Oahu - The Gathering Isle: Hanauma Bay, Dole Plantation, North Shore & Pearl Harbor

I will be perfectly honest with all of you. While Oahu is typically the most popular of the islands, it was my least favorite. Oahu has the biggest population and is popular for Pearl Harbor and Waikiki Beach. You can also visit the North Shore for the most amazing surf you will ever see - at least during the winter months. In addition, there's the Dole Plantation, and historical places like Queen Emma's Palace and the Bishop Museum. Kona Brewing Company is also a fun stop. For hikers their is Koko Head and the Diamond Trail.

The reason why I didn't like this island as much, is because it felt like a tropical New York City. Waikiki and downtown Honolulu is swamped with resorts, malls, and over the top tourist traps. Of course, if I didn't have my handsome tour guide to show me around to the different islands, I probably would have stayed here on Oahu for the entire trip and still would have enjoyed myself, but I don't think it would have been worth the cost of the trip.

Oahu has nothing in comparison to the beauty of Maui's Mount Haleakala and the challenging Road to Hana, or the lava fields of the Big Island, or the grace and majesty of Kauai's Waimea Canyon.If you want to come to Hawaii just to sit on the beach - save your money and go to Florida instead.

With that said and out of the way, here are a few things about Oahu that I really did enjoy.

Snorkeling at Hanauma Bay
Hanauma Bay is the BEST spot for snorkeling and for those who are just starting out. The reason for this is that the tides are gentle and it is a protected preserve. Meaning the fish are friendly with humans and aren't afraid of us.

There are many parrot fish in this bay and native Hawaiian fish. You'll see beautiful reefs and coral, and may even come across an eel. This place is a must if you are spending time on Oahu and enjoy snorkeling or would like to try it out.



Scenic Overlooks


Whether you are on a tour or driving around the island by yourself, there are many gorgeous scenic overlooks you can stop at it. This one was going around the eastern side of the island.









Dole Plantation
You probably have seen Dole on your fruit before, specifically on cups of packaged pineapples. Jim Dole came to Hawaii and saw that the land would be great to grow pineapples on. That's right, pineapples are not native to Hawaii - they actually come from South America.

This is a major tourist site. You can get on the Pineapple Express and it will take you on a tour of the plantation. In addition, there is a pineapple maze, a garden, and a store. You can get food here, the most popular item is the Dole Whip.


Dole Whip is soft serve ice cream made with fresh pineapples and pineapple juice. It so so good!

This is a good place for either older people who cannot get around very well, or for young children. For adults, if you want to come here, just check out the garden and get your Dole Whip, and you'll be content enough to not spend the entire day or afternoon here.

North Shore


There's not a whole lot to say about the North Shore except that the waves are epic. It is difficult to capture the height and power of them in photos, but during the winter months, the waves are massive and regular people are not allowed in the water. However, there are surfing competitions and you can see surfers far out in the water waiting to catch a wave. This is a lovely spot to catch the sunset and take a walk on the beach without getting too close to the water.




Pearl Harbor
I have always loved the 1940s, and Pearl Harbor does an amazing job of explaining what happened on that dreadful day of December 7, 1941. There are several tours that you can go on, but the most popular is the USS Arizona. This ship faced the most casualties and become the final resting place for those that died on the ship and survivors who later asked to have their remains placed with their fellow crew.

You start the tour in a movie theater where you learn all about the events that lead to the attack on Pearl Harbor. You are then taken on a boat to the memorial. Underneath the memorial, the USS Arizona lies perpendicular to it. As soon as you reach the dock, you will smell oil. The ship is still leaking oil and probably will for another hundred years. You can see the remains of the ship. Coral and fish have spread all over it creating life where there was once death.

Pearl Harbor gets busy and overcrowded quickly, so go early in the morning to reserve your tickets. You cannot bring a purse or any kind of 'bag' into Pearl Harbor. There are lockers you can check it into, but that's not worth your time. Keep it in the car, and if you do need a bag, go purchase something from the gift store.

