#missingkeikiallen
For winter break, we planned a trip to Hawaii. Allen’s nurse was still with us, so we had the opportunity to take one last trip alone! Sam had to work in San Francisco, so he flew to Hawaii straight from there and Rita flew alone direct from Newark. We stayed in Waikiki Beach, which was the most touristy place to stay on the island, but it was a nice area and we were planning on exploring from there. Rita landed first so she ubered to the hotel, unpacked and bought us supplies (some snacks, beach mats, towels, etc.) from the supermarket for the trip. Sam arrived later that night, picked up the car – he was able to get an upgrade to a Jeep Wrangler, which made it awesome to drive around the island with the top/sides off!
Friday – South
Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve – Our first stop of trip was to Hanauma Bay. This area was a quiet picturesque bay with a beach and reef for snorkeling. We got there really early and it was nice to beat the crowds. We rented snorkels for the week, so we could use them the whole trip. The water was nice and clear and we got to see plenty of fish.
Koko Crater Hike – Koko Cater is an old volcano conehead. There is an old railroad path leading directly up the side of the crater, which we hiked up. The climb was straight up, and it was extremely steep. Rita made it up no problem, but Sam struggled mightily and almost passed out on the way up. The hike was extremely rewarding, with views inside the crater and out to the ocean on both sides. Note to self: bring more water!
Sandy Beach – We spent the rest of the day chilling by Sandy Beach, and stopping by some of the lookout points in the area.
Sunday – North Shore
North Shore Shark Adventures – One of the highlights of our trip! We drove out to the North Shore, and joined our tour group to dive with the sharks. We took a boat out to the ocean, and were put in a cage that was lowered into the ocean. The sharks swam around us, up to the cage. It was awesome to see these creatures up close. The sharks we saw were mostly reef sharks and sandbar sharks which aren’t aggressive around people. On the boat ride back, we saw a school of dolphins swimming alongside the boat – they were really playful.
Surfing Lessons – The North Shore of Oahu is one of the most famous places to surf, with large barrel waves perfect for surfing. While we were there, we arranged for a surfing lesson. Our instructor was not very good, and we barely got on our feet. After a few tries, we just stopped. We made several stops along the shore and walked around the town of Haleiwa.
Waimea Waterfalls – These waterfalls were inside Waimea Valley. We hiked through the forested area, with some exhibits on the native Hawaiians who lived in the valley. The trail ended at the waterfall, where we were able to jump in for a quick swim. The valley was much cooler than the beaches, which was a nice relief from the heat.
Sunset Beach – After a long adventurous day, we watched the sunset on Sunset Beach.
Monday – Pearl Harbor
The site of the infamous attack that pulled the US into WWII was a must stop. The site is pretty big, and does a good job of telling the story of the events of December 7th, 1941 and the story of the war in the Pacific. We toured the USS Bowfin, a WWII era submarine and submarine museum. We walked through the museum, and took a boat to the USS Arizona memorial. The memorial is built above the USS Arizona, a ship that was sunk by the Japanese in the attack. The ship is still leaking oil into the harbor. We also toured the USS Missouri, a ship that saw action in WWII and was the site of the official Japanese surrender ending the war.
Tuesday – Windward Coast
Diamond Head – Diamond head was quite nice, but the hiking path was extremely crowded. When you get to the top, its hard to enjoy the view as there are people elbow to elbow. This was an easier hike than Koko crater, but we enjoyed that more.
After Diamond Head, we drove over to the Lanikai area of the Island on the Windward (East) side of the island. We stopped by Nu’unu Pali Lookout which was at the peak of the mountain pass to get to that side. We spent most of the day on Lanikai beach, in the wealthy area of the island (Obama has a mansion nearby). The beach was nice, except Rita got upset when there were unleashed dogs around. We also did some shopping in the area.
Wednesday – Waikiki Beach
We spent the last day of the trip in Waikiki, enjoying the beach. We took a catamaran ride, and took a photoshoot provided by the hotel. For us, this trip was a ton of fun. It was a great mix of relaxation and adventure. There was so much to do on the island and the weather was spectacular. 10/10!
