Conquering the North Shore of Oahu

Peacock at Waimea Valley

Text and photos by Jason McKenney

“On either side you can see the Dole Pineapple Plantation," Christopher the bus driver informed us. "Dole was founded in the Kingdom of Hawaii way back in 1851.”

Looking out the windows of our small tour bus all I could see was row after of row of pineapple plants passing by. They looked like giant green spiders crawling up from the ground with blade-like tentacles. My wife wasn’t too impressed with the view, but the Australian mother and daughter in front of us were pointing and mumbling and snapping photos.

Waimea Gardens

The mother’s name was Devita. Her daughter was Jade. They were from Gold Coast, Queensland, and were visiting Hawaii for the first time.

“It’s a be-yoo-tiful place,” Devita told me in her fetching accent, referring to Hawaii, “but they give ya so much food! The pohtions heah ah so lahge!”

Living large was what my wife and I had been looking for. We were celebrating a late honeymoon after tying the knot several months earlier. Today we were taking a tour of the North Shore of Oahu along with roughly a dozen other strangers.

Our first stop would be the Waimea Botanical Garden (“Where Hawaii comes alive!” according to the brochure). The Waimea Valley gained its name in the 11^th century when it was handed over to the high priests and their descendants by the King of Oahu. Knowing this gives an extra sense of heaviness when one walks along the three-quarter mile pathway leading inland through the valley. Realizing you are stepping through a place that held such importance for over a millennium can be a bit sobering.

Throughout the walk, one is surrounded by lush vegetation, the siren calls of peacocks, and a redemptive solitude that only nature can provide. The growing whispers of rushing water signals that a cascade lies ahead somewhere among the trees and hillsides.

Several archaeological sites have been identified throughout the valley including a few small huts and religious constructs assembled to recreate what an actual native environment would have looked like a thousand years ago. The whispers of the waterfall were grow louder, beckoning us to keep moving.

The Waihī Waterfall signifies the apex of the paved walk into the valley.  Waihī is a 45-footer that crashes down into a freshwater pool below the walkways and vantage points that surround it.  On our walk back, I tried to picture what the valley would have looked like with villagers and priests carving out a life here back in the day. The forests are lovely (at least today that are thanks to current management) and there are some killer waves not too far away. I’m sure it was a magical place.

After leaving the valley, my wife and I relaxed at the Waimea Beach overlooked by the Kehu-O-Hapuu cliffs. Surf conditions were brutal creating enormous waves that plowed down on the beach like the pummeling fists of God. There were a few brave souls out beyond the break looking for giants, much braver than I.

Christopher gave us options for where we could have lunch. We would pass through the small town of Hale’iwa where a few different options were available. We decided on Macky’s Sweet Shrimp Truck. Their specialties include buttery garlic shrimp, coconut shrimp, and lemon pepper shrimp all served with salad and white rice topped with butter sauce, teriyaki, or a sweet curry. We tried a little bit of everything and were joined by Devita and Jade.

High surf at Waimea Beach

Macky’s is a food truck but it’s apparently situated at this same place roughly all the time. There are a few picnic tables nearby where we sat and were accompanied by two or three very lazy-looking cats.

For desert, the missus and I walked over to the Aloha General Store and bought two giant shave ice cones topped with vanilla cream. I could hear Devita’s voice in my mind when the young girl behind the counter handed me the first giant cone. It’s so lahhge!

Hanging out at lunch

We had time for another stop before the tour bus took off and both my wife and I were craving something with a little more kick. We wandered into Cholo’s Homestyle Mexican Restaurant and ordered two classic margaritas. The bartender’s name was Tony, and he asked us what we thought of North Shore. “We loved it, naturally,” we said, “but it’s great to find a Mexican tequila bar here. It reminds us of LA.”

Our final excursion before the long return back to Waikiki was a brief visit to Laniakea Beach, famous home of the large Sea Turtles. The beach is north of Hale’iwa along the Kamehameha Highway and south of Waimea Valley. Christopher continued to give his useful bits of insight of the surrounding area as he drove. ("Right over there is Jimmy Buffet's house!") When we arrived at Laniakea there was one large turtle chilling on the beach, completely unimpressed with us showing up like this.

Cholo's

“They are an endangered species,” warned Christopher. “We’re not even allowed to touch them with our hands because the oils from our skin can cause irritation and infections on their shell.” Poor things. Remember that the next time you see some tourists taking a photo with one of these creatures with one arm draped over its back.

The ride back to the hotel was a long one. It was well past dark before we arrived. Everyone was exhausted but content. Along the way we talked to Devita and Jade about Australia. Jade played cricket in high school and traveled internationally with her mum at least once a year. They normally went to Asia or Europe. They had never been to mainland America but I told them to try out California one day.

Trips like this are great for the primary sites: the beaches, the food, the beauty of nature. But they also open up chances to meet and talk with people from other parts of the world, giving a different perspective on what we see and learn.