During my trip to Hawaii, I had but one weekend to see and do all things Oahu. My weekdays involved work from 7:00 to 5:00 with a 30-minute commute in the morning and 45 to 60-minute commute in the evening. By the time I got back to my hotel, relaxed for just a few minutes, and changed out of my uniform, it was close to 7:00. Calling Hubs (three hour time difference) pushed everything even later, so I made attempts to call him on the drive home from work. That said, Hawaii, like California, has a very strict hands-free rule while driving and my rental wasn't equipped with Bluetooth, so I had to be careful and use speaker-phone daily. Anyway, the point is that I didn't have time in the evenings to do much more than grab dinner, since I didn't want to be walking alone in a strange place in the dark, super-late hours.
I wasn't required to report to work on the weekends, so I strategically planned those two days to the max! Luckily I tend to wake up early, and even without an alarm, I woke between 6:00 and 6:30 during my weekend in Hawaii!
On Saturday, I was out the door by 8:00 on a quest to drive around the island. That said, I learned that the highway stops for one section of coastline, a few areas south of where the road ends are dangerous (exactly how much, I'm not sure, but I didn't want to test it), and the next stretch didn't have much to see any how. So I opted to stick to a large loop that covered about three quarters of coastline and then a gorgeous stretch through the pineapple fields down the center of the island.
My first stop was Diamond Head! Well, actually, my first stop was to a gas station near Diamond Head as I realized I'd forgotten to swipe deodorant that morning and I didn't want to go the day like that! My second stop was Diamond Head. I made my way to the parking area, got there well before 9:00, and discovered that the parking area was full. I was told I could down back down the mountain and park at a community college and then walk up, but since I'd seen a Farmers Market going on at said college (and not much parking) and because I didn't want to waste time adding a mile or so to my hike each way when I was limited to two days of sight-seeing, I decided I'd go back the next day. But I did snap a picture of a lookout about mid-way up the mountain:
Next, I drove to Hanauma Bay. Known for its snorkeling, this nature preserve requires a short video before any visitor is allowed down to the beach or into the water. The marine life is fabulous, but it's protected, so the staff is very strict as to the volume of human traffic coming through on a daily basis. Once again, I was limited in my time, so I didn't bring my snorkel gear (or even a bathing suit) since I didn't want to get side-tracked. Pictures, however, were a must!
Following the Bay, I drove just a few miles up the road to the Halona Blowhole. Since it was neither windy nor high tide, I didn't get to see the optimal effects of this little phenomenon, but I did get to see a tiny bit of its magic!
The next stop on my scenic drive was the Makapuu Lighthouse. I didn't have time for the 2-mile hike, but I did enjoy the views from the overlook!
By this time it was nearing lunch, so I made a stop at L&L for some garlic shrimp and macaroni salad. Once my belly was full, I continued on to the Polynesian Cultural Center, where I'd spend the second half of the day...and I'll tell you about that tomorrow!
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