Hawaii Part I: Oahu

Back in October, my good friend Suzanne and I realized we both had enough reward miles to fly to Hawaii virtually free. To prevent life from getting in the way, we booked our tickets six months in advance. We were headed to paradise for a whopping seven dollars and fifty cents.

Friday, May 2

After a good four hours of sleep (salsa dancing with a latin man kept me out a little longer than planned) Suzanne and I make it to the airport where we wait an extra 2 hours for our delayed nine hour flight to Honolulu. Once on board we find a wide selection of movies and TV shows to keep us occupied for free and at our leisure. I watch two before I succumb to sleep and realize we still have hours to go.

I can't contain my excitement as we land. I was in paradise! It had been over 10 years since I found myself on a tropical island and I was going to enjoy every minute of this trip. I was so overcome by the majestic green cliffs that guided us north, I couldn't help but take a photo as I drove on by. (No accidents or honking occurred while taking this photo.)

Following the recommendation of our Hawaiian friend, we decided to stay in a condo on the North Shore. As we drove along the coast we saw several signs stating, "Keep the Country Country." I eventually learned that the "country" was referring to the North Shore and efforts were in place to prevent it from becoming another Waikiki. After spending a week in the country, I whole heartedly support these efforts.

Four hours of sleep and a five hour time difference began to take it's toll after an hour of driving and a half hour of being "lost." What we would soon find out is that Hawaii roads are not always clearly marked. If they are marked, the street name will invariably start with the letter K. M or P are other popular choices. This first letter will be followed by string of vowels. Such as the Kamahameha Highway. For a haole like myself, these names became impossible to pronounce and distinguish. Navigating our way around the island proved interesting. We were always grateful for an English road name we could recognize like Campbell, even if it was less authentic.

After finding our condo and ditching our stuff, we grabbed a quick dinner in Laie (pronounced la-ee-ey) at Seven Brothers, picked up some groceries at Food Land, and took a quick tour of the LDS temple's visitor center where we learned Laie was settled primarily by Latter-day Saints or Mormons.
We then went home and crashed.

Saturday, May 3

First thing we do is head for the Wal-mart in Mililani. I know, what a horrible start to a vacation in paradise. But we needed beach towels and sunscreen. And our first bag of Mauna Loa milk chocolate toffee macadamia nuts. From there, it's straight to the beach. It takes awhile to find a parking spot at Waimea Bay on a Saturday morning, but after 10 minutes of waiting, some locals leave and we grab their spot.

Waimea Bay has a great jumping rock. Signs warn against jumping but no one pays attention to it. After being reassured by three Hawaiian girls that it's totally safe and all good, I take the plunge. I can't help but let out a scream after free falling and finding I still have not touched the water. Fifteen feet or so below the surface my feet touch sand and I shoot back up. A Hawaiian girl in the water says, "see, it wasn't that bad." It wasn't - quite the rush. But once is enough for now.

At lunch time, tropical rain looks imminent and we leave to find some local grub. We stop at Ted's Bakery where I order fish and the famous chocolate - haupia (coconut) cream pie.

 

 

 

After lunch we head to Turtle Beach to look for sea turtles. We find an obvious one.

 



 

We are not allowed in the water at this beach, but we do see another sea turtle swimming. He occasionally pops his head up to catch his breath. We sit and watch enamored.

 

For our third beach of the day we look for Three Tables, my dad's proclaimed favorite. Most of the North Shore beaches do not have identifying signs to let you know you've arrived at your destination. One has to use context clues or really detailed guide books (at least we did). We find the area that we think might be Three Tables and walk to the sand. Sitting down we look out into the water and see three large, flat rock formations: Three Tables! We had arrived. Three Tables is a great place for snorkeling and I enjoy rolling in the waves with my brightly colored fish friends. This beach is also a great place to watch the sunset. (No filter used.)

 

At the end of our trip I sat on this beach to write on a postcard that photographed a place called Alligator Rock. I thought, oh we never found this spot. Then I look up to see it was right in front me the entire time, I had just never recognized it. (You can see the first of three tables to the right of this photo.)

After a long day in the sun and sand, we decide to just order pizza for dinner. I call Pizza Hut and order Hawaiian. We're being lame but at least we're sticking with a theme. I am then told by a woman in a rather condescending voice, "We don't have a Hawaiian. We just have ham and pineapple." True, that's what they call it in Hawaii. We'll take it. This was a favorite quote of the trip as my friend kept searching for Hawaiian Shaved Ice. "We don't have Hawaiian. We just have shaved ice."

 

Sunday, May 4

 

Even though we were on vacation, we decided to make the first hour of church in Laie. The hour was full of Alohas and Talofas (Samoan greeting). Prior to church we explored Turtle Bay (as opposed to Turtle Beach). I find a great place to get married. 

 

 

 

But the place I really want to get married, we explored after church. The LDS Laie temple.

 

 

And here's the view from the top. You can see the ocean in the distance.

 

 

BYU Hawaii was just down the street.

