Day 10 - The End!

So today is the last day we have in paradise.  We let the monsters sleep in as we are taking the red eye and at the crack of 11 am, we wake them to start the last day of our adventure.  After some french toast, we load the car and head to a favorite beach.  "Makua Beach".  There are only 6 people on the entire 2 mile beach and the waves are great!

We plant in a spot not too far from the parking lot, and Katie spies some feral kittens!

The kittens do not want to play, so we hit the beach and challenge the waves.  The waves are large and unpredictable, but that does not deter us.   The kids are hitting them hard and having a great time. Andrew and Cam boogie board and Brenda, Katie and I try to avoid the kill zone!  Having a great time!

We brought the masks and head out to snorkel - we see some juvenile turtles and so the chase begins! Andrew and Cam are successful, but Katie and I have to settle for some fish.  Either way it was cool seeing the underwater lava tubes and the fishes!

We spend a few hours there, battling the surf and getting tired out.  A great end to the trip.  Now we head back to base to pack up and catch the red eye back to reality!

Oahu Day 9

Diamond Head Day!   We wake up the monsters early (ish), and we are on the road by 9 am!  Traffic gets bad near the park, and we arrive at 9:55 am!  The park is FULL!!! WTF.  After several curse words, I drop the family off and drive out to park outside and down the hill from the Volcano entrance.   Now I hike up and in!  Sigh.   Oh well, we start our climb along with what seems like 5,000 other tourists!   The air is a sweltering 88 degrees and the going is slow (too many kids and aged tourists!).

Half way up, we are doing well and wanting the trip to go quicker...in fact several keener's run by us. We come to the stairs, very near the end of the hike and we tackle them with renewed vigor!  No complaining from Katie this year!  Once at the top, we scoot under the turret and into sunshine and more importantly...wind!

The top is very crowded, but the view is quite wonderful.  We stand around with everyone else, taking the needed selfies and couple shots.  Then, we lose Cam!  Where can he be?  He was just here, did he head down?  Did he fall or collapse from heat exhaustion?  Katie says she told him we were heading down, so we think he went on ahead....

We find him at the bottom, waiting.  Crisis averted.  Everyone is hungry, so we load into the car and head to Big City Dinner!  Andrew was craving "American Food". He gets the Bigger Burger, and still finishes part of my Club sandwich!  Now that we are full, we search out a beach...thinking Waikiki beach may be kinda cool....it is JAMMED!   There is zero parking, so we elect to head for Ala Moana Regional Park and Beach.  It is much quieter, and we find out why...it is kinda boring.  Due to a huge water break, there are essentially no waves.  That't ok.  We go for a swim, and rest in the sun for a couple of hours.  It is a nice change of pace...for a while.

We stop at Chinatown for one last trinket purchase for Katie, then back to base for dinner.  A fine day after all.

Oahu Day 8

We must be acclimatizing to Oahu time, cause our days are starting progressively later.  It was suppose to be "Hike Diamond Head Day", but by the time we were organized, it was 10 am again! We elect to head to the North Shore again.  Had a short talk with our neighbor, a young man visiting his father here in Oahu (he is from Redding California and studying to be a nurse). Apparently his mother died two days ago of the big C.  Terrible news...nasty thing that "C".

We load up into the car and head north.  Bisecting the island again, we think about stopping at the Dole Plantation for a whip....but it is PACKED!  Yikes, must be cause it is Sunday?  On we go.

We head into the Historic town of Hale'iwa.  We walk the main drag, truth be told, there is only one road, and stop in many of the various surf shops and novelty stores. Cam agonizes over buying a hat, and Andrew finds a Fertility statute he likes.  Katie elects for a postcard for a friend.  At the end of the road we find Matsumoto Shave Ice.  They have renovated and expanded, and the line up goes quick.  It was a nice break, I had the Green Tea Shave Ice!  Yum.

After this, we head out to the highway (really a two land roadway, the only access through the North Shore).  There is a huge traffic jam, backed up for miles! We elect to head to a little known, and hidden beach, close to the turn off.  Papa'iloa Beach, (closer to Lani'akea).  This is the beach where they filmed Lost.   Huge waves, surf was crazy!  We eat our lunch and then brave the waves - although we don't get too deep!

There is a turtle basking in the sun just steps away from where we plant our towels. We spend a few hours here, and head back to the Leeward side of the island.

Traffic is still terrible heading east, thankfully we are heading south!  Once back at Ko"Olina, we head down to a lagoon to cool off and snorkel with the fishes again.  Being Sunday, it is pretty busy, but we get an hour in.  

Tomorrow, Diamond Head?  Let's hope we get up early enough!

