"Oahu Circle Island Tour" a Oahu Travel Page by geekgrrl

When family and friends come to visit, we are always requested for my Circle Island tour. Even when my grown daughter comes home for a visit, we must do the "Circle Island Tour". We go counter-clockwise around the east side of the island and down the center of the island.

Rent a car. If you get a convertible, make sure you put plenty of sunscreen on and wear a hat! Start by taking H1 East. It will end and become Kalanianaole Hwy (72). Follow this to Hawaii Kai where you start to climb Koko Head. Hanauma Bay is off to the right. Often the parking lot is full by 9:30 in the morning, and they will not let you in. This is a great place for snorkeling. The city has taken this over, and created a great visitors center. Everyone is required to view a movie prior to entering. Get your drinks and snacks at the top before entering the admission building. If it is open, walk around the north part of the bay around the end to the Toilet Bowl. This is a hole in the lava. Waves come under the lave and fill the hole. When the wave goes out, it 'flushes'. We have spent many great hours here. However?.it can be very slippery. Be VERY CAREFUL! And don't be stupid. We lose lots of tourists who lose their brains when they get here.

Continuing past the Hanauma Bay entrance, you curve left and get your first incredible view of the windward coastline. After all these years, this view always takes my breath away.

On the left is Koko Crater. There is a really neat botanical hike inside the crater. I lived here for 10 years before I took this hike, and I am sorry I didn't do it sooner. There is an amazing amount of trees, shrubs, bushes, flowers, all kinds of flora. You can find all the info on hours, directions, at the web site. If you have time, this is really worth it.

The first turnout to the ocean is a lookout that is not worth pulling in for. You can sometimes see Maui and Molokai from here, but you are going on to the next lookout which is just down the road a little. The next lookout serves two Kodak moments. Pull in and park. On the right is Cockroach Cove. This is the infamous beach in the movie From Here to Eternity. The locals just call it Cockroach Cove. You can hike down and swim here, but it is not very safe as there are numerous currents waiting to drag you out to sea. There are no facilities and no shade. On the left of the parking lot is the Halona Blowhole. When the waves and tide are right, water is forced through a lava tube and shoots up and out the hole. One never knows when that will happen.

Just beyond the blowhole is Sandy Beach. This is a beautiful beach, but fairly dangerous since there is a nasty shore-break here. Locals who know how to body surf love this beach. Stay on the shore and watch or find another beach. Or fly a kite here! If you are lucky, you will see people flying some very impressive and expensive kites here.

Beyond the golf course (still on Kalanianaole Hwy), you will make another curve left and will see cars parked along the side of the road. If you hit SeaLife Park, you have gone too far). This is the parking area for the Makapuu Lighthouse hike. Once again, it took me too many years to take this hike. It is not too strenuous. Make sure you take bottled water, start hiking before 10. This hike takes a slow walker about an hour to get up if you stop to take lots of photos. You cannot get down to the light house, but the views are amazing!

Just up the hill from the start of the hike is the Makapuu Beach Lookout. It is a small parking lot, but it has a real Kodak Moment. You can see Makapuu Beach, Sea Life Park, and in the distance, facing you, my favorite beach at Bellows.

Continue on Kalanianaole Hwy past Sea Life Park and through the outskirts of Waimanalo. There is a sign and entrance on the left for Bellows Beach. This is my favorite beach in the state. The sand is like velvet. The water is an incredible blue. The Koolau Mountains are off to the side. There is shade and nice facilities. If you have a military ID, you can enter any time. If not, Bellows opens on the weekends and is worth the trip out here!

Now it gets a little tricky. You have to get beyond Kailua and Kaneohe. Stay on Kalanianaole Hwy (72). You will come to a stoplight at a T intersection. Turn left onto 61. You are still on Kalanianaole Hwy. Go past Kapaa Quarry Rd and turn left at Kamehameha Hwy (83). Stay on this until you get into the mess that is Kaneohe. Turn left on 63 and then just a bit down the road turn right on 83 again on what is now Kahekili Hwy. You are home free. You will be on this road for basically the rest of the trip up to and around the North Shore.

