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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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Breakfast on Oahu’s Windward Side
I have been lucky enough to live in Kailua, on Oahu’s Windward Coast for the last two and a half years. In those two and a half years my husband and I have been able to seek out and test many of the breakfast options this side of the island has to offer and there are three locations my husband and I keep returning to over and over again. My Favorite – Boots & Kimo’s Boots & Kimo’s is hands down one of my favorite breakfast places, not just on Oahu, but anywhere! They are known for their delicious Mac Nut Pancakes, fluffy buttermilk pancakes topped with a creamy rich…
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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…
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Moving to Oahu
September 25, 2015 I got on a plane in LAX headed for Honolulu. The previous months had consisted of a lot of couch surfing, living with different friends and family, and a two month stay in Utah. I had less than $3,000, an Airbnb studio apartment covered for a month, no job, and pretty much no plan. I had spent my entire life living in California. Despite having graduated from college in May of 2014, I still had not worked a “real” job and with the exception of my adventures in couch surfing, I had never lived on my own. I had never been on a plane and the farthest…
