The North Shore

After a very long day of travel on Thursday, I was in bed early and slept for nearly 9 hours!  I awoke on Friday morning shortly after sunrise feeling refreshed  and ready for the day ahead.  My first full day here, I wanted to hit the ground running and see as much as I could during my time on the North Shore.

I had planned the day with several beach stops and a couple of hikes.  I tried not to over-plan though so that I could take some time to really relax and enjoy my time here. I was excited to jump in my rental and head out for the day...stop one the beach!

Despite the forecast showing 0% chance of rain, as soon as I got out of the Jeep, the rain began.  I hurried down toward the beach and stood under a coconut tree to stay dry. 

  
As I stood there gazing out over the ocean with the rain falling steadily around me,  I just kept thinking about how far away I was from home, my girls, and everything I know and how fortunate I have been to travel to all of the places I have been.  No matter what the weather did, I would make the most of this day!

After a quick stop, I was off, headed down the road for a quick breakfast treat at Penny's Malasadas. I had read this was a must-do while on the North Shore and arrived early enough to to be the first customer of the day.  They come in a basket of three and the flavors of the day were Acai, Coconut, and Key Lime, so I got one of each .  These tiny treats are served freshly made and are warm and delicious!

A light rain continued as I drove to my next stop at Pounders Beach, but I could see the weather was starting to clear up.   I arrived at the beach and got out of the car to enjoy my malasadas and the beautiful view. 

Of all of the places I visited today, I think Pounders beach was one of my favorite.   I sat there on the beach watching the surfers and the waves as they crashed into the rocky shoreline.  I also decided this was the beach where I would spread some if Imke's ashes.  

The skies continued to clear and I had more to see so I left Pounders beach for several other beach stops along the way to the Ahupuaʻa ʻO Kahana State Park.

I arrived at the State Park and found the trailhead for the short hike I had planned to take and was ready to explore away from the beach for a bit.  Everything I had read warned me that the trail would be muddy, but I had no idea what to expect.  Not only was it muddy, but it was overgrown and not well marked, but off I went.

It was an interesting hike and I learned a lot about myself while hiking that trail.  First, I am not as adventurous without dogs.  I actually felt a little lost hiking without them.  And second, I don't think I'm a fan of tropical rainforest type terrains.  It was humid and everything was damp and while it was lush and green, I just didn't like the dampness of it all.  

After a short hike...mainly because I couldn't find the trail anymore, I turned and headed back to the Jeep to continue exploring for the day.  I drove a bit farther South along the shore, but it was time for lunch and I knew exactly where I was going, so I turned and headed North.

For lunch I would be checking out Mike's Huli Huli chicken, which had been featured on Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives.  

The atmosphere was interesting  but the food wasn't as good as I expected.  After a quick stop, I continued on along the shore. As I continued North, I found the touristy area of the North Shore and was happy that I hadn't experienced this first.  I had experienced so many peaceful beaches, and these were packed with people...so I kept driving.

As I continued along the North Shore,  I stopped at the Sunrise Shack for a Smoothie bowl.  A friend had told me about this place, and I'm glad I made the stop because I met a fellow Midwesterner.  The kid who took my order was originally from Toledo and we had a good chat.

My journey continued along the shore and I had one more place I had to visit.   I'm drawn to the North, to places where the road ends, to places that aren't as well traveled, where many people never go, to rocky shorelines where lava once flowed...and I had to make it to the end of the road here in Hawaii too.  And I wasn't disappointed. 

I had had a full day of road tripping around the North Shore and it was time to head back toward Laie.  

After a quick stop at my Airbnb, I headed out to check out the Laie State Wayside.  It was about an hour before sunset and the fog and clouds were moving in again.  But what a beautiful place.

I then made my way back to Pounders beach to end the day there.  It was peaceful and a beautiful way to end the day.  I also met a lovely older couple from Boise and when asked about my trip, I was happy to share the story of Imke and Maddie and our travel to 49 States together.  

As the sun set, I picked up a small dinner and made my way back home with one quick stop to capture a picture of the Laie Temple.  

It was a great day in Oahu.  I saw a lot of beauty, met some interesting people, learned a little more about myself, and even got to pet some dogs.  

I am really missing my girls, but today is the day I have been waiting for and planning for.  Today I will complete my journey...the whole reason for this trip.  I can't believe it's here... It is going to be an emotional day, but I'm excited and ready.