Tuesday the 28th of July, I'd left pretty open. I was up pretty early (I'm not a morning person at ALL here in NYC, but since most of what I wanted to do on O'ahu was outdoors and required daylight, I took advantage of the time change that had me up much earlier than I usually am) and was out the door shortly after 8. First stop was at Snorkel Bob's on Kapahulu Avenue for mask, fins, and snorkel. I wasn't entirely sure of the whole day's plan yet but was I was pretty sure that there would be some snorkeling, probably at Lanikai Beach, which is by some accounts supposed to be the world's most beautiful beach.
First activity of the day ended up being a short hike on the Old Pali Road. This was kind of on a whim, I hadn't really thought of it until I was coming up on the offramp for the Pali Lookout, but this is another really nice short hike. I haven't really done it justice, treating it as a sort of a nice spur-of-the-moment addition to a day's activities, there are actually a couple of waterfall trails you can get to from the Old Pali Road if you give it a little more time, but once again, it's good to have something to look forward to on another trip trip. As it was, I just followed the old highway down to the new highway and turned around there instead of finding the ladder you use to get under the new highway and continue. It's another really nice easy trail, following the old highway as it does, and very lush and green and jungly, with sweet-smelling ginger to stop and sniff along the way.
View from the Lookout, looking at the knife-edged cliffs.
Plaque honoring the 50th anniversary of the old Pali Road, which opened in 1898.
Katydid and lichens
Ease on down, ease on down the road
Palms
A better look at the road itself
Looking back up at the lookout
Sleeping grass
Go to sleep, sleeping grass!
Ginger - wish I could share the scent
View again
Lauhala. This tree's fronds are great for weaving; I actually had a lot of fun getting to try my hand at this myself later in the trip.
Olomana
Octopus tree flowers. Wish I'd taken a picture of the entire growth that gives the tree its name - these branches covered with the flowerets grow in splayed multiple clusters, looking like octopuses reaching their arms out from the leaves.
Looking down at the tunnel that now takes drivers under the Pali.
Almost back to the lookout
Local fauna
Batcave? No, Catcave
Handsome feral rooster
Having worked up a nice appetite hiking, my next stop was Buzz's Kailua for lunch.
Cool art glass window inside Buzz's
The only actual tropical drink of my entire trip, mainly chosen in honor of a co-worker who'd told me to drink a foofy drink for her. Special mai tai with pineapple juice - pretty yummy!
And what I really came for - kiawe wood grilled teriyaki burger, only somehow the chefs at Buzz's labor under the misapprehension that a "burger" is chunks of delicious tender steak on a bun. And I hope nobody ever tells them otherwise!
And now I needed to take a little time for the mai tai to wear off before I get back behind the wheel, so I walked over to Kailua Beach Park.
Ama like a bird - wonder if it makes the canoe fly?
A couple of interesting/entertaining signs on the canoe hale
Kailua Beach Park
Hibiscus - and that's it! Next up - first honu encounter of the trip!
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