Travel Tips

WEEEEEEEEEE ! ! I was offered another helicopter ride this year, and I went up more than once this time around! Since the airfield is in Wahiawa, once we take off, for the first minute or two, all we see are pineapple fields!!! (not literally, but almost) Before, when driving by the pineapple fields, we never imagined there were homes way back there, so the helicopter ride really opened new sights for us!

Hawaii does not waste much of her land! Pineapple fields reached up into the mountain range (Waianae Mtn Range). I love looking at the patterns of the fields. Shall we call these Mountain Pineapples or Pineapple Mountain?

Another thing I never paid much attention to in the past were community gardens around the area. This is a community garden we pass nearly everyday. I can bearly see much of it when I drive by, but from the air, it looks so neatly manicured!

I pass Wahiawa Reservoir (Lake Wilson) nearly everyday. I've never been particularly drawn to it (except for my desire to snap a perfect reflection) and the water always looked so, (bad). It sure did look nice from above though!

Of course the helicopter ride lasted about 15 minutes or so, so I was snapping that camera like a crazy woman! As we moved toward Honolulu, I caught a good view of our Aloha Stadium (UofH)

Send Photo to a Friend

Harbor

Pearl Harbor vicinity

Here, we are not really coasting along, but the picture can sure give that impression. This is closer to the drydock side, or westside of the harbor.

Send Photo to a Friend

Waipahu Prison . . .

oooooops, I meant Waipahu High School ! ! ! Yeah, there was a fence all around it when I went to school ... there is STILL a fence all around it! We called it prison, but I really owe a lot to some of the dedicated teachers that tried so hard to make some sort of meaningful impact on our lives.

Send Photo to a Friend

Sugar Mill

Again, these pictures will have no significance to you, but they were are landmarks to my past! The sugar mill still stands, though it's been out of commission for YEARS! I hope they leave it standing as a monument to our old sugar plantation town.

WOW ~ even as small as Hawaii is, we still managed to have these massive tangles of roadways to aggrevate the average driver! Frustrating as it may be when you're stuck in the far lane trying to move to the nearest exit, it sure looked impressive from the air!

Send Photo to a Friend

Haiku Stairs

A few words on how I found VirtualTourist

HOW did I find VT?
This is what I was researching when VT kept POPPING up on my screen! Luck would have it and it was a great popup!

Haiku Stairs, Stairway to Heaven

Haiku Stairway, or Stairway to Heaven by TropicGirl77

Description:
*NOTE ... I have not been here!!! This trail has intrigued me since I first spotted it as we came out of the tunnel on H3, Kaneohe bound. Research has headed me in the general direction, but I have not actually "attempted" the illegal entry to this most interesting hike to the top of the Koolau range. The path (stairway) is now repaired, but local authorities have barred the opening due to "health and safety" issues. I do see, from time to time, a trail of happy hikers making their way to the top of the stairs. I am eagerly awaiting the official opening, though might add that if it doesn't happen soon, I may have to "slip through the gate" as others before me have done!