March 1 - Drive to the East

     Following along with "Let's not make any plans, let's just pick a place to go" planning we've fallen into lately, we decided to drive past Waikiki and Diamond Head, which we'll explore when we give up our car and move into our Honolulu Airbnb, and check out the east end of the island.

This was our route for the day.

Closeup of map for sites visited.

We drove along this lovely tree-shaded street on our way out of Waikiki.  

A beach just east of Diamond Head

Ocean conditions are much calmer on this side of the island.  But like just about every where else, surfers are out waiting for a wave to ride.

This tyke is already showing good form.  He screamed with pleasure the whole ride into shore.

Our guidebook told us about a place called Spitting Cave, so we parked in this cul-de-sac and took the narrow access trail down to the cliffs.

 That's Diamond Head on the horizon.

The Spitting Cave doing its thing.  Pretty cool.  As a bonus, Diana spotted this fellow while looking down at the sea:

He/she is a Hawaiian Monk Seal, endemic to the Hawaiian archipelago, and a critter we've been hoping to spot for weeks.

     We headed out to Makapu'u Point, the easternmost bit of land on Oahu.  There's a great hike up to the lighthouse.

There are the remains of numerous bunkers on the headlands thrown up soon after 12/7/45.  Diana protects her cap from the fierce wind blowing in from the ocean.

A Great Frigatebird soared overhead.

Approach to the lighthouse.

We climbed past the end of the trail to the top of the hill, where this bunker has been decorated by graffitists.  Incidentally, Hawaii is one of the most graffiti-free places we've ever visited.

I don't know why.  There are fairly strict laws banning it.  But there's also a Hawaiian pride movement asking kids not to mark up property.  Maybe that has something to do with it.  You do see some graffiti, but not as much as almost any other place we've ever been, (Berlin, I'm looking at you!)

      The view from the top was spectacular.  The approaching storm didn't hurt the setting.  We ducked into a bunker when a brief shower passed over Makapu'u Head.

Wow, two selfies in one posting!  Aren't you lucky.

View of Windward Oahu all the way to Kanoe'ohe Marine Corps base.

On the walk back down to the car we saw a lot more whales, some only a few hundred yards offshore.

I was taking pictures of this guy slapping the water with his tail ...

... when this guy got into the act.

This pair was swimming just below us.  Cool.

February 28 - Back to the North Shore

     We thought we'd try snorkeling at the tide pools near Shark's Cove, so we headed back up to the north shore.  First we stopped at Pipeline to see if there was any good surfing going on.

The surf wasn't too impressive, but there was plenty to watch.  See the people at the left?  They, and we, were mesmerized by whales showing off in the ocean.  We watched for over an hour.  We've seen more whales offshore in Oahu than any other island.  I get a thrill every time I see one.

Even some of the surfers were watching.

This is something new for me - a gif.  I hope to use more of them.  Tell me what you think.

Then we spent an hour or so snorkeling in these tide pools.  

     I didn't have photos when I talked about the housing situation in "Surferville."  Here are three examples of the type of accommodations for people who live on the north shore.  Of course, most surfers and bogey boarders who hang out on the beach drive in or take the bus.

 I could see myself spending the winter in a place like this.

 Across the road from the beach, this is more like the housing where many surfers crash.

And then there's this.  No, it's not me!

     On the drive back to the apartment we stopped at an pulloff looking down on Waimea beach.

At the left end of the beach is a big rock where local youths like to prove their bravery.

Click on the image to play.  Unfortunately, there was no one available to film Diana and me as we jumped off.   Ha.

February 27 - In Central Oahu, A Walk in the Garden, We Go on the Dole

     We had an easy day.  It was after noon before we left the apartment and drove the short distance to the Wahiawa Botanical Gardens.

     Our next stop was the Dole Plantation store, which lies in the northcentral part of the island.  There are beautiful view aplenty as you drive out of sight of the ocean.

 There are also large fields of pineapples.

      Naturally, the Dole Corporation had the idea to capitalize on the tourism potential and open their "Plantation" to visitors.  They must have sweetheart deals with every tour operator on the island, because their parking lot was full of cars and tour vans and buses.  They've got a big operation, and nearly every thing on offer - a train ride, a hedge maze, the garden tour - costs money, which the tourists seem eager to spend.  Of course, there is also a wide array of pineapple products for sale, and a number of independent sellers operating kiosks selling all kinds of junk.

I can barely contain my enthusiasm.

   

February 26 - Drive on North Shore, again

     Our Airbnb was fairly close to the North Shore, so we headed back north, since we hadn't explored the western end yet.

 Kealia Beach - one of many long, sandy beaches with few people on the west end of the North Shore.

 Almost as cool as kitty-litter-box panniers.  A surfboard carrier.

The coastline is lined with small to medium sized homes, so access is on narrow right aways.

The road heading out to Ka'ena Point - the northwest corner of Oahu - ends at a restricted 4WD path.  We hiked a little way along the road and checked out these deeply eroded exposed coral beds.

 There's no sandy beach along here.

 We thought these were beds of lava when we first arrived.  But on closer inspection you can see the coraline nature of the rock.

One of the few terrestrial creatures in Hawaii that can hurt you.

Offshore a humpback whale waves at us ...

 ... then leaps out of the water to see what we're doing.

Unexpected Oahu.  A repeated theme, since we were unprepared at how beautiful the island is.  This is along the drive back to our place through the center part of the island.