North Shore
Location: Hale’iwa, Oahu, Hawaii
Length of visit: full day
Major draws: Surfing, scenic views, shave ice, shrimp trucks
Strenuosity: 1 out of 10
Cost/Fees: Free parking
Additional considerations: Wave height varies considerably even in winter
Description: The famous pipeline waves of Hawaii are found on Oahu’s North Shore in winter, but during the week we visited they were not very large. Luckily, it was warm enough in December for a stop at Matsumoto’s General Store for shave ice.
No line for shave ice today
A big wave got Tiff wet
Tiff with her shave ice (we soon moved into the sun)
Tiff’s smiley face rock
Scott staying high and dry
Chinese Hat Island at sunset
Red-crested cardinals (also called Brazilian cardinals)
Red-crested cardinals (also called Brazilian cardinals)
Atlantis Submarine
Location: Waikiki Beach, Oahu, Hawaii
Length of visit: 2 hours
Major draws: Submarine ride, shipwrecks, fish, sea turtles
Strenuosity: 1 out of 10
Cost/Fees: About $100 per person
Additional considerations: Ferry boat to access offshore submarine
Description: Tiff was nervous about diving 100 feet in a submarine, but she enjoyed the spacious interior and large portholes. We saw a white reef shark, green sea turtles, numerous bluefin trevally, and many other interesting fish that were not their usual colorful selves due to color absorption in deep water.
Shark’s Cove
Location: North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii
Length of visit: 1 hour
Major draws: Snorkeling, diversity of fish species, showers
Strenuosity: 2 out of 10
Cost/Fees: Free
Additional considerations: Strong current at times in deeper section
Description: Most visitors wade in this shallow, protected cove but you can see the fish much better while snorkeling. We went twice to see the copious marine life here and found the water clearer in the morning.
Tiff entering the water at Shark’s Cove
A type of moray eel
A diversity of fish
A flounder hidden on the bottom (hint: his eyes are to the left)
Byodo-In Temple
Location: Kahalu’u, Oahu, Hawaii
Length of visit: 1 hour
Major draws: Buddhist temple, koi pond
Strenuosity: 1 out of 10
Cost/Fees: $3 per adult
Additional considerations: Slapping mosquitoes is not very Zen
Description: Byodo-in Temple is a scale model of a structure in Japan. Set against the steep Ko’olau Range on the wet windward side of Oahu, it is incredibly photogenic.
The misty Ko’olau Range in the background
Black swan in garden pond
Buddha statue
Buddha statue
Wondon meditating
Tiff outside the temple
Koi in a feeding frenzy
Scott with bamboo
Flame trees are from Africa but are now prevalent in Hawaii
Kalaupapa National Historical Park
Location: Molokai, Hawaii
Length of visit: half day
Major draws: Scenic views, historic buildings
Strenuosity: 1 out of 10
Cost/Fees: $249 per person from Honolulu
Additional considerations: Nobody under age 16 allowed, public only allowed into Kalaupapa while on a guided tour
Description: This isolated peninsula on the island of Molokai was selected as a quarantine zone for those suffering from Hansen’s Disease (leprosy) in the 1800s. There are still about 20 patients living here today even though they are no longer forced to segregate from society due to effective medical treatments.
Tiff boarding our plane to get topside on Moloka’i
Scott getting started at the trailhead
Tiff at the top of the trail
A view of Kalaupapa from near the top of the trail
Scott on the downhill
Tiff on the downhill
Scott with an awesome tree
If you paid extra you could ride a mule down the trail
We had a clergyman on the tour–not a Father Damien reenactor
Beads left as an offering at Saint Marianne Cope’s gravesite
Tiff posing with the world’s tallest sea cliffs (3000 feet)
Tiff at the restored church built by Father Damien in the 1800s
Church graveyard
Active Catholic church in Kalaupapa
Father Damien statue inside Catholic church
Jesus wears a lei in Hawaii
Tiff on a swinging bridge
Kalaupapa lighthouse lightkeepers were not allowed to interact with Hansen’s disease patients
Diamond Head State Monument
Location: Waikiki, Oahu, Hawaii
Length of visit: 2 hours
Major draws: Scenic views, popular trail
Strenuosity: 1 out of 10
Cost/Fees: $1 per person walk-ins or $5 per vehicle
Additional considerations: Very limited parking, people jams on trail
Description: Diamond Head is an internationally recognized landmark standing above bustling Waikiki Beach. A continuous line of humanity climbs the 1.5-mile roundtrip trail to the top all day every day.