Hawaii's National Historic Parks & Early Hawaiian History

Hawaii has five National Historic Parks including: Volcanoes, Haleakala, Kaloko-Honokohau, Pu'ukohola Heiau, and my personal favorite - Pu'uhonua o Honaunau. The last three that are nearly impossible to pronounce are all located on the Big Island of Hawaii and showcase the lifestyle of early Hawaiians.

Kaloko-Honokohau depicts the peaceful side of the native Hawaiians. This park preserves the coastal sections of two traditional land divisions - Kaloko and Honokohau. Hundreds of Hawaiian families, fishermen, and farmers lived here.

You will see piles of lava rock all over that once marked the locations of various Hawaiian structures including a mark of formal boundaries, agriculture, fishing and religious structures.

What you want to see here is the 'Ai'opio fishtrap
  Hawaiians had many different methods of fishing, this one is the Kaloko fishpond where fish were raised to sustain the people. Fish swam into the bay at high tide and were trapped inside the walls as the tide fell.











Honu or green sea turtles like to bask in the sun here. They are endangered and therefore protected by law. It is not permitted to bother them or get within 10 feet of them











Pu'ukohola Heiau shows another time of Hawaiian history - war. By 1790, many believed that Kamehameha was destined to rule all of the Hawaiian islands. However, he only conquered Maui, Molokai, and Lana'i, because his cousin and rival king sought opposition. One day Kamehameha learned that his cousin King Keoua was invading his territory, so he went to a prophet. The prophet said that he would rule all of the Hawaiian islands only when he built a temple atop Whale Hill dedicated to his family's war god Kuka'ilimoku.



Kamehameha went to work immediately. The builders had to follow strict guidelines in order to please the war god. The prophet served as the royal architect to ensure perfection. The temple had to be built from lava sea-worn rocks. Workers created a human chain 20 miles long to transport the rocks to the top of the hill from the ocean.




The temple took one year to build, and King Kamehameha labored with his people. During this time, King Keoua tried to stop him and all of the islands that Kamehameha conquered were taken back by the chiefs. Kamehameha counterattacked and finished the temple in 1791. Upon completion, Kamehameha invited his cousin King Keoua to the dedication ceremony. It would have been unheard of for him to decline, so he came knowing that he probably wouldn't make it out alive.

When Keoua's bought docked, he was killed in a squabble. By 1810, Kamehameha was the revered king of all the Hawaiian islands.

This is a neat site to go and visit. You cannot enter the temple as it is a sacred place to native Hawaiians, but you can walk around the outside of it. In addition, you can visit the site of John Young - a British sailor who was a trusted advisor to Kamehameha.

There is also a sunken temple dedicated to the shark gods. The temple was last seen in the 1950s when the rock platform was visible during low tides. In addition, there is another set of ruins of a  Heiau (temple) that was turned into a fort by John Young. There are plenty of walking trails, and spots for whale watching here as well.

Pu'uhonua o Honaunau rests on the black lava plats of the southern Kona coast. It preserves aspects of traditional Hawaiian life. Honaunau Bay is the place where royal chiefs established their residences and is separated from the rest of the village by a massive 10 foot high 17 feet thick wall.  This was also considered a place of refuge for defeated warriors, noncombatants in time of war, and those who violated the kapu or sacred laws. It was not the wall that granted refuge, but the bones of chiefs. Blood could not be spilled here as the spiritual power of the bones of chiefs protected people who sought refuge.

This is a fun park to come and visit. You do a self walking tour with a park map that you pick up. It takes you to 16 different sites where you get to learn about the royal grounds, temples and life within a Hawaiian village.





Konane - a traditional Hawaiian game similiar to checkers.










Kanoa bowls carved into lava rock that were used for dyes, to evaporate ocean water to make salt, or pound the 'awa root to make juice.

Hale o Keawe (ki'i or tikis) stand watch over the rebuilt temple and mausoleum that once held the bones of 23 noble chiefs. Offerings were placed on the tower.





There are many other sites here that will give you insights of what life was like as a commoner, a wife of the king and so on. I recommend that you definitely come to this National Historic Site over the others.

