Oahu Trip (Day 5 & Day 6) - End of Trip!
Day 5: Monday, September 4
Road Trip!
I got up early at 6am to do my traditional Diamond Head circuit run (not up, just around) and cooled down with yoga in the room. We got our usual breakfast at Jamba and Starbucks and then picked up our rental car at Hertz, with only a short wait -- phew!
Our road trip took us to part of the windward coast and southeast Oahu, and the journey was mostly about scenic lookouts and amazing views. The first stop was the Pali Lookout, which had been featured in a recent issue of the AAA Via Magazine.
Next we made a stop at the Ulupo Heaiau State Historic Site, which is the remains of a massive old temple that was potentially built by the menehune, the little people that come out at night. I'm glad we had our Lonely Planet guide to help us find the site, as it was hidden back behind a YMCA!
We then continued along our route to the town of Kailua, which was our destination for a lunch break. After walking around a few of the local shops and restaurants, we ended up at Whole Foods for lunch and then bought a musubi-themed reusable shopping bag at the nearby Foodland. Our return trip was along Highway 72 as we drove south towards Waimanalo and our other scenic sites.
Makapu'u Point was the next lookout spot, with amazing views over the beach and two small islands just offshore -- Manana (aka Rabbit) and Kaohikaipu. The green-blue water was beautiful and very appealing, especially since the lookout point was completely unshaded and very hot!
We decided to skip the equally unshaded uphill climb to the lighthouse and instead continued south to the Koko Crater Botanical Garden (free!), which has a self-guided loop tour of about two miles. We opted to do just part of the tour, given the warm weather, and focused on the Plumeria Grove, Bougainvillea, and Cacti.
Next up was the Halona Blowhole Lookout, which gave off some great frothy spouts of water thanks to the heavy surf conditions.
We cruised by the Fishing Shrine along the ocean side of the road but didn't stop for a closer look, focusing instead on the Lanai Lookout, which provided brief glimpses of both Maui and Moloka'i as well. Staying on Route 72 led us back to Waikiki, with a quick stop at the Koko Crater Lookout to admire Hawai'i Kai and Maunalua Bay. Joining up eventually with the H1 interstate, we exited downtown to check out the Aloha Tower. The area is now mostly a site for Hawai'i Pacific University, but we did have perfect timing to take the Tower elevator up to the 10th floor observation deck for some panoramic views of Honolulu.
After returning the car, Mr. E went out for his Diamond Head run while I did some packing and planning for dinner. We opted for a combo of items from ABC and Panda for the final in-room dinner of the trip.
Day 6: Tuesday, September 5
HNL > SFO > SMF
I started off our final morning with yoga in the room followed by another Yogaquatics class in the infinity pool. Mr. E got coffee and food, and the weather was just nice enough to sit outside on our lanai (in the shade) to enjoy the amazing view as we ate breakfast.
Our Charley Taxi arrived right on time, and Mr. E took care of a work call at the airport while I got some food to bring on the plane for lunch. The layover in SFO was a bit longer than anticipated, as our flight to Sacramento was slightly delayed, so we had plenty of time to get some snacks for dinner as well. We got home around midnight, kissed the kitties, unpacked, and crashed into bed.
When do we go back??!!
Road Trip!
I got up early at 6am to do my traditional Diamond Head circuit run (not up, just around) and cooled down with yoga in the room. We got our usual breakfast at Jamba and Starbucks and then picked up our rental car at Hertz, with only a short wait -- phew!
Our road trip took us to part of the windward coast and southeast Oahu, and the journey was mostly about scenic lookouts and amazing views. The first stop was the Pali Lookout, which had been featured in a recent issue of the AAA Via Magazine.
Makapu'u Point was the next lookout spot, with amazing views over the beach and two small islands just offshore -- Manana (aka Rabbit) and Kaohikaipu. The green-blue water was beautiful and very appealing, especially since the lookout point was completely unshaded and very hot!
We cruised by the Fishing Shrine along the ocean side of the road but didn't stop for a closer look, focusing instead on the Lanai Lookout, which provided brief glimpses of both Maui and Moloka'i as well. Staying on Route 72 led us back to Waikiki, with a quick stop at the Koko Crater Lookout to admire Hawai'i Kai and Maunalua Bay. Joining up eventually with the H1 interstate, we exited downtown to check out the Aloha Tower. The area is now mostly a site for Hawai'i Pacific University, but we did have perfect timing to take the Tower elevator up to the 10th floor observation deck for some panoramic views of Honolulu.
Day 6: Tuesday, September 5
HNL > SFO > SMF
I started off our final morning with yoga in the room followed by another Yogaquatics class in the infinity pool. Mr. E got coffee and food, and the weather was just nice enough to sit outside on our lanai (in the shade) to enjoy the amazing view as we ate breakfast.
Our Charley Taxi arrived right on time, and Mr. E took care of a work call at the airport while I got some food to bring on the plane for lunch. The layover in SFO was a bit longer than anticipated, as our flight to Sacramento was slightly delayed, so we had plenty of time to get some snacks for dinner as well. We got home around midnight, kissed the kitties, unpacked, and crashed into bed.
When do we go back??!!
posted by jms | 2:52 PM
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