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Switzer Falls
Switzer Falls is one of the most visually exciting hikes I have done here in Southern California thus far. At a little over 4 miles round trip, the trail travels up and down a narrow valley in the Angeles National Forest. At some parts of the trail you will see remnants of old roads, other parts you will be traveling casually along a stream, and the next moment you will be climbing up high above the trees. Although a tad strenuous this trail will keep you intrigued the entire way.
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Etiwanda Falls
Etiwanda Falls is a short, easy, miserably hot hike to a gorgeous waterfall in Rancho Cucamonga. At just around 3.5 miles (round trip) most hikers can reach the falls in under an hour. But I must warn you, it is a long, hot hour up a rocky un-shaded hill. According to AllTrails we completed the entire trail with a moving time of just under 90 minutes.
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Stairway to Heaven
One of the last hikes I attempted while on Oahu is also one of Oahu's most infamous and talked about hikes. It seems like everyone has heard of, or at least seen pictures of, Oahu's Stairway to Heaven (also known as the Haiku Stairs).
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Eaton Canyon Falls
My husband and I have finally, after over five months in California, started hiking again. In just the past few weeks we have tackled five different trails starting with Eaton Canyon Falls. Located in Altadena, CA, Eaton Canyon Falls Trail is a fairly easy and relatively short trail. Listed at about 3.5 miles, I tracked it at about 4 miles round trip and it took my husband and I about 2.5 hours to complete, including the time we spent at the falls.
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Old LA Zoo
I did a fair amount of hiking in California before moving to Oahu, but it wasn't until I was living on the islands that I first heard of the Old LA Zoo Hike. I'm not exactly sure how I first heard of it, I'm pretty sure I came across it while doing some research on the abandoned zoo on Oahu. However, no matter how I came across it, as soon as I heard about it, and saw the pictures, I knew I had to go.
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Moss Slides
I had heard about Oahu’s moss slides since I first moved to Oahu. I saw posts about them on Pinterest and Facebook. I heard different people talk about them. I always had an idea of where they were at, but it wasn’t until my last month on Oahu, that I actually set out to find the moss slides and I am so glad I did. Located not too far off the beaten path, the moss slides are a gorgeous, secluded, fun way to spend an afternoon. Including a few detours and the time we spent at the moss slides out entire hike (out and back) was just over five hours,…
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H3 Summit Saddle – Preparing for the Stairs
Stairway to Heaven is probably one of the most popular, illegal, hikes on Oahu and from the minute I arrived on Oahu my husband started harassing me to do this hike. I can’t deny I was drawn to the stairs climbing up the side of the Koolau mountains and would stare at them every time we took the H3 into town, but I heard too many horror stories. To start off, even before I had arrived on Oahu, the neighborhood, where hikers would access the stairs, had hired private security to stop hikers from entering and to report any illegal trespassing. Supposedly the guard is or was easy to bypass…
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Mermaid Caves
If you google Oahu Mermaid Caves you will be treated to hundreds if not thousands of photos and tourists (and even some locals) talking about these gorgeous and mysterious caves located on the west side of Oahu. Post after post will tell you how difficult these caves are to find and to get down into, but the pictures convince you that it is well worth the effort and the risk. You will find photo after photo of crystal clear waters and gorgeous caves, exactly like what you would imagine mermaids would hang out in. You will be convinced that if you ever got to Oahu, you will need to find…
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Small but Mighty – Kahekili Ridge Trail
Located in Kaawa the Kahekili Ridge Trail is a short ass kicking trail that should only be attempted by fit, experienced, confident hikers. Kahekili Ridge Trail completley kicked my ass and I was not prepared for it! The husband and I tackled the Kahekili Ridge Trail a few months ago. (This post is a little delayed as we were trying to make a video to go with it and then life, aka Military, got in the way and well here we are now.) It was either a Saturday or a Sunday afternoon and we were looking for a quick short hike to do, just so we wouldn’t feel like we wasted…
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Byodo-In Temple
Although I didn’t make nearly enough time to visit this spot during my time on Oahu, the Byodo-In Temple on the Windward side of the island is one of my absolute favorite places. Located in a valley at the foot of the Koolau Mountain Range is Oahu’s Valley of the Temples, a resting place for many of Hawaii’s departed. Besides serving as a memorial park, the Valley of the Temples consists of lush hills covered with tropical flowers and plants. Towards the back of the Valley of the Temples visitors will find the Byodo-In Temple, a scale replica of a 950 year old temple in Uji Japan and made entirely…