Oahu Day 7

Today we were going to hike Diamond Head. Although we didn't get an early start!  As we headed east, it was apparent the skies had filled and rain had fallen.  Indeed, we drove into a downpour! Thinking that a hike in the rain, and muddy trails was not all that appealing, we elected to detour to Chinatown! First, we stopped at the 'Iolani Palace.  The line up to tour the building was huge, as several tour busses had just arrived. So we walked around the building and grounds.  Then we took the obligatory picture with King Kamehameha (the statute!)

Everyone was hungry, so we dashed into a Noodle House - Little Village. After a surprisingly good (and cheap) meal, we head out into the nearby area to browse the shops.  The rain has let off and the town is drying (although staying quite humid).  We found a few shops and some souvenirs are acquired!

Back into the car, and we head eastward toward the Halona Blowhole!  We arrive and find a parking spot. The sea is really angry, and we can see a huge storm out to the east...this is creating some huge waves. So the blowhole is quite spectacular.  We watch for about 15 minutes, then the rain hits - and Hard!  Race back to the car and head down the highway to the North Shore.

We were looking for a beach and find a hidden gem (Bellows Beach). Apparently it is only open on weekends.  As the weather is spotty, the beach is pretty empty.  But it is too chilly and wavy to go in. We head east again....stopped at the Military entrance!  Apparently we can't go thru....foiled!  We head inland and back to the sea and stop briefly at Kailua Beach., Nice, but everyone is too cold to go in.  Back to base for dinner.  We have been gone for 7 hours and haven't been in the water yet.

We stop at Foodland to buy supplies and head back to the townhouse. Jump into the golf cart and head to Lagoon 4 for a quick dip.  The sun will set in 60 minutes so we want to make it in time! Back at home we make a good dinner of Kalbi, Kim-chi, Rice and Veggies!  Yum!

Oahu Day 6

Mele Kalikimaka!

A lazy start to the day, we let the beast sleep in (it was their Christmas Present!)  Cam was up early, then Katie and last Andrew (of course!).  Santa had visited overnight and filled some stockings for us!  Yay!  We had a late breakfast of eggs and toast then loaded the car to head west to a beach for the day.  We drove out about 20 minutes and found Makua Beach (part of the Ka'ena Point State Park).  A rarely visited beautiful vista of a beach.  We found the hidden dirt road leading to the achingly beautiful beach and mountain vista.  We drove down the bumpy narrow dirt road filled with huge pot holes and water run off.  We found a secluded spot, but decided to head further back east to the more popular area where the waves were big and the beach sandy!

We lay out our lunch and towels and head straight to the waves!  For the first hour or so, we bask in the impossibly blue water and soft sand.  The waves come in groups, some being only a couple of feet in height, others being almost 10 feet!  Wooo crazy!  The boys elected to try out the boogie boards and get some boogie on!  Several dozen wave ride and spills and flips later, the boys were having a good time.   Er, should I mention the topless girls 50 yards to the west of us?  Naw, I don't think the boys noticed.....ha!

We broke for some lunch and a bit of a rugby toss about.  The sun was at 85 degrees (oh, and the topless girls were now sunbathing behind our towel base, I still think the boys didn't noticed....ha!).

Back in the water...Cam spots a couple of sea turtles.  The waves continued to pound the shore and we challenged the sea to beat us.    Brenda even got out into the surf, braving the "death zone" and feeling the undertow pull of the sea!

After a few hours we head back to base to recharge and relax.  Then we head down to lagoon 3 for some easy snorkeling and swimming.  The sea was pounding a bit and mixing up the bottom so visibility was poor, but we persevered and found some fishes to chase.  After the sunset, Mario Andrew drove the golf cart back to base and we settle in for a nice Lasagna Christmas Dinner!

Happy Christmas!

Oahu Day 5

Well, our mornings are getting more lazy.  Only up at 7:30 today!  Our plan was to head to the North Shore and see what kind of trouble we could get into.  We loaded the car up with all the beach supplies, and hit the road at the crack of 9:30 am!

We bisect the island taking H2 up over 1000 feet. We drove by the Dole plantation, and the huge wind turbines, with our destination in mind.  Waimea Valley and waterfall!  We park and dodge the man eating peacock, and head on the 20 minute hike to the falls.   Walking though the humid prehistoric forest, with surprisingly almost no bugs....weird!  Finally the falls are within site, very nice and there are quite a few people milling about. Although not many in the water.  Surprise, you have to wear a life jacket if you want to swim up to the falls!  Oh well, when in Rome....we done the jackets and hit the water....COLD!  And very deep.   But we brave the water and swim (against the current) to get under the falling water.  Very cool...and surprisingly heavy water.  Apparently you cannot or rather, should not drink the water...there is a nasty microbe (Leptospirosis).  We are all sure we have it!   The hike back dries us off and we head on to the next adventure.

