Day 1: Kaena Point and Haleiwa

On our first full day on Oahu we woke up early and hiked to Kaena Point from the Leeward side. Kaena Point is the north western most point of the island and on a clear day you are suppose to be able to see Kauai. (Note: we looked, but we could not see it and it was a clear day.) As we drove along the Leeward side of Oahu and saw all the tents littering the beautiful beaches, I could not help but wonder what happened in their lives to get them to this point. It made me realize how much I have to be grateful for, but Cameron pointed out that if things do not go well for us, it could always be our Plan Z. Hawaii would be an ideal place for permanent camping we decided.

Later that evening we hiked to Kaena Point from the North Shore and watched the sun dip into the ocean. While at the point we saw Monk seals laying on rocks soaking up the sunshine. I tried to get close enough so that I could get a good photo while maintaining a safe distance in the process. Unfortunately, there were some annoying people who came shortly after we were there and were posing ridiculously close to them. After a few barks from the seals, it made me pity them and want to give them their space. We also saw an interesting kind of albatross called a Clearwater who was mulching, it looked as thought it was ripping moss off of its body.

In between our hikes we stopped for lunch at Kua Aina, it was suppose to be the best sandwich place on the island, but we found it to be moderate at best. The place was hopping with people who seemed to be enjoying their food, but maybe McDonalds is not the best reference point to base good flavor off of.

The great thing about a small island is how you can be a successful business without much competition. Speaking of competition, there were several shaved ice stands, but our travel book told us there was only one place to go and that was Matsumoto's. Faithfully we went and I was pleasantly surprised. There was a line probably thirty people deep, but it was well worth the wait. Normally, I am not even a fan of shaved ice, but you can order it with unique options like ice cream on the bottom or kudzu beans. Being adventurous I tried it with the ice cream and it was a delicious combination. They provide you with a wooden spoon and a straw which give you options for consumption, and I like options.

Enjoying our shaved ice, we roamed around Haleiwa looking at gift shops and putting our feet in the water, the water was a tad cooler than I had anticipated, but after bringing our body temperature down a few degrees by the shaved ice I am sure that made a difference.

Haleiwa on Dwellable