Drive up the road with the tall grasses, windows down to hear their soft sighs. Pass the roadside stand, stop for honey and a piece of chocolate that you will let slowly melt on your tongue, sweet and bitter.
Onward, through the trees and past the hills of Waianae Kai and Mokule’ia, lush and green with a soft mist hanging heavy on their heads. Stop for lunch: grilled fish, laulau, crispy Okinawa sweet potato. Bare left until you reach the end of the road. Park the car and follow the dusty path along the shore. The wind will whip through your hair as you walk. And there it will be: the sea, the sea. Blue expanse stretching endlessly forward, meeting with sky. Undulating, restless, beckoning.
Hawaii Queen bees : Make sure to stop by this little farm stand located on route 803 on your way to the north shore and treat yourself to some delicious locally produced honey and chocolate…what better way to start the day’s adventure than with a little sugar on your tongue? (Couldn’t help but channel a little David Byrne there)
The Smoking Boar and The Coconut: This family-run restaurant housed in a renovated garage is easy to miss if you aren’t looking for it. Swing in for one of the island’s freshest takes on the classic pupu and plate lunch, along with a variety of classic Hawaiian dishes done up with a bit of a modern makeover: panko crusted mahi mahi with lilikoi tartar sauce, lau lau, roast pork nachos with chili crème fraiche, and homemade ice creams ( think haupia with kulolo). The icing on the cake is that the parking lot is also the new home of Kula Shave Ice…Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner…BYOB
Kula Shave Ice: Golden milk shave ice with homemade mochi and haupia cream. Oh yeah and vanilla ice cream on the bottom. So. Very. Delicious. That is all. (Located at the Smoking Boar and the Coconut)
Ka’ena Point Trail: Scenic hike along the coast inside of the Kuaokala Forest Preserve. Green mountains on one side and ocean on the other, along with the possibility of catching a glimpse of a Hawaiian monk seal sunning herself on a rock puts this spot on my essential hikes list while visiting Oahu. The path is flat, and not terribly challenging but is very hot due to complete lack of shade, so bring lots of water before beginning your trek. Since it is a ‘there and back’ style hike you can decide how far you want to go, but to get to the actual point and Ka’ena Natural Area Reserve, plan on doing about a 5 mile round trip. Also accessible from the Wai’anae side of the island.
Mokule’ia Beach: This is one of my favorite beaches on the island. It is rarely crowded which gives it a kind of off the beaten path vibe that is really difficult to find on Oahu. Some days it even feels like you are on your own strip of private beach with only a local fisherman gazing out to sea and a honu or two bobbing along in the waves.
Mayas Tapas and Wine: After all that hiking, and swimming, and sea turtle admiring, one has to fuel up before spending some time wandering through the boutiques of Haleiwa in search of something cute and local to take home with you, and there is no better place to do that than Maya’s. A selection of shared plates accompanied by a cold glass of bubbly is pretty much the best way to dine on hot sunny day on the island. Baked burrata, grilled octopus, gambas al ajillo…happy hour from 5-6. Need I say more?
Farm to Barn Cafe and Juicery: Take a seat at a picnic table under a colorful umbrella on a swarth of green grass just outside of town. Then kick back and order up something brunch-y from the family friendly menu that features veggie forward bowls (try the Humble Bowl: brown rice studded with broccoli, kale, chickpeas and sweet potatoes), breakfast burritos, bagels sandwiches, and cold pressed juices prepared in house… along with a kid’s menu. Going with a group? Order ahead by 6p the day before for a family-sized tray of breakfast delights.
Hale’iwa Beach House: Surprisingly there aren’t too many spots on the north shore that offer both a meal and a view, but the Hale’iwa Beach house does a pretty good job nudging itself into that category with decent views of Waialua Bay, and a casual menu offering a selection of appetizers, sandwiches, and entrees with an island twist. The calamari with the yuzu aoli and nuoc cham is the standout dish here. (Kid’s menu, too!)
Polu Gallery: One of my favourite things to collect while traveling is a piece of locally created art, and I am always on the lookout for galleries that I can wander through in search of a piece to fall in love with. Polu Gallery has a large assortment of fun, affordable prints and also offers a selection of beautiful limited edition woodcut prints by artist Steven Kean. His intricate carvings (especially his depictions of waves) are especially mesmerizing.
Guava Shop: This cute little shop has a branch both in Haleiwa and Kailua and is filled with lots of locally produced goods all radiating that laid back, airy, island vibe . Looking for a beach coverup? Organic body cream? A new swimsuit? They’ve got it.
Matsumoto Shave Ice: Serving up the quintessential Hawaiian treat since 1951, Matsumoto is a kind of destination for some while visiting the north shore town of Haleiwa, so expect to wait in a bit of a line when you arrive. Cherry, pineapple, coconut and root beer flavours along with more exotic offerings like pickled mango, yuzu, li hing mui,and ume. However, in my humble opinion, even though Matsumoto’s has been there the longest, there is better shave ice to be had. (I felt remiss totally leaving it off my list) Seriously consider making your way down the street to Kaimana Shave Ice, which uses natural, house made flavours to top it’s fluffy mounds of shave ice, or over to Kula which offers a unique turmeric shave ice (my very favourite!) I don’t think you will be disappointed.
Kaimana Shave Ice: Not all shave ice is created equal…but Kaimana is right up there with some of the best that I have had while living on Oahu. Their shave ice is fluffy like snow and their house made syrups are delicious. Try the Sunrise, a combination of lychee and strawberry syrups over a delicious banana ice cream, topped with mochi… or invent your own crazy flavour concoction. My favourite? Coconut on top of a scoop of macadamia nut ice cream, a drizzle of chocolate syrup and tiny chewy mochi bits. Yum.
North Shore Macadamia Nut Company: Stop by this open air shop nestled into the greenery on your way from Haleiwa to hang out with the turtles on Laniakea Beach and grab yourself a bag (or 3) of the freshest nuts on the island. You can stick with the classic roasted and salted variety, or venture out into flavours like coconut or Kona coffee glazed (one of my personal favourites.). It’s Oahu’s only working macadamia nut farm, and has been in operation since 1972, so you know that they have gotta be good.
Laniakea Beach: This narrow strip of beach is located between Haleiwa and the famous Banzai Pipeline. It isn’t the best place for a swim, but it is worth stopping for a chance to admire the beautiful (and endangered) honu. The Hawaiian green sea turtles gather here in abundance, and it is quite the sight to see. Not to be missed if you are in search of a rare chance to get close to one of the great creatures of the ocean. However, be forewarned: parking can be quite a nightmare.
Waimea Valley: Meandering paths through lush greenery, peacocks calling down from trees overhead, historical structures nestled in between the flora and fauna, and a grand waterfall that collects into a pool big enough to swim in…it does not come as a surprise after a visit to Waimea Valley that the area was once awarded to the Kahuna Nui (High Priests), and still remains an important site for many cultural and religious reasons.
Pupukea Beach Park/ Sharks Cove: Wander out from shore and make your way over rocks that look like sculptures through the shallow waters as you peer into tide pools, nooks and crannies for little bits of sea life.
Love, love this. What a writer you are.
You are such an awesome writer!!! You take us to places we’ve never seen but your words make it come alive as tho we are there with you!!!