Sharks Cove....a favorite protected cove for snorkeling.  We found some shade on the grass and ate a nice sandwich lunch before braving the water and searching for fishes. We spent about 90 minutes swimming, climbing and avoiding the dreaded sea urchins.  We found a large sink hole and Cam & Andrew had to practice their canon balls!  Suddenly, the rain hit and people scattered.  We were about done, so we loaded into the car and headed further along the coast.  Next Stop Turtle Bay. Well, actually Kuilima Cove.  It is located at the Turtle Bay Resort (A Hilton hotel).   We park and head out in search of the elusive sea turtle.  The sea was pushing hard with big waves, so there were no turtles.  But we did see many fishes and some eels.   Time had slipped away on us, and everyone was hungry and tired.  The Dole Plantation was closed, so we headed back to base to eat and rest.

What will tomorrow bring?  Happy Christmas Eve everyone!

Oahu Day 4

Decided not to run this morning...my knees were too sore! Am I getting old? Don't answer that!

Day started with us planning to go to the Aloha Stadium Swap Meet.  So off we went.  After missing the turn off (again...did it last time we were here too!), we exited the car in 85 degree heat!   Lots of stops in the tents, Andrew and Cam bought sunglasses and bullet key chains. Katie was looking for gifts for her friends back home.  Brenda bought a necklace and Andrew bought some Hawaiian bread after being mistaken for a Hawaiian comedian!

It was swealtering hot at the Swap meet, not much wind and sun beating down.  We headed to Diamond Head to hike the Volcano rim, but the parking lot was full (Katie was very happy!  No Hike today!).  So we headed out to find a beach where we could eat our homemade lunch.

We found Kahala Beach.   A shallow beach among multi million dollar beach front homes. We brought our home made sandwiches (thanks Brenda) and had a picnic on the beach.  Then we entered the water and cooled off.  We had not brought the snorkeling gear (it wasn't a beach day!  Have to remember to pack that stuff anyway as any day can turn into a beach day!)   We spent a couple of hours just wading in the soft surf and cooling off in the 85 degree weather.

We decided to head further along the coast. Brenda referred to the Oahu Revealed app and we decided on Spitting Cave!  So off we went!

It turns out the Spitting Cave is accessed around amazing multi-million dollar cliff homes! The entry is quite steep and narrow, but the amazing visa of the magnificent blue ocean and cliffs is well worth the hike.  The trail opens into a cliff consisting of slow moving lava, which forms the rise above the ocean.  There is no one here!  WTF?  The ocean is so blue and clear, but there is no where to swim. Unless you have a death wish (cue Andrew!)  Of course he has to test the limits of human endurance, getting as close to edge of death as possible!

The Spitting Cave is a cave carved by the waves into the lava rock.  The spitting comes from the waves surging into the cave and causing a mist to surge outward to the sea!  Quite spectacular!

Andrew and Cam went exploring and disappeared from view for several long minutes (cue the panic).  They showed up several minutes later, still alive and safe!  We spent a good long time enjoying the view and the awesome power of the sea.  Now the long climb back to the car!

We were going to eat in Honolulu, but couldn't find a restaurant we liked, so we elected to head back to base for Spring Rolls and Burgers!  Bad news, it was now rush hour!  Although the freeway was jammed, it moved fairly smoothly.  We stopped at Foodland for some toilet paper and water, then back to base!

As there was an hour or so before sunset, Brenda, Cam, Andrew and I (Terry) jumped on the Golf Cart and headed down to lagoon 4 for a quick swim (Katie had a headache and stayed home).

We swam for an hour or so, exploring the lagoon and fishes.  Then back to base for spring rolls (Andrew hates them!) and Burgers!  

Not a bad day overall.  Tomorrow the North Shore!

Oahu Day 3

Well, we are surviving the sun.  But sleeping in is still elusively missing. So I thought a run would be in order (burning quads and knees! - WTF!) Ran down to Lagoon 4....saw a pod of Whales or maybe Dolphins.  When I got back, the pack was up!  Cam had some homework to finish, so we decided to head down to lagoon 3.  Andrew felt it was a boring swim, but we were buying time to let Cam finish his school assignment.

So we founds a shady spot under the trees on the grass and headed into the water for some swimming and snorkeling!  We swam and  chased fish for an hour or so.  The lagoon wasn't busy, and the cloud were making it cool every now and then. So we headed back up for some lunch. Sandwiches! Yum.

