Maunawili Falls

Danielle, Gabbi, Jacqui and Ruth hiked Maunawili Falls earlier this week. It's a popular hike here in Kailua along a muddy path to a beautiful waterfall with a nice pool below for swimming!

North Shore

We journeyed up to the North Shore last Sunday. I had my first soccer game in the morning. Then Danielle, Ruth Gabbi and Jacqui picked me up and we headed North.

Danielle and Ruth took an African dance class at the Pupukea community center, while Gabbi and Jacqui met our friends Jason, Lynn, Elijah, and Oliver at the beach right next to it. After Danielle and Ruth got out of class and cooled off, we ate lunch and walked a little bit down the road to Waimea.

Waimea Bay is one of the most beautiful and fun beaches on the island. In the summer, the water is like glass, we're getting to the time of year when the surf is moderate. The waves at Waimea form this incredible surge that pushes you up the shore and then pulls you back into the ocean. It is really a ton of fun to play around in the surge. In another month or so, we won't be able to get into the ocean most days because the surf will be dangerous. For now, we'll take advantage of the awesome water and scenery!

The east end of Waimea Bay even has some pretty good snorkeling...

The view looking west along Waimea Beach.

The kids having a blast, as usual!

Finally, we caught the sunset at Haleiwa Beach Park. It was an awesome sunset with some nice waves and surfers to watch. One father, daughter team was doing some great tricks, with her getting up on dad's shoulders and a variety of other stunts!



There was a nearly full moon that night. We actually did a full moon hike the following night at Makapu'u.

Diamond Head and Waikiki

Well, my sister has been in town for almost 2 weeks! It is so great to have Ruthie here!! We have been doing our best to show her the sights of O'ahu. Last weekend, we took her hiking at Diamond Head, then to Waikiki for the Aloha Festival Parade, and finally for some surfing at Canoe's (a great beginners break at Waikiki)


A lookout partway up the inside of Diamond Head crater.

Hamming it up!


The view of Diamond Head Light and the break beyond.


The top of Diamond Head offers some great views of the city and mountains of South O'ahu.



Waikiki is always a mob scene...

Stairway to Heaven (Haiku Stairs)

I've got a bunch of stuff to get up on the blog, but wanted to get this up as quickly as I could... Danielle and I had a chance to hike a trail known as the "Stairway to Heaven" or Haiku Stairs today. My sister Ruth is staying with us for a while and agreed to wake up with the girls so that we could get an early start. The key to hiking this trail is the early (generally, pre-dawn) start. It is officially closed to the public with a guard stationed at the base of the stairs during daylight hours. So, we got to the neighborhood for parking by about 6:30. It's maybe a quarter mile through any one of a variety of bushwacked trails to the base of the stairs.

Starting off!!

The hike starts below H-3, which is an unbelievable feat of engineering that basically connects Kane'ohe Marine Base with Pearl Harbor (and also makes it a lot easier for us to get to the airport and the North Shore). The trails consists of 3,922 steps up to an old radio station and some other WWII structures. Portions of the stairs could more accurately be called ladders. The first third of the trail is the most consistently steep section. You quickly gain a lot of altitude as you pass H-3 in elevation.

After about a third of the hike, you can take a break and enjoy the view!

This was a beautiful flower growing along the side of the trail. This one must have flowered very recently. As we continued, most of these flowers that we saw were covered with ants and some sort of flying midge.

After that they trail is more a combination of steep, gradual, and flat. For the most part, the stairs are wide enough for one person and if you meet anyone going the other way or to pass someone needs to step over the railing and wait. Yes, there is a railing for the entire hike and yes, you need it! There are certain parts of the trail where you simply cannot pass and would need to back up if you met someone else, because there is a vertical drop on either side (of about 2,000 feet).

Getting close!

It took us about an hour and a half or so to get to the top. We hung out there for 15-20 minutes chatting with a few other hikers and started down.

If only we could see the view!

Both of the times that I have hiked up, we have been in the clouds soon after passing the first platform area. This area of the Ko'olau mountains tends to have clouds in them often. The moist air comes off of Kane'ohe Bay, hits the cliffs, and clouds form... Going up it is really pretty easy to focus on the ladder, stairs, your feet, the cute legs of the hiker in front of you... Coming down, it's a little tougher. In a way, it's probably pretty good that it's cloudy so you can manage the vertigo!!

One of the narrow sections of trail.

Smile...you want me to smile?!?


About half way down.

Exactly where do these stairs go?

There were some beautiful wildflowers along the steep slopes!


Almost back down to the bottom...H-3 in the distance.

When we got to the bottom, a man on a dirt bike asked us if we made it to the top, congratulated us, and then explained that he was security and that he did not want to see us again. (We'll have to wear fake moustaches and sunglasses next time). We found this video that is a pretty good depiction of the hike. It's a little long, but you can fast forward or jump around with it. Also, for more information about the trail, check out this link .

Jellyfish

Well, we had an actual run in with a jellyfish yesterday.... Jacqui was stung by a Portugese Man of War. We see them on the beach now and then and have had friends get stung when we were around. I was on the beach with a couple of other dad's and the kids, when Jacqui let out a scream!! Portugese Man of War on Bellows Beach

It was pretty obvious what had happened. Luckily, Bruce had some vinegar and meat tenderizer in his car. It didn't take the sting away instantly, but Jacqui was feeling much better within about 15 minutes. She had a little welt that was gone by the time she fell asleep. I've been meaning to put together a first aid kit for the beach and this should be the incentive to get it done!


I've been stung a couple of times now. The first time, I didn't notice until the next day when I had a rash on my back. Danielle asked around to some friends and we came to the conclusion that it was probably a jellyfish. Another time while I was boogie boarding at Makapu'u, I felt a sharp pain on my inner bicep. Within about 5 minutes my armpit was killing me. My friend Curt asked if I had been stung. I said that I thought so. He said that it goes right to your lymph nodes. He thought it would last about an hour and that it was probably a box. He was right....about an hour later the pain had come down quite a bit.

Balloon Art

We went to Gabbi and Jacqui's cousin Angelina's birthday party back in mid-July. One of the highlights was the balloon artist.


Gabbi with her Hula Girl and monkey!

Jacqui with her honu and dolphin.

Hawai'i Cousins

Danielle's cousin's wife's brother (Anthony) and his family live here on Oahu. (For those of you not familiar with the Italian way of life...we're family!)

They own a pizza place near Honolulu in Kahala. They make great pizza and its been great to get together with them. Gabbi and Jacqui really enjoy playing with Antonia and Angelina!! They had some great thoughts on getting settled in the islands and adjusting from life in New England!

Swimming lessons

Gabbi and Jacqui took swimming lessons at a local Yacht Club this summer. We had heard great things about the teacher and he did not disappoint! Two weeks of swimming every day certainly did the girls some good and the instruction really turned them into "swimmers".

Their friends Jessie and Tallulah were in the class as well.