Our destination today was NORTH. We pretty much followed the purple path, outlined below. What a day!

Our first stop was Kualoa Park. The offshore island is called Chinaman's Hat.

We were intrigued by these ruins. The Kualoa Plantation Sugar Mill was started by Charles Hastings Judd and Samuel Wilder. In 1865, they planted sugarcane and built a steam-powered mill using the most modern machinery from Scotland. By 1871, the mill was a failing venture due to meager rainfall.
A brief detour brought us to La'ie Point. What a beautiful place to view our surroundings.
We came to Turtle Bay Resort mainly because we had just watched the movie Forgetting Sarah Marshall, which was mostly filmed here.
Steve is paying homage to a yoga scene in the film. So dang funny!

Trying to be the best tourists we could be, we stopped at Ted's Bakery for its Chocolate Haupia Cream pie. Delicious!
We stopped at several beaches along the route.
Lunch was at the Pupukea Beach Grill food truck followed by frolicking at Pupukea Beach. This long and narrow stretch of beach has two small pocket beaches within the rocks – Shark's Cove and Three Tables... both perfect spots to snorkel.


Armed with swim goggles, I headed back into the sea.

The coolest thing I saw was this Snake eel. These snake-like creatures are more gentle than their aggressive relatives, the morays. I didn't know that at the time and I was a little ooked out, but how cool, right?
We then went to Waimea Valley for their Thursday Farmers Market and beautiful flora.



 A must for me was Turtle Beach. Known as the only place in Hawai'i where the turtles are so gregarious, they play carefree and beach themselves to bask in the sun. We met Olivia-Dawn, a 42 year old honu who spends 1/3 of her days in the sunshine. What a treat to meet her.

Historic Hale'iwa is the biggest town on the North Shore and a perfect spot to stroll the shops and get a coffee.

And since 1951, the Mastumoto family has been serving Shave Ice here.


Pineapples are BIG in Hawaii and James Dole started it all here in 1900. The company has 11,500 acres under cultivation. Based on how many can grow on an acre, there could be as many as 350 million pineapples being raised. Wow, right!

The Varietal Garden was pretty interesting.  It is one of the free things to see at Plantation. This garden educates the public that pineapples (or bromeliads) come in other forms. FYI- the Smooth Cayenne is the one that is grown commercially.


I have to end today's post with this little guy. How adorable is the Gold Dust Day Gecko? He is a testament to the vibrancy that is O'ahu. I mean, he has blue feet! We are continuously amazed at the beauty and uniqueness of everything we discover here.

Wanting to "swim with da fishes" as Steve has said, we left early for Hanauma Bay and its coral playground.

Hanauma Bay is an incredible natural pool that has formed in a volcanic crater. The crater is evidence of a volcanic burst of activity on the island tens of thousands of years ago. These volcanic eruptions formed the crater on the sea floor, and waves from the ocean eventually filled the circular bay.

Hanauma Bay has long been one of the island of O'ahu’s jewels. Native Hawaiians have been enjoying life on the bay for thousands of years. The beach and surrounding natural park get their name from two Hawaiian words: “hana” which means bay and “uma” which means curved. To the Hawaiians, this bay has long been part of their history. In fact, there are many legends about how the curved bay got its name. The bay was historically an excellent area for fishing. Records show that the Hawaiian royalty in the 1800s often stayed at the bay for entertainment and fishing.

Since we didn't have snorkeling equipment, I did I the best I could to photograph fish in the clear, warm water.
We saw a huge variety of fish. This is the Lipstick Tang Fish.



 

I loved this Red-crested Cardinal.
We took a brief pause at Hālona Blowhole, a rock formation and a blowhole that truthfully wasn't super impressive. The tide must have been out. I don't believe my expression depicts my disappointment on the blowhole.
Another stop was made at Makapu'u Point. In addition to being a very special space for humpback whales, it is also the location of several WWII bunkers, dug into the cliff sides, once an opportune hiding spot from enemy forces. O'ahu has many hidden military bunkers dotting coastal hilltops. These bunkers  were built to guard against battleship attacks on Pearl and Honolulu Harbors.

Day #2 was interesting and fun. We can't wait to see what is in store for us tomorrow.

Aloha from O'ahu... "The Gathering Place". Today was a day of travel and then settling in. Tomorrow, the itinerary begins!

Our home, for our entire stay, is Palm Cottage owned by the most gracious hosts, Millie & Norm (thank you Karen for the incredible recommendation). From their website:

Step back in time and soak up a peaceful, private Hawaiian vacation experience. The Palm Cottage is located on a secluded road, only a few short blocks from Kailua beach and minutes from Lanikai Beach. Nestled among tropical gardens, we have taken care to create a refuge of comfort that is designed to meet all your needs.

Upon our arrival, I was given a Plumeria lei that Millie had just made for me. Both Steve and I were given  Kukui ano ano' (Kukui seed leis) because we are here to celebrate (early) our 30th wedding anniversary. According to tradition, to wear a Kukui lei is to wear a lei of light. Kukui were the first prayer beads for the Hawaiian people and are still used today. Kukui Leis become more beautiful over time when held in prayer and can be filled with your own Mana (spiritual energy). And they can then be worn for protection. We are sure to have a safe, wonderful trip now! How very thoughtful.

I know hours will be spent on our private deck.
A huge, delightful surprise awaited us inside. Our apartment was stocked! Coffee, fruit, cereal, eggs, milk, muffins and even Spam- needed supplies for weary travelers. We were so touched by this kindness. Our needs were truly met.
Clean, spacious, homey, well-appointed... in other words this Cottage is a perfect home-away-from home! 
 
After unpacking, we headed to our local beach.


Is there anymore that needs to be said than this last photo!?

Aloha! Steve & I are heading to O'ahu today for ten days of Island Life. I plan on sharing our exciting itinerary with you as often as possible.

Wish you were here...