Lane of Craters Road - Volcanoes National Park

Miles and miles of lava, as newly erupted from 1974 as late to the early 1800s covers the land. Some areas appear to be an oasis where tall grasses and palms grow, as if oblivious to the waste land around them. Newly paved road makes it possible to traverse this devastated land. Various overlooks were built to explain what volcano formed in the area and spout out the surrounding lava. You'll see the older the lava, the lighter in color it becomes, such as brown and red.

 This road is definitely worth the drive. It is scenic, not just because  of the lava, but also for the land that turns from lava to desert, to forest and ocean.

Near the end of this road, you will come across the truly magnificent Ocean Sea Arch.

Sea arches, characterized as erosional remnants of a once-continuous sea cliff, are found along many of the world's most rugged coastlines. These arches are formed by the persistent and relentless powers of wind, wave, sand and rock over the course of 500 to 700 years. While the arch may look sturdy, it's probably not a good idea to go walk on it. Overtime the support weakens and will collapse forming a column of rocks known as a stack.

After the sea arch, the road continues. A few years ago, the road stopped. A Road Closed signed was engulfed in lava. People would drive out and walk a short distance to see it. Now, however, the Hawaiian government is fixing that road, and you can no longer see the sign. I would recommend to not continue down that road, unless you need to use an outhouse. There's really nothing to see except more lava and road that you cannot drive on. 

Volcanoes National Park

The volcano was glowing bright red and orange in the distance. Its smoke drifted up to the cloudless sky. Celestial wonders - stars, planets, constellations, comets and galaxies far, far away littered the night sky. This was my first night on Kilauea Volcano.

Picture by Wally Pacholka from "America the Beautiful at Night"

We stayed at the Kilauea Military Camp ON the Kilauea Volcano. When we awoke the next day we had quite the adventure ahead of us. Today, I was going to walk in the crater that Kilauea, an active volcano made in 1959.

The night before, I met a Vietnamese girl who grew up on Hawaii. Like most residents and native Hawaiians, she was catholic. However, that didn't stop her from believing in the power of the Hawaiian gods. When I told her that we were visiting Volcanoes National Park, she warned us not to take any of Pele's children or we would face her wrath.

I am no kidnapper, so, I thought okay, easy enough, but who is Pele?

Pele is the goddess of fire, lightening, wind, volcanoes and is the creator of the Hawaiian islands. She is known for her power, passion, jealousy and capriciousness.

From science we know that the islands were formed from a hot spot on earth's outer crust that is made up of tectonic plates that move. When the plates come together sometimes volcanoes form.When volcanoes form in the middle of a plate, magma rises upward until it erupts on the sea floor, at what is called a “hot spot.” Thus, an island is born. According to Hawaiian mythology, that was Pele.

The Vietnamese girl told me that once, she took a few volcanic rocks home with her. She got so ill, she couldn't eat or sleep, and thought she wasn't going to make it. She traveled back to the volcano and returned the rocks. Like magic, she felt well again upon the return of Pele's children.

Another person commented that he had a similar experience. He didn't take any lava home with him, but when he reached down to take some, he felt something very wrong about doing so and left Pele's children alone.

I heeded her advice, in addition to knowing that it is illegal to take anything from a national park, and set out the next morning on the Kilauea Iki Trail. The thought that this volcano erupted during my parent's time in 1959, and not thousands of years ago was truly amazing to me.

The fact that volcanoes like Kilauea and Mauna Loa are still active and can create land that we humans have no control over is humbling. The whole trip down into the crater and back up takes about 4 miles. So, bring water and wear a hat and sunscreen, it is hot hot hot down there.

As you descend into the crater, you will walk through lush tropical rain forest. In places you will see the Kilauea caldera smoking.

It's a pretty easy trail down. It was created by Teddy Roosevelt's "army." The trail zigzags, and is mostly smooth, but has a few rocks here and there. The way back up out of the crater is a little difficult, and if you're not in good shape, you'll need to take your time and take some breaks.




You'll see signs labeling Hawaii's native plants all over. And you may even see odd wonders like this tree to the right.

While in the crater, it may be tempting to go where ever you please, but there is a sign that says to stay on it. Now, I'm no volcano expert, but you may want to do just that. The trail is simple, and is easy to walk on. If you go off of the trail, a lot of the volcanic rock has crashed into one another creating fissures and some difficult to walk on surfaces.

