I wouldn’t feel right getting started on today’s post without a word of prayer for my brothers and sisters in arms at the Navy Shipyard. Yesterday’s events and the havoc caused by a deranged criminal are extremely painful. Those of us in the service think of our bases and our time among comrades as our safe havens, as places where we can unload the burdens we carry and close our eyes in peace without worrying about what’s behind us. It’s a terrible thing when those places are not safe for us.
So keep strong, brothers and sisters in Washington D.C. Our prayers are with you.
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Hau’ula Beach Park (c) KC Saling, 2013
One of my absolute favorite ways to explore and really get to know a place is to get out and do some hiking. By looking up both popular and off-the-beaten-path hikes, and then getting out and talking a walk, you see so many more nuances of a place than you would otherwise. This is especially true for Hawaii. On any of the islands, even though they’re small, you’ll see a hundred different ecosystems with completely different looks, feels, and plant and animal life depending on where you are, and there’s a very different feel to island life when you get out of town that’s worth experiencing.
It’s also a great way to do a little stay-cation traveling on those weekends where you either don’t have time or resources to wander too far abroad. I’m a huge advocate of touring and learning the places you live in. Let me show you a little bit more about the place I live, which you might not normally see.
Trailhead (c) KC Saling, 2013
Into the Woods (c) KC Saling, 2013
Recently, my hiking group got together and explored Hau’ula, a little town on the northeast corner of Oahu. As is typical for the outer towns, there isn’t a whole lot there besides a beach park, a couple convenience stores, and housing, but there is a particularly nice trail system that starts at the top of the housing area.
We all felt particularly brave starting this one out. Not only does tiny parking area at the top of the trailhead have a “High Theft Area” sign {we didn’t park there, we left our cars at the beach}, but the entrance to the trailhead is a little overgrown and the first hundred meters or so is a little, well, Blair Witch.
“Get Lost” Hiking Group (c) KC Saling, 2013
But once you get through the woods, the trail starts looping up around a massively lush caldera, runs past a trickling stream, and gets up into the mountains. And the views become pretty spectacular.
Jurassic Park? (c) KC Saling, 2013
Mountain and Valley (c) KC Saling, 2013
It’s bright out here (c) KC Saling, 2013
A view worth a walk (c) KC Saling, 2013
It’s hard to believe that all of this beautiful wilderness is only about twenty miles or so from built-up and hotel-saturated Waikiki. There is a ruggedness, a newness, and a wildness to Oahu that you just don’t see if the only hike you ever take is up Diamond Head. While I don’t recommend this particular hike if you’re brand new to the island or only staying a couple days here, I do recommend driving through, stopping at the beach park, and maybe grabbing some fish tacos at Surf Taco up the street or stopping at one of the ubiquitous shrimp trucks.
Wherever you are, hiking is a great way to get a little more in touch on a different level with the place you live in. You’ll see nuances to the place that you never noticed before, you’ll get out in nature, and you’ll get some beautiful fresh air in the process. What’s not to love?
