Surf's Up

Once again, on Sunday morning I woke early, with gorgeous sunshine streaming in my windows.  I quickly showered and dressed and hit the road for the North Shore.  Opting to drive through the middle of the lush island, as I'd seen the gorgeous easters coastline the day before, I drove through miles of pineapple "orchards", mountains, and volcano fields.  It was at times beautifully clear and at others overcast and drizzling.  And that made for a fabulous rainbow I was able to capture while driving!

My aim for the day was Haleiwa Town, the capital of Hawaiian surfing!  By the time I arrived the sky was permanently clear and I couldn't have asked for better weather.  I stopped at Cafe Haleiwa for breakfast and thoroughly enjoyed my breakfast sandwich.

Nothing, however, could prepare me for the goodness that is Matsumoto's Shave Ice.  Yes, it's touristy.  Yes, there's a line.  Yes, locals (I know a few) will tell you to go elsewhere to save time and money.  But I say it was worth it.  At $3, this treat wasn't breaking the bank, and since I arrived around 10:30 in the morning, the line was maybe ten minutes long.  And the flavor list puts Baskin-Robin's "31-derful" flavors to shame!  I was told to order with ice cream in the bottom, and I'm so glad I followed that advice!  The vanilla ice cream made my mango shave ice taste like a creamcicle!  Mmm....

After recovering from my brain freeze, I continued through town, wandered in a couple shops, and then made my way to the beach.  I sat and enjoyed the views, the brilliant blue of the Pacific, and the guts of the surfers along the Banzai Pipeline before making my way back to my car for another trek along the gorgeous coastline.

I drove back toward Honolulu and back to Diamond Head.  I hadn't given up on my hike, and my timing was great.  Arriving around lunchtime, the parking lot was not so packed and the attendant gladly took my money in exchange for a spot.  I grabbed my purse and camera and made my way to the top!  Yes I was in flip flops.  Yes, this is a hike.  It's not terribly difficult, and it was certainly doable in "slippas" but I do wish I'd had something a bit more suitable for walking up the side of a volcano.  I'll admit I was a bit naive as to what this excursion entailed.  But it was good afternoon exercise and I did work up a sweat by moving rather quickly and squeezing past dozens of Japanese tourists stopping for pictures every ten steps.  And the views were amazing!

Following my hike, I returned to my hotel, grabbed the essentials, and retreated to the beach where I spent the remainder of the afternoon, soaking up the glorious sunshine I've so missed since moving to the foggy central California coast.