Oahu, part two

So, we pick up on our third day in Oahu, Hawaii with a hike to some falls, what else?

We found the Waihe'e Falls in a guide book in the house where we stayed. We took a short drive up the east coast and went to the trail head. Along the way, we saw several Dharma Initiative looking buildings and sites...like this one built right in the side of the mountain. 

The hike was marked "moderate/easy", so we thought we could easily handle it. This is us a little over half-way up with a beautiful reward of the beaches below.

Mandy was especially a trooper, being pregnant, and in flip-flops! It was a pretty steep hike and 750 feet in all!

At the top, we were rewarded with this gorgeous 30 foot waterfall. The boys said it was Barton Springs cold...I had to trust them, because anyone who knows me, knows I didn't dare stick myself underneath freezing waters.

We relaxed the rest of the day at the house and the Waimanalo beach then headed to Waikiki for the evening. We did some souvenir shopping and hit a local farmer's market. My friend Cheris had told me to check out a sushi place, but we had no luck finding it. We were all in the mood for sushi though. Jeremy looked up this place that rated 5 stars in town in Honolulu, so we checked it out. The door slid open like a secret passage when we walked up to it...so cool. Then the dinner was a progressive menu determined by the chef.  It was a truly incredible experience and meal. Not sure I can ever have sushi again because it simply won't measure up. Just be careful, if you go through all courses, you can easily spend $150+ per person!!! Totally worth it, trust me!

The next morning we headed up the scenic coast to the famous North Shore. Our first stop was Shark's Cove for some snorkeling. This was much different than Hanauma Bay. The water was much deeper and there was a lot more coral. We saw many of the same fish, but it really made me wish I was certified to scuba. Still a great time. 

Jeremy and I from the top of the Cove.

After snorkeling, we packed it up to head further north. We stopped in a neighborhood where there is a small public passageway to the beach. With a short walk down the beach, we came to the LOST camp site. It's legit! Pretty cool.

Along our walk on the beach, the sand was scorching so I headed toward the water and saw this guy soaking up some rays. Further down we saw about 3-4 more swimming around near the shore. 

Another angle of the LOST camp site with Brian and Mandy below the trees.

Another short drive further north brought us to another famous beach. This is where the Lost plane crash scenes took place. Jeremy was like a little kid thinking it was holy ground. We were devoted watchers of the show, and he felt like it was meeting a celebrity in nature. 

The beach where the plane crash was as well as the campsite had these rocks that were along the shore as well as some sand. On this one I watched a little crab snagging some fish for dinner.

Our last day our flight didn't leave til 10:00pm, so we had a day to spend while waiting. We spent the morning on our beach in front of the house. The girls sun bathed while the boys boogie boarded in the surf. We all showered and packed up and headed into Waikiki. Jeremy had been wanting to eat at Cheeseburger Waikiki, and it didn't disappoint. We then went to a local park nearby with TONS of runners and locals all about. It reminded us of a college campus with all the activities all around. We chilled on the grass and looked up at Diamond Head in the distance and watched surfers in the water ahead.

We built some great memories that I won't ever forget. I hope to make it back to the islands some day again, but I now owe Jeremy a trip to the mountains, which is more his thing.

Upon returning home, we were greeted by the faces of our three precious kids that had spent the week with my AMAZING parents.  By the amount of new toys and nicknacks alone, I could tell that they completely enjoyed their time as well. I have to say that back in little Temple, Texas, I am living the sweet life. Nothing better than my little ones and us back together under one roof and snuggling and giggling. I am one blessed lady!