O’AHU

On January 4th, 2025, we flew to O’ahu, Hawaii for a visit with Joanne’s daughter Kim and son-in-law Andres. The house they rented was next to Eahukai Beach on O’ahu’s North Shore where the waves are huge reaching 40 or even 50 feet, and surfing is an obsession. 

We were there for the “Da Hui Backdoor Shootout held at the Bonzai Pipeline. Elite surfers come from all over the world to compete in sponsored events.

The popularity of surfing events is huge and traffic on the Island’s single main road can reach a standstill. Here are spectators at Ehukai Beach Park watching the Shootout.

We hiked in Kahana State Park (on the Windward side) and then we crossed the road to swim at the lovely Kahana Beach State Park.

Mitch relaxing in the Ocean.

Located within the Kahana State Park is a neighborhood of small farms and modest homes. We soaked up the “Aloha”message.

The license plate on this car parked on a lawn in the neighborhood says “Sovereign Traveller”, a nation-wide anti-government conspiracy theory that is about as far-fetched as it can get involving the belief that the constitution as written by the Founding Fathers was secretly replaced. Honolulu is a stronghold.

There are more “wild chickens” than people on both O’ahu and Kaua’i.

We visited the lush Waimea Valley Botanical Gardens.

KAUA’I

We flew to Kaua‘i, known for its incredible beauty. It did not disappoint.

We stayed at the Hanalei Bay Resort in Princeville on Kaua’i’s North Shore. Nearby were some decent restaurants featuring local musicians.

Jamming at Tahiti Nui Restaurant in Hanalei.

Jojo’s Shaved Ice, very sweet and colorful. Shaved ice places are everywhere.

The first thing Mitch wanted to do was to hike down Waimea Canyon on the northwest side of the island.

We did hike down to the canyon’s waterfall. It was a bit scary as the trail was like a mudslide.

Waimea Canyon was formed by a catastrophic collapse of the volcano that created Kaua’i.

The terrain is rough and the trails can be muddy and slippery on the 3300 feet descent.

The pool is a pretty spot but underwhelming.

Mitch showing off his injuries having fallen three times in the mud.

Mitch, showing off the detaching heel of his boot. Another lesson in thrift.

We drove to Ha’ena Beach State Park. A movement to return to sustainable fishing has begun to take hold. It encourages smaller boats and traditional fishing practices.

Ha’ena Beach.

These women were looking for tiny translucent shells to make a kind of necklace that to buy costs hundreds, they told me. You need a lot of shells, they said. 

A young visitor from Canada enjoyed being buried in the sand.

Windsurfing is popular.

Across from Tunnels Beach there is a large cave, one of many along the coast. Joanne got in touch with her Neanderthal self.

Further up the coast are the Limahuli Gardens, which has an amazing collection of rare flora.

Just outside the gardens is a beautiful mountain stream where locals come for a refreshing swim.

HONOLULU

We flew back to Oah’u and stayed in Waikiki for a couple of nights, which is very touristy but fun. To be expected, there were lots of honeymooners. There were also many extended families — parents, grandparents and little kids, everyone dressed in matching outfits.

Whatever you might want you can find at up-scale shopping malls. Some of the big hotels are actually located within shopping malls.

We stayed at the Wayfarer, a nice, affordable, well located hotel.

In Waikiki the beach and surfing are never far away.

A restaurant worker was taking a break. The Asian influence in food is strong and it’s all quite good. The most enjoyable dish we had was Kalua Pork and Cabbage picked up at a Farmers Market. As far as restaurants go, Roy’s was really good.

Our experiences in O’ahu and Kaua’i were great and we look forward to coming back. Thanks Kim and Andres for giving us a reason to come here.