 years to bloom. The female opens first followed by the male two days later, this is to prevent self pollination. The flower only stays open a few days, as you can see it is starting to open here, and will not bloom or open again for up to another 10 years.
Once we left the botanical gardens, we decided to drive to the National Memorial Cemetery, also known as Punchbowl Crater. The cemetery is open daily 8am to Dusk and admission is free.
This photo was taken standing on the memorial looking out at the cemetery.The National Cemetery is a burial for members of the armed forces and their immediate family members. The “Punchbowl” was formed about 100,000 years ago during volcanic activity and the first armed force burial took place in 1949, almost a year after the Government approved funding for the cemetery.As we drove to leave the cemetery, we stopped to capture this photo of the beautiful monument dedicated to all the armed forces that have served our country and there was just calm and serenity; a peaceful feeling.The National Cemetery is located at 2177 Puowaina Drive in Honolulu and this was the view from the highway as we were leaving the cemetery.
One of my favorite things to do while in Oahu is to drive Tantalus Road right at dusk to watch the sunset at one of the overlooks. Some tour groups take people halfway up Round Top Road to get a great view of Diamondhead, however there is just something about driving the entire loop that is exciting.
Tantalus Road is a very curvy-winding road located near Honolulu, however it is worth taking the time to drive.Tantalus Road turns into Round Top Road if you make the complete loop. This view is of Diamonhead and Honolulu as we were going back down the hillside.We did not catch the sunset the first time, so we drove it again. This time we caught the sunset going up the hillside on Tantalus Road. Here is the sunset through Chris’s sunglasses lens.Tantalus Road was formed in 1892 by gravel and paved in 1937. Seven miles of the road is on the State Register of Historic Places and on the National Register of Historic Places. The sunsets are breathtaking, along with the views of downtown Honolulu. I highly recommend driving it at least once.
DAY 8
On the agenda today was snorkeling at Hamauma Bay. My best advise is to arrive early. There are only 300 parking spots and this place stays packed full. It does cost $1.00 to park. The park is open from 6am-6pm. We arrived around 8:30 am as we had a hour drive and there were very few parking spaces available. The entry fee is $7.50 a person and the snorkel equipment rental is $20. Give yourself plenty of time because you will lose track of time. We stayed almost four hours.
Upon arriving, you will get a time to enter. Our time was a little after 9. Everyone is required to watch a video before they are allowed in the park. As this is a Nature Preserve they advised strongly against touching the coral reef.I am highly terrified of fish, however, my logic was that I may never in my life be back to this place and I did not want to miss out on the experience. This was the first time I had ever been snorkeling or past waist deep into the ocean. The water was so clear and the fish were absolutely beautiful. It was an awesome experience with my husband, my kids, and our moms; one that will never be forgotten. Snorkeling at Hanauma Bay should be on everyone’s bucket list.
We worked up an appetite while we were snorkeling, therefore, we decided to eat at Teddy’s Bigger Burger. They have multiple locations throughout the island, however, one is located conveniently across the street from Hanauma Bay at the KoKo Marina Center.
Teddy’s Bigger Burger is a fast-food hamburger chain originating in Hawaii in 1998.The food was actually really good. I like that they have healthier options such as a turkey burger or veggie burger.
After we were finished eating, we decided to take the Kalanianaole Hwy back around to the windward side with some stops in between. First stop was Halona Lookout where parking is free and there is no admission fee.
Halona Blow Hole is located in KoKo Head park off of Kalanianaole Hwy. It was formed from molten lava tubes thousands of years ago. It sometimes shoots water up to 30 feet in the air.From Halona Blow Hole, there are rocks that you can climb down at that corner of the highway and the parking lot. These rocks lead you down to Halona Beach Cove where you can swim if the water is calm. This was a filming location of the mermaid scenes from Pirates of the Caribbean 4.Within the cove is a lava tube that was formed millions of years ago by rapidly moving lava. We walked about halfway through it and turned around as it is really dark inside. This is looking out onto the beach from the lava tube entrance.The Halona Cove is worth the stop and so is hiking down to the beach.
We had always read that one of the prettiest lookouts on Oahu was the Nu’uanu Pali Lookout, so we decided to make it a stop on our list. It is located at Nuuanu Pali Dr, Kaneohe, HI and the admission is free.
The day that we went it was so windy that the very short hike to the lookout was difficult to make, however, it was worth it.Nu‘uanu Pali Lookout offers a panoramic view of the windward side of the island. This lookout is where one of the bloodiest battles in Hawaiian history took place when King Kamehameha I conquered the island of Oahu.
