If you have not been to Hawaii, you need to plan a trip …
NOW! I went for the first time 2 years
ago for one of my best friend’s wedding and absolutely fell in love with the
place. I just went for the second time
this past October, and I practically cried when I left.
In October 2011, I did some recruiting for the law school
I attended and as luck would have it one of my flights was oversold. Not having to be in Miami until the following
day, I volunteered to get off the plane and was rewarded with a $500 travel
voucher. I knew immediately I would be
using it to go to Hawaii.
A year later my trip was here and I could hardly believe
it. I was nearly shaking on the plane I
was so excited to get to Hawaii and see my friend who I had not seen in 2 long
years. The plane trip was excruciatingly
long, but I made it.
My last trip to Hawaii was full of all the tourist stuff
– Dole Plantation, Pearl Harbor, a snorkeling trip etc. Last time my friend took me on a waterfall
hike that was beautiful but for me miserable as I was completely out of shape –
I am sure I complained the entire time.
This trip was going to be different – I was going to do local things and
planned to spend a good majority of my trip hiking or laying on the beach.
My plan was a great success as I completed 4 hikes over 7
days. I first climbed to Makapu’u
Lighthouse, which was a nice warm up. The easy ascent and most paved trail was just
what I needed as my legs were still a bit sore from climbing half dome the
weekend before. The view from the top
was quite beautiful.
On the Makapu'u Trail
The second hike I did was the pillboxes in Lanikai. I was invited to go on this hike with another
friend who lives in Hawaii. The way up
and down the ridge was steep, but the trail along the top of the ridge was
fairly easy. The views were stunning and
the breeze felt amazing.
Pillbox Hike!
The third hike I did was Koko Head. This is the one I was most nervous about,
having read the reviews online and seen the pictures of the 1,000+ “stairs” to
the top. These so called stairs are
actually old railroad tracks, that are just far enough apart to make them much
more challenging than a regular set of stairs.
The scariest part though was definitely the bridge; part of the
track/trail is suspended over a gap and you have to step from beam to
beam. I just took it one step at a time
and tried to forget that there was nothing below me!
Koko Head Bridge ... scary!
Almost made it for sunrise ...
Made it to the top with one of my best friends!
The last hike I did was Diamond Head, and despite high
hopes, it was my least favorite. The
view from the top was great, but the trek up was rather boring. The crowds and high heat that day probably
did not help much either. But, I am glad
I did it and can check it off my list.
On top of Diamond Head looking toward Waikiki
The rest of my trip was filled with fun things including
going to Io’lani palace, attending a street fair with medal of honor winners,
taking a catamaran out in Waikiki, driving up to North Shore to see the first
swell of the season, eating shaved ice at Matsumoto’s, visiting the Valley of
the Temples, and spending hours on the practically deserted Kahala beach.
Shaved Ice!
Kahala Beach
At the Palace
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