OAHU
DAY 1(EVENING) THURS 05.17.2018
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If you didn't just click over here from the Maui page, we spent 4 1/2 days there first and caught an early evening flight over to Oahu. We got picked up at the airport by our rental car company (Lucky Owl) and brought us to our little red Corolla. After coming from Maui, we were taken back by the fact that we were smack in the middle of a major city. Everywhere we had gone in Maui had the island feel to it so we weren't expecting to be sitting in rush-hour traffic. We planned a few things for the evening before settling in for the night.
Helena's Hawaiian Food
Magic Island
Waikiki
Airbnb
Helena's Hawaiian Food: I found this place online and it was very highly reviewed. Why wouldn't you want Hawaiian food when you're in Hawaii? The area and the restaurant were very busy. We decided to order to go and head over to Magic Island to eat over there. We ordered "Menu A (Kalua Pig & Lomi Salmon)" and "Menu B (Kalua Pig & Shortribs)." On the side, we got one rice and one poi. We didn't know what the heck poi was by we felt we needed to try it (I wouldn't do it again). The shortribs were my favorite. The salmon was a little disappointing cause it was diced with tomatoes and we didn't even realize there was salmon in it at first. I probably wouldn't go back but I'm glad we tried it.
Helena's at Magic Island
Magic Island: I was hoping we'd get here for a nice sunset but it was very overcast and there was no color in the sky. We ended up hanging out here for a while and Leslie was very patient with me while I got this photo...
Honolulu (from Magic Island)
This is a really cool spot to hang out and it's right by the beach as well. It's a great spot for picnics or to go running or just to relax and enjoy the scenery. There's plenty of free parking but it can get busy!
Waikiki: Just a couple miles away is Waikiki, which I believe is a part of Honolulu. The vibe I got is that it's a fantastic place to go for nightlife. You'll find resorts, hotels, beaches, restaurants, shopping and all that night-lifey stuff. We walked around for a little bit before heading to the Airbnb (we came back another night).
DAY 2 FRI 05.18.2018
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Despite the flight from Maui to Hawaii the day before, it was a relatively light day so we were rested and ready for another early start and an action packed day! Here were our plans...
Hanauma Bay
Breakfast @ Moena Cafe
Koko Head Hike
Lanai Lookout
Halona Blowhole Lookout / Halona Cove
Sandy Beach
Makapuu Lookout
Waimanalo Beach Park
Pillbox Hike
Dinner @ Maui Mike's Chicken
Pali Lookout
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Hanauma Bay: This is a must visit spot if in Oahu! And DO NOT come without snorkel gear. I don't care what the rental might cost you...you will regret it. We got lucky and the Airbnb we stayed at the previous night had 2 snorkel masks we could use! This is a fee area. Entry is $7.50 per person and $1 for parking. *TIP: If you arrive before 7am, parking and admission is FREE! And you won't have to worry about finding parking because it can get very busy :)
Hanauma Bay
Moena Cafe: Breakfast time. We chose this place because it seemed to be the best reviewed place based on the convenience of where we were. It was pretty good, very fresh tasting.
Moena Cafe
Koko Head Hike: Per alltrails.com, this hike is 1.8 mi out & back. It's a very steep climb that only gets steeper as you go. Despite being steep, it's pretty short and took us around 25-30 minutes to get up. Definitely bring water...and you're camera because there are views at the top!
Koko Head
Lanai Lookout: We planned the day so that everything would be convenient. This was right on the way we were headed so we pulled in the lot. If you climbed Koko Head (or are going to), you will get a more scenic view of this spot from the summit.
Halona Blowhole Lookout: At this viewpoint, it seemed like was okay to jump over the fence and explore the rocky coastal line like many were when we were there. Otherwise, it is a cool viewpoint that reminded me of the California coast that we had just left. Also, facing the ocean, if you head to the far right there is a cove called Halona Cove that looked like a very fun place to swim in! We saw a mini "eruption" of the blowhole. If you're looking for it, it was kind of toward the center of the viewing area.
The Blowhole Not Blowing
Halona Cove
Sandy Beach: This is a nice, pretty big beach. Big waves, soft sand. Definitely a good beach for relaxation or playing in the water.
Sandy Beach
Makapu'u Lookout: This lookout has a parking area and provides an amazing view of Makapu'u Beach with the mountain range behind it. The beach below looked like another amazing beach to spend time at (unfortunately we didn't make it to this one). Definitely stop here for this view.
Makapu'u Lookout
Waimanalo Beach Park: This is yet another beautiful beach that Oahu has to offer. With it's soft white sand, this is the beach we chose to spend most of our time at for the day...we swam here for a while! The water was perfect. The waves weren't too big...it was just right. I did not bring my camera, therefore, no pictures!
Pillbox Hike: This hike is 3.2mi out & back to the Pillbox, however, the trail keeps going! It is an amazing hike and was even better than we expected going in. There is a fair amount of street parking in the area but do not park illegally. You will get ticketed or towed. The hike is pretty steep, offers amazing views. I think it was steepest in the beginning. I recommend going at least 1/4 mile past the second pillbox for the view of the mountains. For us, this was a perfect hike to do on the same day as Koko Head, as both hikes are challenging but not too long.
Lanikai Pillbox Hike
Maui Mike's: We were pretty beat for the day...and very HUNGRY! Maui Mike's was a little order-at-the-counter place with really good chicken. The menu is simple and I liked that (you can see it on their website). Leslie and I both got the half chicken and I got an extra side (corn and beans). It was very good and I would recommend it if you're looking for good food but something that's not. fancy.
Maui Mike's
Pali Lookout: Last stop for the night. This was pretty close to the Airbnb and I was hoping we'd catch a cool sunset here (we didn't). It turns out this is a paid parking area ($3), which surprised me, however, you only have to pay between 8a-5p. It's a very short walk to the scenic lookout. It was very cold and windy when we were there! I believe this is also the start for the Pali Notches hike, however, there is a sign where the trail begins stating the hike is closed!
Pali Lookout
That was more than enough for a day. We were beat. After that we just came back to the airbnb with plans on getting up early for a sunrise hike the next day so we just crashed!
DAY 3 SAT 05.19.2018
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We had another pretty huge day planned as we were headed to explore the entire North Shore of Oahu. We did run into one dissapointment as well. Here were the plans...
Makapu‘u Point Lighthouse Trail (for sunrise)
Makapu'u Beach
Breakfast @ Moke's Bread & Breakfast
Crouching Lion Hike
Ahupuaʻa ʻO Kahana State Park
Lunch @ Fumi's Shrimp
Sunset Beach Park
Waimea Bay Beach
Laniakea Beach
Dole Plantation
Dinner @ Stadium Vietnamese
Makapu'u Point Lighthouse Trail: Per recommendation from our Airbnb host, we got up before sunrise (which seems to be a popular thing to do in Oahu), leaving the Airbnb at 5am! We got to the trailhead and the lot was already about half full (but we timed it perfectly). There are plenty of places to watch the sunrise but we were lucky to find a hidden pillbox to sit on, by ourselves! I would recommend arriving about 30 minutes before sunrise.
Makapu'u Lighthouse Trail
Makapu'u Beach: This looked like one of the nicer beaches on the island but we skipped it cause it just wasn't the time of day we were ready for the beach! If you missed it, check out the view from the Makapu'u Lookout from yesterday's plans above.
Moke's Bread & Breakfast: This was a very nice restaurant for breakfast. I ordered the loco moco and Leslie got the sunrise special 1. We both enjoyed our food! I had to try the Loco Moco somewhere!