Tiff in line on the trail up to Diamond Head
Scott in a WWII bunker atop Diamond Head
Tiff in a tunnel
Group shot!
View of Diamond Head from above
Scott with his Portuguese malasadas from Leonard’s Bakery
Malaekahana Beach Campground
Location: North Shore, Oahu, Hawaii
Length of visit: multiple nights
Major draws: Beachside camping, surfing
Strenuosity: 1 out of 10
Cost/Fees: about $20 per night to camp
Additional considerations: Chickens provide free wakeup service, showers without hot water, campfires allowed
Description: We enjoyed 7 nights at this quiet (other than the chickens) campground where we fell asleep to the sound of crashing waves and witnessed some incredible sunsets.
WWII Valor in the Pacific National Monument
Location: Pearl Harbor, Oahu, Hawaii
Length of visit: half day
Major draws: USS Arizona Memorial, submarine, museum
Strenuosity: 1 out of 10
Cost/Fees: Free
Additional considerations: Free tickets for ferry limited each day
Description: We achieved our goal to witness the 75th Anniversary of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 2016. We also managed to nab two of the limited tickets to ferry out to the USS Arizona Memorial that day where we saw scuba divers preparing to inter two survivors remains on board the ship.
Tiff with USS Arizona anchor
Confused Scott looking at submarine panel
Tiff with USS Bowfin submarine in background
Salute from sailors aboard passing USS Nimitz
Tiff with Arizona model wearing her new shell headband
Flyover from Japanese Zero airplane
Arizona Memorial to the right with aircraft carrier in foreground
Divers prepare to inter two urns of 1941 survivors back aboard the USS Arizona
Divers in water for double interment
Gasoline “tears” still leak from the USS Arizona
Tiff with USS “Mighty Mo” Missouri in the background
Tiff placing orchid flower at memorial wall
Honolulu behind the wreck of the USS Arizona
This huge pufferfish lives at the Arizona Memorial
Scott on Arizona Memorial with WWII Museum wreath
Navy sailors hoisting ceremonial flags aboard Arizona Memorial
Spouting Horn
Location: southern Kauai, Hawaii
Length of visit: half hour
Major draws: Natural blowhole, scenic views, sea turtles
Strenuosity: 1 out of 10
Cost/Fees: Free
Additional considerations: Limited parking and viewing space
Description: Two lava tubes that open to the ocean create the Spouting Horn, which splashes out one and breathes out the other. The south shore of Kauai tends to be the sunniest part of the island and has plenty to see.
The Spouting Horn spouting
Sea turtle off shore near the Spouting Horn
A famous swinging bridge in Hanapepe
Tiff on the swinging bridge
The western-most independent bookstore in the US in Hanapepe
Alakai Swamp—Koke’e State Park
Location: northwestern Kauai, Hawaii
Length of visit: half day
Major draws: Scenic views, unique species
Strenuosity: 7 out of 10
Cost/Fees: Free
Additional considerations: Muddy and steep trail
Description: The wettest spot on the planet (averages 452 inches of rain per year) takes time to drain, so it naturally creates a swamp with plant and animal species unique on the island. There is boardwalk in the swamp, but to access that we hiked miles of muddy, slick trails.
The trail was crazy!
Tiff walking in the rain on the boardwalk
Group shot
Wildflower
Boardwalk over the swamp
Swamp
Tree flower
More flowers
Entering the fog/rain
A view of the Kalalu Valley later when it cleared up
