A Week in Waikiki
Blog Entry #3
Thursday, 20 July 2017
Honolulu
It's another beautiful day in Waikiki as we prepare for today's activities. Although weather in Hawaii is always changeable and often unpredictable, today looks like good weather for a drive to the North Shore (with the highest waves for surfing) and then to continue on the circular drive that will take us almost all the way around the island, including the beautiful beaches on the Windward Shore, the wild surf and blowholes on the most eastern part of Oahu, and gorgeous Haunama Bay, known for the best snorkeling in all of Hawaii.
We leave Waikiki and metro Honolulu traveling northwestward on the Nimitz Highway and back-country roads rather than the quicker but more congested H1 Interstate. We reach the end of the road as it meets the Pacific Ocean at the very busy tourist town of Haleiwa, filled with shops, galleries, and restaurants. The small town is over-crowded with visitors today and there is hardly a place to park. But our primary reason for heading this way is to have lunch at Jamison's Sandwiches, a casual five-star rated eatery that we have enjoyed on previous visits. You can imagine our disappointment when we find that Jamison's has been replaced (in a renovated and enlarged building), by the more traditional, and more expensive, Beach House seafood restaurant. The food is good, but I sorely miss Jamison's, which we learn closed about two years ago.
There is a string of small, uncrowded beaches all along the coast road, each one more inviting than the previous. The beach directly across the road from our lunch stop is a typical example of the scenery and activities on offer:
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Blog Entry #3
Thursday, 20 July 2017
Honolulu
It's another beautiful day in Waikiki as we prepare for today's activities. Although weather in Hawaii is always changeable and often unpredictable, today looks like good weather for a drive to the North Shore (with the highest waves for surfing) and then to continue on the circular drive that will take us almost all the way around the island, including the beautiful beaches on the Windward Shore, the wild surf and blowholes on the most eastern part of Oahu, and gorgeous Haunama Bay, known for the best snorkeling in all of Hawaii.
We leave Waikiki and metro Honolulu traveling northwestward on the Nimitz Highway and back-country roads rather than the quicker but more congested H1 Interstate. We reach the end of the road as it meets the Pacific Ocean at the very busy tourist town of Haleiwa, filled with shops, galleries, and restaurants. The small town is over-crowded with visitors today and there is hardly a place to park. But our primary reason for heading this way is to have lunch at Jamison's Sandwiches, a casual five-star rated eatery that we have enjoyed on previous visits. You can imagine our disappointment when we find that Jamison's has been replaced (in a renovated and enlarged building), by the more traditional, and more expensive, Beach House seafood restaurant. The food is good, but I sorely miss Jamison's, which we learn closed about two years ago.
There is a string of small, uncrowded beaches all along the coast road, each one more inviting than the previous. The beach directly across the road from our lunch stop is a typical example of the scenery and activities on offer:
Not to imply that we spend all our time and money on eating, but our next stop is Ted's Bakery, another traditional high-point on this side of Oahu. Although it is already mid-afternoon and the best of the morning's pastries are gone, we are well-fortified with large croissants covered with dense, gooey dark chocolate (like the ones I recently discovered in Barcelona, not the compact tight ones you find at most US bakeries), and chocolate-frosted doughnut pastries.
As we continue our drive eastward, we pass through the centers of ramshackle small towns, with farmlands to our right and beaches (often hidden from the road by colorful trees) to our left. Although traffic is slow and heavy on the two-lane road as we leave Waimea (another top spot for tourists who wish to see cliff and waterfall diving), it soon thins out and we are tooling along at the speed limit of 35-40 mph. But as almost everywhere on Oahu we soon meet military traffic heading to and from Bellows Air Force Base, situated just before the road turns southward along the rocky and rugged coastline.
The next blog entry will take us through Friday and Saturday, with visits to the Ala Moana Mall, the Bishop Museum, and Friday night fireworks at the Hilton. Please come back for those--and I might include another meal or two!
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