Oahu Off The Beaten Path Tips by VeronicaG Top 5 Page for this destination

The Haiku Steps or Stairway to Heaven Haiku Stairway Review

We encountered an amazing sight as we drove through the mountains on the eastern side of the island. A thread-like trail of steps could be seen rising to the very top--they are The Haiku Steps, known also as the Stairway to Heaven.

These stairs leading up to the top of Puu Keahiakahoe (altitude 2800 ft.) were created by the efforts of the U.S. Navy in 1942. The Haiku steps were meant to be used as a means of reaching the Haiku Radio Station, 'top secret facility for transmitting radio signals to the Navy ships operating throughout the Pacific'.

It's actually comprised of galvanized-steel ship ladders 18 inches wide and 4000 feet long in total. Some sections are steep, but most are not. There are 3,922 steps. The stairs were closed after some vandals tore up a few sections of ladder. Also, they were closed at the construction of H-3.

Repairs were made, but the stairs haven't been open yet. Friends of the Haiku Steps and others are petitioning to have them reopened for hiking.

*Haiku is Hawaiian for Kahili flower

Website: http://www.friendsofhaikustairs.org

Valley of the Temples Touring / Exploration Review

As we were driving to The Polynesian Culture Center in Laie, we noticed this lush park-like area called the Valley of the Temples. It's a beautifully landscaped cemetery.

Although we didn't stop by, there is an immense temple at the rear of the cemetery. Named the Byodo-In, it replicates an ancient 950 year old Buddhist temple in Uji, Japan (pic #2). The temple was constructed in 1960 to commemorate the arrival of Japanese immigrants who worked the sugar fields.

Other assorted temples can be seen throughout the cemetery, a $2 fee pp is charged.

pic #2, borrowed from hawaiiweb.com