Lei-ing around in Oahu

Greetings Sizzlers! Now that I'm back (somewhat) in the swing of things, I'm happy to continue chronicling my Hawaiian adventures. Next up after Hawaii is San Diego, followed by some Houston treats, Floridian excitements and an up and coming trip that has me pretty darn pumped. 

Back to Oahu and the thrilling adventures of me & MainSqueeze. 

HAWAII PART THREE:

After our initial culinary adventures of Poke and Sushi, I was really impressed. But there were sights to see, waves to play in and trails to be hiked. 

nice view, eh?

MainSqueeze and I are adventure hunters, if you will. So we decided to stretch our adventure legs and get a little taste of a Hawaiian hike. We packed our backpacks (nerd alert) filled up our Nalgenes, packed some provisions and headed out to Diamond Head Crater. The hike takes you up the volcano crater by way of stairways, tunnels, a tight spiral staircase, and very close proximity to sweaty fellow hikers. It only takes about 30 minutes to get to the top, but the views are well worth the burn. This is a great hike for beginners who are testing the adventure waters. 

Memorial day wave catching.

We got to spend Memorial Day on a great local beach. We drove up and down the West side of the Island on Farrington Highway, cruised by "Electric Beach" and settled on a local beach. Do you see how white the water is? That's because the water was CHURNING. I consider myself a strong swimmer and you would not catch me dead in those waters. Experienced surfers took their chances against the tide and rocks, and we cracked open a few cold ones and gaped. 

The Land Before Time. 

Next up, we traveled to the North Shore and snuck into Waimea Valley. It's a popular tourist attraction but the park was closed for a graduation party and we decided to...adventure and walk right on through. It was incredible, it felt like a step back into the Jurassic times; I kept expecting Pterodactyls and  other creatures to peek out of the absolutely lush scenery. The hike up ends at the waterfall, which is beautiful, peaceful and totally pristine. Well worth the risk my friends. 

Ko Olina lagoon. Where relaxation itself comes to relax. 

And now I give you home base. Our "neighborhood beach". I know, right? This gem is a mere 3 minute walk from the front door. If you can ignore the occasional screeching child, it's idyllic. Soft sand, clear water and cool breeze. L-I-V-I-N amigos. It might be a little "resort-y" but hey, it could be a whole lot worse. 

In a nutshell, the trip was incredible. And guess what? I'll be there again...soon. I know. Contain yourself! 

Next up: San Diego adventures!