Honolulu Lights

We arrived in Honolulu before dawn. The sun was just rising as we pulled in to the dock. We had a gorgeous view of Diamond Head volcano on the far end of Waikiki Beach.

Since we had been to Honolulu twice before but never really got outside the city itself, our plan for the day was to rent a car (a fun little Mustang convertible) and head over to Diamond Head crater first so that we could hike to the top before it got too busy and too hot and then travel the north shore highway, which is the famous surfing area. The trail leading to the top of Diamond Head starts out as a concrete sidewalk but soon turns to dirt and rock. There are switchbacks that lead you one mile up the backside of the crater and you gain 560 feet in altitude. Near the end there are 99 steps plus a spiral staircase followed by more steps and then a ladder to get out of the building that was once a bunker. They say about 1500 hikers a day head up to the top.....it was very busy when we did the climb and HOT. The view was indeed spectacular!

After the Diamond Head hike we put the top back down on the convertible and turned the AC on full blast and headed over to the windward side of the island via the H3 highway. This 16-mile highway cost almost $100 million per mile to build and took 37 years to complete. We cruised past the fluted cliffs of Ko'olaus. It was the next best thing to taking a helicopter ride along the mountains.

We stop several times along the highway that hugs the shore of Oahu for picture taking and enjoying the view. The highway got increasingly busy as we reached the north shore and it was pretty much bumper to bumper traffic. The waves were big and it's not even the winter surfing season yet. Along the way we enjoy fresh pineapple and shave ice (like a snow cone with ice cream on the bottom)

As we circled the island and made our way back to Honolulu, we had time to stop at Pearl Harbor. The only thing we were able to get tickets for so late in the day was the submarine USS Bowfin, a WWII submarine which sank 44 enemy ships. We got earphones and a tape player to take a self-guided walk through and see the instruments and experience how the sailors lived and fought.

Next stop.......Maui

ALOHA