Island-Tripping

Sometimes we do leave The Westside, not often, but….we do. It’s funny, while we were in Waikiki when we first got here, I was actually thinking that I could live there, amongst the hustle and bustle. Then I woke up on the westside, or leeward side, with it’s more laid back lifestyle. This side is considered the dry side, and I’m sure in the summer it is drier, but for now it’s still bright green and lush, and even greener than it was on the windward side the other day. The windward side is known as the rainy side, and it most definitely is…...and windy. Almost every single time we head to the east or north, we get rained on. We’ve been to Hanauma Bay twice….got rained on both times.

Hanauma Bay is a reef and fish sanctuary formed from an old volcanic crater, as captured from my cell phone. (I haven’t been using the camera much for fear of it getting wet, sandy, or stolen). It’s a long walk down into the crater, or for a couple bucks you can hop a ride on a bus, and you have to watch a video in a small theatre with a group of other tourists, and then once you get to the beach with your fifty two beach bags, you get to hunt for a space in the sand, which could mean even more walking through sinking hot sand. Snorkeling in the bay is okay. Mostly it seems you’re just inches above the corral and spiky urchins, making it hard to enjoy yourself when you’re worried about getting cut, or it’s not very good visibility. Once you get pass the surf break, it’s much better, but can also be dangerous……the waves could easily smash you into the reef. Jonas went out with me while we followed an underwater pipe as a guide, otherwise we would have lost our tunnel to get back in.  We saw some cool fish, but between the weather and the crowds, overall, I wouldn’t call it great. This day I also forgot to take the underwater camera into the water with me and I got attacked by corral, and Jake had a stomach ache. Enough said.

The windward coast is a beautiful one, though, as well is the drive getting there. (Once we’re out of The City, Honolulu, that is.)

We get to drive through mountains and jungles………. then miles of rocky coastline with loud crashing waves.

Once we get up to the northern coast it’s shallow turquoise water for what seems like half a mile out, then large rolling waves, perfect for surfing. We often drive along this coast dreaming that we lived in one of those houses right on the water, and saying untrue things like, we’d surf that everyday!

We rarely get out and enjoy the beaches for too long on this side, though. We stopped in gorgeous Lanakai the other day and made a mental note to come back after spring break and not on the weekend. After driving and stopping, and driving and looking, one day we did finally find a spot we all liked. It was tucked behind private property (no beach in Hawaii is allowed to be private so there always has to be public beach access openings). Coincidentally, this beach is along the other side of Kaena Point which is where our most commonly used beaches are. We basically are just around the point and down a few miles.

Past the friendly horses.

To a big empty sandy beach.

This beach is right near a small airport so not only did we have the ocean to entertain us, we had dozens of skydivers jumping from planes with the setting sun as their backdrop.

Sometimes I complain that we could waste all the daylight looking for a spot for the day, but in the end we always find something new and unique…..and exactly where we’re supposed to be.