By this time, it was late in the afternoon, therefore, we decided to make a quick stop at Tropical Farms -Macadamia Nut Farm located at 49-227 Kamehameha Hwy. The shop is open daily from 9:30 am -5 pm.
Out the back door, there is a place where you can try cracking your own macadamia nuts. They also have free flavored coffee and, of course, Macadamia nuts to taste inside the store.
We had such an amazing day and decided to end it watching the sunset. We walked over to the beach across from our condo, sat in the sand, laughed, told stories, and just talked. It was a perfect night.
This is a great photo of the kids watching the waves together.The sunset was absolutely gorgeous.
DAY 9
Today was the day that everyone was dreading. No, not leaving this amazing island, but hiking Koko Crater. Chris and I had hiked it before, therefore, we tried to prepare everyone. The problem with that is, there is no way to prepare anyone for this hike or for the picturesque view at the top.
KoKo Crater is 1050 railroad ties straight up. The first 300 or so steps are the easiest, then about half way up there is a bridge that has about a twenty foot drop beneath it. This is where your legs start shaking. After the bridge, you have about 500 railroad ties that are a lot steeper than the beginning. This is one of the most challenging things I have ever done, twice. I would do it a third time!The best advice I have is to go at your own pace. There were five of us, all at different fitness levels. We started together at the bottom and all made it to the top at different times. It was not a race or competition, everyone had the same goal, just make it to the top!We finally made it to the 1,000 step! Once you see this, it’s like an adrenaline rush and the last 50 are way easier.As soon as you take that last step up and turn around, this view makes it all worth it!Once you are at the top, there are multiple bunkers that were used by the military during WWII. The first one you see is a resting point, keep on hiking up a short path to get to the very top one. Climb on top of the roof, sit, and take in the gorgeous beauty of Oahu.This is the bunker at the very top, we sat on the roof and put the camera on the ground. Chris set the timer and jumped up top before the picture was taken that way all of our legs were in the photo. The view behind our feet does not look real, however, I assure you it is.Another view from the top of KoKo Crater.Little man was so happy he made it to the top of KoKo Crater. That cove that you see behind him is Hanauma Bay, which is where we snorkeled only a few days earlier.You go back down the same way that you came up, by the 1,050 railroad ties. The adrenaline has subsided, your quads are burning, your legs are shaking from climbing up and now a different set of muscles have to work going down, and every time you take a step it feels like you hit the ground three times harder than you actually are. All I can say is going down is not any easier than going up, it is just a lot quicker.After that hike, we all agreed that we deserved ice cream! We drove to Bubbies Homemade Ice Cream located at 7192 Kalanianaole Hwy D103. I am not sure if I was so exhausted and hungry or if it was really some of the best ice cream that I have ever eat.
After ice cream, we drove to Aloha Stadium to shop at the Swap Meet and Marketplace. It is an open air flea market where over four hundred vendors set up on Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays. The hours are from 8am-3pm, the admission price is $1 per person.
You can spend hours here, however, over time the vendors start looking the same and the booths start repeating.After leaving Aloha Stadium, we drove back to the windward side for food. While on the H3, we noticed that you could see the Haiku Stairs from the freeway. Also know as the Stairway to Heaven, it consists of approximately 4,000 steps along the ridge-line. The stairs are in poor condition and are closed to the public. There is a guard that stands at the bottom and you are fined if found hiking them, although there are always ways around it.We had a late lunch at Ono Steaks And Shrimp Shack located at 41-037 Wailea St, Waimanalo, HI. They are open from 10:30am-8pm daily.Little Man tried the fresh fish tacos and he said they were amazing.
After a late lunch, we headed back up to the North Shore to the The North Shore Soap Factory located at 67-106 Kealohanui St, Waialua, HI. They are open seven days a week with the hours of Monday through Saturday 9am-6pm, Sunday 10am-5pm.
It is a local business located inside the historic Waialua Sugar Mill. When you walk in, there are glass windows where you can see the soap being made and there is a small store to buy soaps and lotions. All products are 100% natural ingredients and are all handmade.This is located at the North Shore Soap Factory. It is made from wax!
DAY 10
We left bright and early since the North Shore is about an hour drive from Honolulu. We had to return our rental car and check our luggage for our 10:50 am flight with Island Air. I booked the island to island flights through Expedia about a month before our trip. These flights are inexpensive and plentiful. They were on average $70 a person.
This was an emotional day for all of us as we said goodbye to the beautiful island of Oahu and hello to the island of Maui!
