Honolulu, Hawaii
DAY 3: JULY 4, 2023
This morning, we received a lovely invitation from Dan to come over for lattes and breakfast which was really nice. He made us English Muffins and scrambled eggs and the lattes were a nice change from my atypical drip coffee. We hung out for bit before taking the car to visit some hot spots he told us about on the South Shore.
Kahala Hotel & Resort Detour to Kahala Beach
The first spot we ‘tried’ to see was the Kahala Hotel & Resort. I don’t know what happened, but the GPS took us to another location that was a bit further away. It was a beautiful part of town, though, and seemingly was the ritzy part of town. I found it interesting because the couple we spoke with the first night said they didn’t know where the “Beverly Hills” of Oahu was. Well, we found it!
I think we ended up in Kahala Beach. The homes there were huge, many with tennis courts, pools and yards with easy access to the beach. We didn’t stay very long, but it was really nice to see this section of town.
Detour to Maunalua Bay Beach & the Clown Cars
The next spot on the list was China Walls… but instead we made a slight detour.
Along the way to China Walls, we kept seeing these cars that looked like miniature VW Buses which I attributed to ‘Clown Cars,’ but they’re actually called KHON2 cars. There was a long line of them all in a row like they were in a funeral procession. And all of them had steering wheels on the right side. So needless to say, we had to follow them to see where they were all going. And we ended up on Maunalua Bay Beach where they all parked in the lot like they were having a car show. It reminded me of the car shows they do in Scottsdale, AZ in the parking lots of places like Home Depot where a bunch of people organize together and drive their classic cars to for everyone to ogle. This appeared to be the same thing, but after chatting with one of the owners, we found out it was actually just a group of them getting together to hang out.
Before we left, Lisa asked a guy who had a boat if he would take us out, but he said ‘no.’ C’est la vie… off to find out what the heck China Walls is all about.
China Walls at Koko Kai Mini Beach Park
.China Walls is at Koko Kai Mini Beach Park and is rather hidden in a residential section on the South Shore. There’s a somewhat steep yet short path to the spot where you literally jump off a short cliff into the rapids of the Pacific. The cliff is about 15 feet high off the water and the water below it is rather tumultuous so we opted to watch a younger and braver and probably stupider man do it instead. Don’t be fooled by the pics below.
Next Stop: Koko Crater & Halona Blowhole
So this was not one of the spots on Dan’s list. We were actually on our way to Hanauma Bay, but I caught a quick glimpse of this small patch of turquoise water and we had to stop.
There was actually a small parking lot where people were lined up, so I got out of the car to try to snag a spot. What I found is that a lot of people come here to check it out, but they don’t stay long. So we ended up finding a spot rather quickly and I took a moment to take some pics.
And this is what caught my eye as we were driving by.
As you can see from the pictures, there is no ‘path’ to get down there. So you have to wear good shoes because it’s rocky. But boy is it beautiful!
We took some towels and our snorkels and proceeded to get in the water. Of course Lisa was in first. I don’t handle cold water very well, so I am always easing my way in. The water is also rather turbulent and somewhat shallow, slippery and rocky as you get in. While it’s not as rough as China Walls, it’s not like swimming in the shallow end of the pool.
After spending a little time in the water, we packed up and continued on to find Hanauma Bay.
Sandy Beach
Well, we didn’t get to Hanauma Bay. I think we were expecting it to be on our way, but missed it somehow.
So we ended up at Sandy Beach which is anything but. It’s actually some sand with a bunch of volcanic rock. Not sure why this is a high-light, but needless to stay, we didn’t stay long.
Next Stop: Waimanalo & Ka Iwi Scenic Shoreline
The next stop on Dan’s list was actually Makapu’u Point Lighthouse & Beach which we attempted, but didn’t feel like taking the long hike up the side of the mountain. So we skipped over to the next stop on the list: Waimanalo Beach.
We actually ran into the outlook over the beach at Ka Iwi first and had to stop. It was just stunning. From here you could see the beach, the turquoise and deep blue waters and different small islands in the distance.
Next Stop: Lanikai Beach & the Marine Corp Base
On our way to Lanikai Beach, we passed a Marine Corps base where I snatched a couple pictures.
Well, we actually didn’t quite pass the base. GPS had instructed us to go thru the base to the beach, but the guards at the base didn’t intend on letting us thru. Lisa told them we were “stupid tourists” and that it was Google’s fault. They laughed and made Lisa give them her ID until she was turned around and pointed away from the base.
We tried to find the beach again, but GPS sent us back to the base. We quickly made a u-turn in order to avoid being embarrassed again and decided to go on to our next destination. After looking at the map, it appears that we passed it. Oh well… It was probably just another beautiful beach so we moved on.
Kailua Funny Fan Tree
We continued on our journey to Kailua Beach. Also just another beautiful beach, but I did snap a pic of an interesting pine tree that GPS calls a Kailua Funny Fan Tree, and that it is.
Kane’ohe – The Jurassic Park Mountains
As we found our way into Kane’ohe, you could see the beautiful tall mountains ahead.
And then we turned a corner and it was just a majestic scene. An enormous steep wall of mountain was on our left. I was gobsmacked! I couldn’t stop staring. The ‘landmark’ on the map and the signs said Jurassic Park, but I had no idea just what part of the movie was filmed here. I think it was the scene where they ran into an open field and saw a bunch of herbivores.
Anyway, there was actually a pit stop called ‘Jurassic Valley’ where you can buy touristy stuff and book tours. Unfortunately, you can’t see the valley unless you book a tour, so we booked one for Friday, the 7th.
They had a variety of tours including an UTV tour, horseback riding and ziplining. We chose the Hollywood movie tour that takes you thru where various films and TV shows were filmed.
From there, we headed back to the hotel so we could find a spot to watch the fireworks. And we took the highway that takes you thru the mountain.
On the way back, Lisa was Jonesin’ for Panda Express (local Honolulu fare of course) so we found a spot, sat and ate some food.
After we got back to the hotel, we chillaxed for a bit and tried to figure out where to go for fireworks. We had heard that they weren’t doing them this year, but that there would be some by the Hilton which was a bit north of where we were. Unfortunately, I knew the Sheraton was blocking our view, so we set out to find a spot past the Sheraton. On the way, Lisa said she didn’t want to go up there so we found a spot on a breaker below the Sheraton where we sat and met a few others waiting for the fireworks. Sadly, we didn’t get to see much possibly because no one was setting off fireworks close enough to really see or because we needed to be above the Sheraton to see anything that could be seen. I don’t know.
Nonetheless, we decided to stop by Duke’s for a drink then went back to the hotel for the night.