Enjoying Oahu

Waimea Valley, Oahu, Hawaii, USA

August 6, 2010

  

We took almost an entire day off of boat errands to drive to a reserve on the North Shore of Oahu called Waimea Valley.  We found it very similar to the Valley out of Wailuku on Maui.  It is basically a botanical garden with a few hands on cultural activities along a paved path that leads to a waterfall where you can swim about a mile up the valley.  On the way, we made a quick stop at the Dole Plantation where we completed the pineapple maze.

  We had packed a lunch, so we ate under the shade of the banyan trees.

 

We learned about taro and invasive prawns.  Brad and Austin figured out how to play an ancient game that was a key part of the Polynesian oral history tradition.  We had a great conversation with some of the docents who had been to Tahiti (for surfing) and the Tuamotus.  We swam in the pool below the waterfall where the lifeguard assured us that there were no freshwater eels (like in Daniels Bay).  We also saw the almost extinct moor hen which is duck that does not have webbed feet.  It actually a cross between a goose and a chicken.

    

We drove back along the north shore, but there was no legendary surf (wrong time of year and a very calm day at that).  A quick stop at Zippy’s for plate dinners and burgers and we headed back to the boat.  A local family who is contemplating cruising met us at the dock and checked out what it would be like to live on a 48’.  They won’t have any problem as they have already spent  some time living in a motorhome while touring around the states (on the mainland, of course).