In the crater you will see two different kinds of lava - A'a and Pahoehoe.





A'a lava flows have extremely rough and jagged features. It can be easy to cut yourself on this so be careful around it.







Pahoehoe is smooth and has a ropy surface. When you feel this type of lava, it may feel like you can mold it, and may be able to rip a piece off if it is still hot enough.




One truly amazing thing to me was that amount of life growing in the lava. There are trees, flowers, berries. How on earth is this possible? It turns out that lava contains many of the nutrients that life needs. When it rains, pockets of water form in the lava allowing any seeds that blow down into the lava to grow and flourish.

 

The most common plant you'll see is the Ohia Lehua tree and its flowers. 

The small green plants you see in this photo are called 'Ae. 'Ae is a small lava fern that is on the first vascular plants to settle into the moist cracks of new lava. The leaf blades twist upwards like venetian blinds.

Walking on the lava and checking out the plants is so much fun. Aside from the plants, there are also steam vents. You probably don't want to get too close to these. 

After making our way out of the crater and back to the car, we completed the hike in a little over 2.5 hours. Next was Craters Lane Road. Check out my next blog post for details!

Kauai - The Garden Isle Part 3: The Russians Are Coming! Russian Fort Elizabeth

The day we drove to Waimea Canyon, we came across something rather peculiar. The ruins of the Russian Fort Elizabeth, which is now a State Historic Park.

The following information is from the Russian Fort Elizabeth State Historic Park informational signs:
This fort was 1 of 3 that was built on Kauai between 1815 and 1817. The other forts are Fort Alexander and Fort Barclay and both were built near the mouth of the Hanalei River on the north shore. Fort Elizabeth, on the other hand was built 35 miles away on the opposite side of the island at the mouth of the Waimea River.

The forts were built under the command of Georg Anton Schaeffer, an agent with the Russian-American Company. He named Fort Elizabeth after Tsarina Elizabeth. The Russians made an alliance with Kauai's King Kamualii. The alliance allowed the Russians to build the forts and to secure a provisioning station in Hawaii for the Russian-American ships trading between the American Northwest and Asia across the Pacific Ocean. The Russians were forced to leave Kauai and abandon the forts in 1817.  Hawaiian troops completed and occupied Fort Elizabeth from 1817 to 1864.

The fort was dismantled in 1864 by order of the Hawaiian government and the fort has since fallen into disrepair. The remnants of Russian Fort Elizabeth consist of the fort wall made of basalt boulders stacked over an earthen embankment and the foundations of the buildings that once existed inside the fort wall.

Inside Fort Elizabeth

As I mentioned, the fort is in disrepair, so there isn't much to see. However, the remnants are still there, and if you follow the park's map, you can stand in the fort and understand where the barracks, blacksmith, ammunition store, officer cabins are located and more.  The park is coated in red dirt and is in the dry part of the island, so it has a desert feel to it. If you are a Russophile such as myself, then you will find this park to be very interesting. I personally was shocked to hear that the Russians traveled all the way to Hawaii. My first thought was - wouldn't they melt??

This is the coastal view you get outside of the fort.

Kauai - The Garden Island Part 2: Waimea Canyon

Day 2 on the Island of Kauai started out slow and relaxing. We didn't have a full day here, so we decided to focus our travel efforts of the day entirely on seeing Waimea Canyon. Waimea Canyon is on Kauai's western side and is nicknamed "The Grand Canyon of the Pacific."




The canyon is 14 miles long, 1 mile wide, and more than 3,600 feet deep. Along the road to the canyon there are various lookout points. To the left and down below, you are viewing the main lookout.










Also from this view, you will see a the 800 foot Waipoo Falls in the distance. A piece of the canyon is blocking the bottom of the waterfall, so it is difficult to see just how far down it goes.

However, there is a small stream that appears to run throughout the bottom of the canyon. Perhaps this waterfall is the source.






As you continue along the road you will make it to the Kalalau Lookout. This spot has some great photo ops.



