The weekend allowed me some time to get out and enjoy what Hawaii has to offer during daylight. I got to Waikiki beach, the North shore (Waimea), the Eastern edge (Makapu'u), and the West Side(Waianae/Makaha).
Waikiki being one of the world's most famous beaches was very crowded(the pictures speak for themselves) I'll have another blog post for Waianae/Makaha.
The North shore is known for its large surf, sometimes as big as 30 feet. Besides a nice drive through "the country," passing the Dole plantation and what looked like a palm/Christmas tree farm, this was nothing to get too excited about. The large waves are a neat sight to see, but the weather on the North shore is much more variable and not clear and sunny all the time. It also became gloomy as I drove into a tourist speed trap and got issued a Hawaii speeding citation. Needless to say, I'm very unhappy about this and do not plan to return to this area.
At the advice of a coworker, I went to check out the Makapu'u Lighthouse. A two-mile hike from the road is required to get to the lookout point. From there, you can climb higher up the side of a mountain to see the bunkers and get a 360 degree view of the area including Makapu'u Beach, Koko Crater, and in the distance, the island of Molokai. The view of the ocean from here is awesome. It reminds me of Red in Shawshank Redemption when he says, "I hope the Pacific is as blue as it has been in my dreams." This was a great hike and recommend to anyone if they ever come to the island and look to get away from the beach for an afternoon.
I also made it to the rooftop terrace of my building. The views were amazing.
Interesting fact - the valley across from the Dole Plantation is the route the Japanese took to get to Pearl Harbor. I learned that from the best native Hawaiian tour guides I know, Frank and Kathy. This week's episode of Lost is called, "The Lighthouse." I wonder if they filmed at all near there...and Joe, remember in Hawaii they do it island style - so slow, leisurely drives.
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