Be on the lookout for a stop light with a large church on a hill on the left and a small shopping center on the right. This is Valley of the Temples. Turn left into the Memorial Park. You will have to pay a small fee to enter, but it will be worth it. Follow the road all the way to the back until you reach the Byodo-In Temple. Park and lock your car and wander around the grounds. This is a replica of a temple in Kyoto Japan. There is a gift shop and restrooms here.

When you exit the park, turn left back onto Kahekili Hwy. This will soon turn into Kamehameha Hwy again. Just drive north and enjoy the great scenery. The Koolau Mtns on your right, and the ocean periodically on your left.

Continue on your way. As you leave the Crouching Lion, the road curves inland around Kahana Bay. If you look carefully soon after you make that turn, there is an old Hawaiian fish pond - a circle of stones out into the water.

Continue on Kamehameha Hwy enjoying the scenery. You will pass the Polynesian Cultural Village on the left. I went there once and found it to be a bit much and way too expensive. At the next stoplight there will be a shopping center on the left, and the street to the right is Anemoku St. Turn right here to go out to Laie Point. Make the right at the T and go the two blocks to the end. This is a beautiful view! We have seen whales from here.

Continue through Laie (you can see the Morman Temple from the highway on the left) and go through Kahuku. There will be ponds on your right. This is part of a shrimp farm. The shrimp shack may be open there, so look for cars parked at a stand on the right. Order at the shack and sit at the picnic tables to eat your shrimp.

In just another mile or so, you will curve around and be driving on the North Shore. There are many beaches up on the North Shore. In the summer months, the ocean is fairly flat. In the winter, there can be huge surf. Stop and take a look.

At Pupukea, there is a state park where the surf in the winter is gorgeous. In the summer, one can snorkel in this old quarry. It is a great place for a picnic since there is a grassy area, restroom facilities, parking. Across the street is a Foodland where one can pick up all kinds of picnic supplies.

At the Foodland in Pupukea, take the road that runs beside Foodland. Drive the switchback up and look for the first left to go to Pu'u O Mahuka Heiau. A heiau is an ancient Hawaiian religious site, and this one is the largest on Oahu. Read the website for historical information. On the far side of the heiau is a great view of Waimea Bay.

Across from Waimea Bay is Waimea Falls Park. This is now run by the Audubon Society and is a beautiful park of plants, flowers, trees. There is a trail that goes 3/4 of a mile back to the Falls. There used to be a tram that one could ride, but that tram no longer runs now. The walk is a lovely walk with lots of signs describing various plants, flowers, trees. If you are hungry you can have lunch at the Cafe at the Park entrance.

Continue on Kamehameha Hwy to the turnoff to Haleiwa. This is a very cute North Shore town with lots of restaurants, surf shops, and souvenir shops. A 'must-do' is to get some shave ice here. Matsumoto's is the most famous of the shave ice stores, but most any of them will do. You can get the regular shave ice is a huge variety of flavors. You can also have ice cream in the bottom of the cup before the ice. And if you really want to splurge, you can have ice cream, azuki beans, and then the shave ice. A rule in our family is NO SHAVE ICE in the car!

Leaving Haleiwa, take 99 back through the center of the island. A stop at the Dole Pineapple Center is worth a stop. Even though pineapple production has nearly ceased in Hawaii, Dole still grows enough for local and tourist consumption. The Dole Center has a lot to offer and is still growing. The main building houses the most incredible array of pineapple themed souvenirs. I have great fun just seeing what is here. Gifts are more expensive here than elsewhere, but it is fun to look. There is also a maze, a new garden, a train ride through pineapple fields, a koi pond, and a pineapple variety garden.

The day is almost over and it is time to head back to town. Go through Wahiawa or by Schofield to H1 back to Waikiki.