There really isn't any historical facts to this place that I was able to find. However, there is a museum at the Kokee State Park.

Kokee State Park spreads over 4,345 acres on a plateau and is 3,200 to 4,200 feet above sea level.

For the hikers, bird watchers, those wanting to take helicopter tours - this is the place for you.  You will see the park covered in forest and wild flowers, see native plant life and Hawaiian forest birds that are endemic such as the Moa, Iwi and Apapane.

From this picture you can see the cliffs of the Napali coast line - the mountains we hiked to the day before. 

At this state park, if you wish, you can rent out cabins as well. Check out the Kokee Natural History Museum if you get the chance as well. You can see all of the wild life that is there, learn more about the birds, and find some hand-made souvenirs, as well as a few camping things that you may have forgotten to pack such as flashlights, ponchos, binoculars and more.

On our way back to the airport, we had very little time to spare, but I insisted that we stop and see another waterfall - on the eastern side of the island. I was assured by my handsome tour guide that if we moved quickly enough that we would still make our plane to the Big Island of Hawaii.

Here you see the Wailua Falls. These falls were featured in the 1970s show of Fantasy Island.

When I saw the fallen tree sticking out from the top of the waterfall, all I can picture was Pocahontas racing to the end of the tree and diving off the cliffs into the deep pools of the waterfall.  Yes, I do realize - wrong place for her.






These waterfalls are a short drive-by spot and is right on Mä‘alo Road (Hwy 583) and is 4 miles off of the major highway 56.

Along Highway 583, you can also see the Opaekaa Falls - which we didn't have time for, but is about equally impressive. These two falls range from 80 to 100 feet.

One thing I wanted to mention about Kauai specifically that makes it different from the other islands. It is one of the most laid-back, and least commercialized of all of the islands. Because of this, you will see so many free-range chickens and roosters just about everywhere you go. In addition, you may see the random wild pig as well. These animals appear to be human-friendly, but still take care approaching the pigs especially.

Kauai - The Garden Isle Part 1: Kilauea Point & Napali Coast

Each island in Hawaii is truly unique. Some may decide to visit only one island while in Hawaii, but what they don't realize is that they are making a huge mistake. Oahu - The Gathering Place; Maui - The Valley Isle; Hawaii - The Big Island; Kauai - The Garden Island. As I visit each island, I learn why each island earned their nickname. The culture and scenery differs just enough to make it feel like you are truly visiting a very different place.

The first day on Kauai we woke up at 5am for our flight out of Oahu and spent the entire day exploring the northern part of the Island. Our hotel was at a charming place right on the Ocean called Kauai Shores - An Aqua Hotel. They had a free Mai Tai happy hour with really good sushi - who can say no to that?

Kauai is the smallest of the major four islands, and since our hotel was right on the eastern coast, it made it the perfect spot to explore both the north and south in 2 days. No matter what island you decide to explore, there is really only one way of getting to one part of an island to another. So, if there is a car accident, fallen rocks or a tree it can cause a major delay. However, this makes traveling around so much easier. There are also tons of scenic overlooks, and they are almost impossible to miss from all of the cars parked along the side of the road or in always busy parking lots.


While traveling along the eastern coast of Kauai, aka the coconut coast, heading north we stopped at was called Kaiakea or Unobstructed Sea. This is a site of a traditional Hawaiian Legend "The Wind Gourd of La'amaomao." The legend tells the story of the wind goddess La'amaomao who once resided here.

This is a lovely stop and is the perfect spot for whale watching. I didn't bring binoculars but thought I saw a very large tail fin. Humpback whales travel all the way from Alaska to Hawaii during the winter months to give birth to their calves and begin to raise them.

Cyclists ride along this tranquil coast line, and is a frequent stop for locals and tourists alike.


Our next stop was Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge. This refuge is located on a narrow lava peninsula complete with a lighthouse and many different birds. These tall grassy slopes and dormant volcano provide protection to many of Hawaii's native birds. For those "Lilo & Stitch" fans, you may recognize this lighthouse from the movies.