 

 

Next stop was the Dole Plantation where we took the Pineapple Express and learned all about James Dole and bringing pineapple to the Hawaiian Islands.

 

 

Then into Honolulu to hike Manoa Falls. According to my brother, this waterfall is shown in the TV show Lost. The hike reminded me a lot of my days in the Dominican Republic.

 

 

And Hawaii really is the Garden of Eden.

 

 

On Sundays, everything in Laie shuts down, so on the way back to the North Shore we stop in Haleiwa for dinner at Haleiwa Joe's.

 

Monday, May 5

 

I can't get enough of the water, so Monday morning we head to Sunset Beach where we find the weather has produced some pretty good sized waves.

 

 

Surfers of all ages are out and we are mesmerized. The ocean isn't very forgiving though.

 

 

For lunch we stop at the Kahuku Grill just outside of Laie.

 

 

This restaurant is owned by the same seven brothers that own the hamburger joint Seven Brothers and is known for its world famous coconut shrimp. And dude, was it amazing. Best shrimp I've ever had.

 

 

For dessert we ordered Peggy's chocolate banana coconut bread served with vanilla ice-cream and coconut shavings. Again, amazing. On our last night in Oahu, we came back to the Kahuku Grill to try out their home fries and we run into Peggy's mom. We thank her for passing down such a wonderful recipe.

 

After lunch, we head to the Polynesian Culture Center in Laie. Sometimes referred to as the PCC, the center offers visitors a look into the culture, dance, and lifestyles of Polynesian countries including Hawaii, New Zealand, Tonga, Tahiti, Samoa, and Fiji. We saw the Haka dance (don't mess with them), saw a Samoan rip open a coconut like it was no big deal (it is), tried our hand at starting a fire (I failed), tasted poi (rather bland by itself), learned the hula (!!), watched a canoe parade (fun, but hot!), saw an IMAX video (in which I saw my friend's dad), and ate at a traditional Luau.

 

 

After the luau was the performance Ha-Breath of Life. Complete with dancing and fire twirling, I was all smiles throughout the show. This was one of my favorite days on the island!

 

Tuesday, May 6

 

We had spent three whole days on Oahu and still had not ventured in to see the typical Honolulu tourist attractions. Today would be that day.

 

First stop, Pearl Harbor. Boat rides out to the remains of the USS Arizona were bought ahead of time to secure a spot. We arrive early and take the audio tour of the museums while we wait for our boat. I find that although Pearl Harbor is a hallowed spot, I'm not the biggest military history buff. I know that must make me sound horribly unpatriotic, but it's true. I do enjoy the display of Sadako's cranes (see Golden Crane for more on this) and the display on Japanese Americans.

 

Prior to the boat ride, visitors watch a brief video of the events leading up to the attack on December 7, 1941. Visitors are then asked to discontinue use of cell phones as we board the boat and take a short ride out to the memorial. This is the final resting place for many that died that day. Oil from the sunken battleship can still be seen floating to the surface.

 

After paying our respects to those that served our country so honorably, we head to Diamond Head.

Unlike our hike to Manoa Falls, this hike is hot and dry with no shade. (A word to the fair: don't forget sunscreen on the back of your legs!) The hike isn't long and our tour guide book did warn us about the tunnel and the 99 steps we'd have to take to get to the top. The view is spectacular!

 

Honolulu & Waikiki
 

To cool off after our hike we finally make our way to Waikiki. This is where most tourists stay and after four days we were finally making our way there. We found we weren't missing much. Waikiki is a city beach complete with homeless guests and rough, coral sea bottoms. Within walking distance, however, is a whole host of shops and restaurants with an ABC store every fourth door. This is where we buy most of our souvenirs to take home. After spending a day in the city we are happy to retreat back to the country.

 

Wednesday, May 7

 

This is our last day on Oahu and it's starting to feel like home. We are getting sad to leave.

 

For breakfast we head to Hukilau Café in Laie known for it's delicious banana pancakes. This restaurant was also inspiration for the café in the movie 50 First Dates. It is hard to find as it is located inside a neighborhood and there is only one small sign directing you from the main road. It's also closed Sundays & Mondays and not open for dinner. Inside the café are photos and autographs of local Hawaiian athletes who made it big. Most are football players, some of whom play in the NFL.

 

We designated our last day as a beach-only day and after breakfast we head to Sunset to work on our tans.

A few days before, a friend had told us we needed to try a place called Ono Yo in Kahuku as it had the most amazing frozen yogurt she had ever tasted. For lunch we head there.

I order the recommended fruit bowl: passion fruit Greek yogurt topped with fresh kiwi, strawberries, and pineapple, covered in passion fruit juice. One word: O-no!! (Hawaiian for delicious).

For the afternoon, we return to Three Tables where I am mistaken for a local. Not a native, but a local. It was a proud moment. Hawaii and I were destined to be together.

 

We head to Sunset for the sunset and back to Ono Yo where I try out the almond joy. It's good, but the fruit bowl is still the best. And then finally, Kahuku Grill and home.

 

Our time in Oahu is over. And it was heavenly.

 

Mahalo! A hui hou!