Cam needed another hour, so Brenda and I headed out to Costco and Foodland for more staples! After battling the hoards of the dead or nearly dead at Costco, we headed back to empty the van and load up for a beach trip.  Our destination is Papaoneone Beach.  The beach was pretty much empty, and we found a high spot on the beach, just out of reach from the crashing waves!   Andrew was elated and grabbed a boogie board and sprinted into the surf.  The waves were about 4 feet high and flowing thirty feet up the beach.  Cam was soon into the fray and both boys were zooming in an out of the surf.  Katie and I were content to challenge the waves and undertow in the "kill zone".  The area where the incoming waves hit the outgoing waves.  Fun.  Brenda was a little apprehensive, not being the strongest swimmer, but we got her out in the water too.  Until, she got caught in the kill zone and twisted and turned around in the wash!  She decided to watch from up the beach!

After a couple of hours, we were all exhausted and happy. Time to head home for some dinner and drinks.  Tomorrow is another adventure!

Oahu Day 2

Woke up early again...decided I'd go for a run... It was quiet, other than workers arriving to the various resorts, and the clean up crews. The weather was warming quickly, but the run was downhill toward the lagoons. Wait, downhill?  That means at some point I have to run uphill....whose big idea was this running thing?

After a shower, Brenda and I head out to find Foodland (yes that is the name of the store). We need some more supplies.  Hey,  they have a Starbucks....and a size larger than Venti!  Yikes, come on America!

Back at base, the team woke up and we decided to use the Golf cart to get to the Lagoon for a dip. Andrew was stoked....until he realized the golf cart does about 9 miles an hour, and the Lagoon was 1.5 miles away!  A few close calls, but we made it safe and sort of sound.  Lagoon 2 was the destination (although we were heading for Lagoon 3 and missed the turn!)

Splashing around in the lagoon and looking for fishes. We decided to explore the rocks and headed on the other side of the breakwater.  Sea was calm, but still powerful.  There was another wedding, taking pictures with the lagoon in the background. We dared Andrew to photo bomb the pictures, but we wisely nullified that dare quickly!

Back to base for lunch and to plan our next adventure.  Brenda wanted to do some reconnaissance, with the Oahu Revealed App in hand, we headed north.  First beach to check out was Papaoneone Beach.  Not much parking and hidden away from the road, we headed out into the 85 degree heat, the walkway opens to a wide and deep crescent beach with almost no one on it.  Waves were crashing into the sand and Andrew decided it was just dangerous enough to challenge him.  In he went!  Somersaulting and diving into the surf.  We stayed for about 20 minutes, then to Andrews dismay, hit the road to continue the search. Next was Makaha Beach Park.  A wide and expansive beach, a few more people here, and no crashing waves (Andrew was very sad).  We didn't stay, but headed out again.  This time, a hidden dirt road leading to Maku Beach (Ka'ena Point Park).  A hidden gem with some good waves, rocky outcrop and a vista to the mountains at the back.   Walked this beach for a little bit, but it was late and we had one more to go before heading back to base.  Yokohama Bay (Keawa'ula Beach).  The last beach, and the farthest you can go along the Wai'anae Coast.   We didn't get out, and it was a nice beach, but everyone was hungry and tired.

30 minutes later, back at base, cooking dinner and having a drink (a light one!).  Cam is in the Air and we have to pick him up at 10:30 tonight.

Tomorrow is another day!

Oahu Day 1

Well, not really day 1, if you count the actual arrival time at the airport, but for all intents and purposes, it was the first full day.  Woke up at 8 am, which was really 6 a local time.  Body clock...a good thing?  Decided to wait and try and get a few more winks, but that didn't pan out.  Brenda and I got up and while the kids slept, hit the road in search of supplies.  First a drive by Lagoon 4, empty parking lot at 9 am (will have to  remember that!).  Then in search of a Target and Costco.  Both within 600 metres of each other!

After feeding the beasts (aka Children) upon our return, we loaded into the Van to head to Lagoon 4. The kids wanted to take the golf cart, but we decided the first trip should be in the van.  Parking lot as much fuller at noon, but we found a spot (must remember that!).

The water seemed cool at first and there was a wicked wind (all Oahu has a wind warning).  We climbed the water break to the all powerful ocean (truth be told, it was pretty calm). A couple were getting wedding photos, as others tested the calm water of the lagoon.  We splashed about, and donned the snorkeling gear to search out the fishes.  A few were found and chased.  After an hour or so, the beasts were hungry and finding the calm waters of Lagoon 4 wanting.  Back to base for some refreshments and then off to the next adventure!

So we decided to eat out, and found a place nearby called MonkeyPod! Rated as 2nd best place in town (nearby at least).  Ate on the patio, food was good, but not cheap. Lots of birds, to Katie's liking, and fly's, to Andrews frustration.

Back to base to decide what was next.  Fell asleep!  Woke up at 5:34....sunset in 20 minutes!  We race down to Lagoon 3.  Parked and raced to watch the sunset...

Tomorrow is another adventure!