Many of the birds that you will see here are the ‘Ā (Red-footed booby), Mōlī (Laysan albatross), ‘Ua ‘u kani (Wedge-tailed shearwater), Koa'e (red-tailed or white-tailed bird) the friendly Nene (goose) and many others. There are plaques all over the refuge that help visitors identify the birds and tell the story of these endangered creatures.





This overlook can be found along the path to the lighthouse. These verdant slopes contain birds that fly over the ocean hunting for squid and seeking great nesting spots. Even if you have no interest in birds or how some of them burrow under the ground like rabbits, you will still find the views breathtaking and worth your time.

Hawaiian Nene

We did not do the tour of the lighthouse, partially because we already did one this previous summer that had  more than 200 steps which was much more impressive than this little one. The views from the top of it wouldn't give you much more of a vantage point than the rest of peninsula.



After the wildlife refuge, we got back in the car and headed out to the Napali Coast Wilderness Park. Along this very scenic route we drove past taro fields and lush rain forest. The Limahuli National Botanical Garden is another popular stop for those wanting to learn more about Hawaii's native plant and tree life.

Limahuli National Botanical Garden

Before we could get to Limahuli we went through the most arduous parking experience of my life. For a national park, parking is terrible. They have one major parking lot that is made entirely out of hardened pot-hole stricken mud. If you do not have a Jeep or a 4-wheel drive vehicle, I would not recommend even attempting to park in this lot. Find a spot on the side of the road or park at Limahuli and walk.

We walked from Limahuli, which turned out to be a magical experience on its own after being jostled around like a rag doll inside our rented Hyundai Accent. 

Along our walk to the park, I came across Aerial's grotto. Vines thick enough to climb and use as rope hung from the cliffs. The water was still, but filled with colors of blue and green, yet was clear enough to see the bottom.

I could only imagine what kind of treasure may be hiding inside. I was so tempted to take a small kayak and paddle inside to see where the tunnel led.




From here we continued onward to do an 11-mile hike! ... Except, we only went half a mile. This hike is meant for pros or experienced hikers. The trail is challenging because it has steep rocky and muddy slopes. If you want to truly experience a tropical rain forest, then this hike is for you.

Not only will you challenge yourself physically, but you will see gorgeous flowers, nature at work, vines like no-other, and view points that will leave you in awe.

Ohi'a lehua flower

The picture of the trail above doesn't quite give you a good example of how difficult the trail gets - this was the easy relaxing part. After the half mile, we were huffing, puffing, and realized that if we wanted to do more we would have had to come better prepared. Pros were using hiking boots, sticks, carrying Camelbaks, and other gear for in case of rain showers. We were silly tourists not wearing proper gear or anything. However, if you want to try something really fun and challenging - do the half mile. The trail is marked once you reach that point and you won't be disappointed.

If you decide to hike 4 miles up the coast (another 4 miles to return as well) you will get to see an epic waterfall. The entire 11-mile hike will take you 4,000 feet above sea level and provide unforgettable views. For that epic trip, you will need to buy a camping permit as it will take you 2 full days to complete the hike.

January 7, 2016

Iao Valley

King Kamehameha I ferociously fought with Maui's army in 1790 in the emerald Iao Valley forest in his quest to unite the Hawaiian islands. Not only was the battle bloody, but it was also extremely strategic. The king won this war changing the course of Hawaiian history forever.

Iao Needle

Iao Valley is considered sacred ground and is protected by the state of Hawaii. It is approximately 4,000 acres and consists of fairly easy hiking. 

During the war, King Kamehameha I placed lookout points across the Iao Valley and at the peak of the 1,200 ft Iao Needle, which aided the king's army in alerting them to the position of Maui's army.

This climb was a great feat on its own considering the tools available to people during the late 1700s and early 1800s.

While many of Hawaii's mountains aren't exceptionally tall, they tend to be very steep, resembling cliffs rather than the mountains we are used to seeing in North America.





The Iao valley is home to streams and easy paved walking paths. There are a lot of stairs though, so keep that in mind before visiting this park. The park itself isn't extremely exciting, but it's a nice place to take a stroll and enjoy for less than an hour unless you want to go swimming in the streams or tan on the large boulders resting in the stream at various points.
 

Visited January 4, 2016.