Category: SF and Hawaii VacationPage 1 of 3

Aloha, Hawaii

Well, that was a few weeks of revisiting last year’s Hawaiian 5-0 vacation. Not quite as good as being there but none-the-less fun to revisit our adventures through…

Oahu: White House

Our last full day in Oahu was rainy. Chris and Karen went for a drive and I stayed back to relax with a book and a walk in…

Oahu: Waimea Waterfall

While we didn’t swim in the Seven Pools in Maui we did get to swim under the waterfall at Waimea Arboretum and Botanical Garden. I should say, Chris…

Oahu: Lily Pads

At the Waimea Arboretum and Botanical Garden we came across these giant lily pads. Unfortunately (or fortunately), we did not see giant frogs.

Oahu: Ku’ula Shrine (Fishing Shrine)

A little history lesson: “This is a model of an ancient fishing shrine where Hawaiians worshipped the Ku’ula diety, or fish god. In ancient times, these fishing shirenes…

Diamond Head: Stairs, Going Down

We decided to take the other way down from the overlook. This involved crawling through a hole, going down a spiral staircase, entering a tunnel through the crater…

Diamond Head: View from the Top

Once we got to the top and saw the view, we knew it had been worth the hot climb. One way to see Honolulu without all the crowds!

Diamond Head: Lighthouse

We drove by this lighthouse on our way to Diamond Head. It was cool to get to the top of Diamand Head and see it from this vantage…

Diamond Head: Stairs, Going Up

Once we wound our way up the mountain to get to the very top you had to take the stairs up. When we came to the first set…

Diamond Head: The Climb

Not that you could get lost climbing up a mountain when the goal is to get to the top but with Diamond Head you basically can’t go off…

Honolulu: Water Toys

Everyone seemed to be having fun on the water!

Honolulu: Catamaran

After going to Pearl Harbor we stopped at Waikiki Beach in Honolulu. We didn’t stay long just took a short walk on the beach. This catamaran looked like…

Oahu Sunset

The place we stayed on the north shore of Oahu wasn’t right on the water but it was just a short block away. We would take our chairs…

Oahu: Pearl Harbor Ships

Last year I posted some photos of our visit to Pearl Harbor and the U.S.S. Arizona Memorial. These ships are massive in size. I assume the U.S.S. Arizona might…

Ulupalakua Ranch Store

Across the street from Maui Wine is the Ulupalakua Ranch Store. We grabbed a drink and a couple of snacks.

Maui Wine

After driving along the coast on the back road out of Hana we came to Maui Wine.

Hana Back Road: Hōlei Sea Arch

We could see the Hōlei Sea Arch in the distance and knew we wanted to get out and take a closer look when we arrived at it. It’s strange…

Hana: Back Road Coastline

Driving the back road, along the coastline, out of Hana was amazingly beautiful.

Hana: Back Road Cows

We saw a herd of cows on our way out of Hana. You can’t really tell but in the photo with the two cows they are actually on…

Hana: Back Road

We took the back road out of Hana and it was pretty amazing.

Hana: Mini Waterfall

I’m not sure which stop this was but it had to be just before we got to Wai’anapanapa State Park on the Road to Hana. We didn’t go…

Wai’anapanapa State Park: Cliffs and Cave

I really enjoyed the Wai’anapanapa State Park. I thought it was just going to be a spot we stopped at to swim at a black sand beach but…

Wai’anapanapa State Park: Swimming

While we didn’t go swimming in the Seven Sacred Pools, we did swim at a black sand beach at Wai’anapanapa State Park.   Swimming at Wai’anapanapa State Park

Pools of ‘Ohe’o (Seven Sacred Pools)

The Pools of ‘Ohe’o also known as the Seven Sacred Pools are located in Haleakala National Park. The Pipiwai Trail is also located in Haleakala National Park. So, after…

Waimoku Falls

The last obstacle, to reaching the 400 ft Waimoku Falls, was to cross a flowing stream. I wasn’t sure if we would be able to get across as…

Pipiwai Trail: Getting Close

After the bamboo forest we had another stretch to climb and then we were were in sight of the Mahahiku Falls. While there were plenty of areas where…

Pipiwai Trail: Bamboo Forest Part 2

The Bamboo Forest was so amazing it deserves two posts. Also, we were lucky to make it out of there alive so it should be documented. As you…

Pipiwai Trail: Bamboo Forest

The Pipiwai Trail is a 4 mile round trip hike. They say it takes about 2 hours (or more if you stop a lot to rest/look around). At…

Pipiwai Trail: Bridge with a View

A nice spot to stop and get a few pictures of one of the waterfalls.

Pipiwai Trail: Going Up

They had some cool stairs along the trail. Although, some were more like a stream we were wakling up…actually, I think they really were streams (thankfully, no flash…

Pipiwai Trail: Going Up

They had some cool looking stairs along the trail. Although, some were more like a creek we were wakling up.

Pipiwai Trail: Going Up

They had some cool looking stairs along the trail. Although, some were more like a creek we were wakling up.

Pipiwai Trail: Banyan Tree

This was a very cool tree! It kept going and going.

Pipiwai Trail: Mahahiku Falls

I think Chris was just trying to make Karen nervous with his balancing act. I was amazed to see the cows way off in the distance. They must…

Pipiwai Trail: Field of Dreams

Then we journeyed into the tropical rainforest. It was kind of like in Field of Dreams…if you build it, they will hike it.

Pipiwai Trail: Warnings

Well, they give you plenty of warning right at the start of the Pipiwai Trail. I don’t know how good our judgement was but we did make it…