Local Expert
Brenda Yun
I'm a surfer girl and freelance writer who can't seem to get enough out of life abroad. Despite my frequent travels, my life in Hawaii (namely, my six-year old pug Iris) keeps me grounded. Here…
I'm a surfer girl and freelance writer who can't seem to get enough out of life abroad. Despite my frequent travels, my life in Hawaii (namely, my six-year old pug Iris) keeps me grounded. Here in Honolulu, buildings pop up like tourists wearing tacky aloha shirts, shops come and go like the trade winds (but ABC stores never close), traffic is part of keeping Hawaiian time--there's no wonder the speed limit is 50, but the feeling of stepping off the plane and walking in the open air to the baggage claim is unmistakable.
I heart Hawaii. I heart spam musubi and plate lunch. I heart crowded line ups at Diamond Head and Straight Outs. I heart Bruddah Iz. I heart the feeling of shedding skin as I drive through pineapple fields in to Haleiwa. The pot of gold is found in the Rainbow State. Hop on over to the "Rock" and see.
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My pug and I decided to drive around the island on Christmas Day, and we were so delighted to find a short but sweet little trail in Kahana State Park. I’ll call it the Quadruple-K Trail for short because the real name is quite lengthy: Kapa’ele’ele Ko’a & Keaniani Kilo Trail. I told you! Some people call it the Ko’a & Kilo Trail.
The trail is a 1.2 mile loop along the western side of the mouth of Kahana Valley near Ka’a’awa on the northeastern shore of Oahu. The hike is quite easy and should take no longer than an hour. It originates at the Orientation Center and then follows the route of the former Ko’olau Railway, which hauled sugar cane from Kahana to Kahuku in the late 1800’s.
There are stunning views of Kahana Bay, and the trail passes two important cultural sites: a fishing shrine (or Kapa’ele’ele Ko’a) and a lookout (Keaniani Kilo). There are well-marked plant identification signs along the trail as well.
Kahana Bay was once a popular site for fishing. In the olden days, fishermen of Kahana used hook and line with fishhooks made of bone and pearlshell. From the shoreline, fish could be caught using dip and scoop nets.
There are plenty of other cool hikes in Kahana State Park, but this is a great introductory trail that will give you a good sense of what else awaits you within Kahana Valley. Helpful trail maps and information are yours for the taking at the Orientation Center, just a fifth of a mile in from Kamehameha Highway. Call #808-237-7767 or visit http://www.hawaiistateparks.org for more information.
I’ve been making it up to the North Shore of Oahu much more frequently this winter, and while I haven’t found a decent coffee shop to suit my needs in the big city of Honolulu, I happened to find the best java joint around in the small town of Haleiwa! The hip Coffee Gallery tucked deep inside the North Shore Marketplace really has all the great qualities of a coffee mainstay: atmosphere, good java, cool art, funky seating area, and the Republic of Tea.
I’m still somewhat baffled about the name of the joint. I’m guessing “Gallery” refers to the enormous array of coffee available to customers — both by the cup and by the bag. If I were a coffee drinker, I imagine I’d be satisfied with the selection here. Then there’s the tea — Republic of Tea, so suitably named. The newest flavor has become the one and only tea I’ve ordered here at the “Gallery” (and have already come at least a dozen times): Green Acai. I’m a big fan of anti-oxidants, so anything with blueberry, pomegranate, or acai immediately piques my interest. The tea is good and cheap — at just $2 a cup.
There are plenty of other goodies at the Coffee Gallery, too. There are at least ten different flavors of freshly blended smoothies, lots of cookies and homemade scones, salads, soups, and sandwiches. I recently tried their vegetarian chili for $4 and it was heavenly and sizable. There aren’t too many coffee shops worth writing about, so believe me when I tell you it’s worth visiting this place at least once if you’re on the North Shore. In fact, you should skip the “famous” shave ice at Matsumoto’s. The brew at the Coffee Gallery is much better — I promise. (Besides, if you want really good shave ice, you should head to Waiola’s in town).
Right in the heart of the North Shore Marketplace in Haleiwa town is the best of three Mexican restaurants on the North Shore: Cholo's Homestyle Mexican Food. The other two restaurants, Rosie's Cantina and Killer Tacos, are decent but can't hold a candle to Cholo's -- probably because Cholo's has been around for so long and is an essential stop if you like Mexican food and are hungry. Aside from the shrimp trucks in Kahuku, Cholo's is pretty much the best place to relax in a nice atmosphere and eat yummy, authentic Mexican grub.
I made it to Cholo's for the first time the other day and pretty much fell in love with it right away. There are two indoor dining areas and an outdoor patio to choose from to take your meal. The place is perfectly airy; the decorations, lively and colorful. My friend and I each ordered the fish (grilled ahi) taco a la carte; he had an enchilada and I got a beef-filled tamale. Yum! The Hornitos Margarita was to die for too, but the price ($7.50) is a bit hefty. Unfortunately, the margaritas don't come in pitchers, so the bill gets big if you're there to partake in the full bar.
Expect to spend at least $15 per person for food and drink -- $20 if you're ordering a cocktail. Everything on the menu looks good -- and the food is made fresh, from scratch every day!
I’ve driven by it so many times, but never bothered to try it. Jameson’s has been a staple in Haleiwa for over fifty years. Customers can choose from three unique seating areas — at the bar, in the dining room, and on the patio. This restaurant sees a decent crowd for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and specializes in fresh catches like mahimahi and opakapaka. The burgers are the most affordable items on the menu at a reasonable $10 and are quite hefty and tasty. Most of the other dishes are over $15.
As Jameson’s is pretty much the only nice sit-down restaurant in Haleiwa, there are plenty of reasons to pop in there for a good lunch or nice dinner. I would suggest going on a nice day or evening, as the patio is a lovely atmosphere for taking a meal.
This will be my first winter surfing on the North Shore. For those of you who are not familiar with the surfing schedule on Oahu, there are basically two seasons: summer and winter. During the summer months, the North Shore is flat, so most surfers head to South Shore breaks to rip it up; during the winter months it's the other way around. The only problem is that the winter sees huge -- sometimes massive, like triple overhead -- surf on the North and West shores that it can be pretty intimidating and dangerous heading in the water.
That's why I thought it might be worthwhile to list some beginner breaks for those of you who are on the North Shore even on a big day. These are pretty much the ONLY breaks that you can paddle out to, but you should still use great caution if you decide to get into the water.
1. Pu'ena Point
Otherwise known as "Pussy Point," this spot never gets big and is usually crowded with beginners. There are at least two surf schools that dominate the parking lot and rent out surfboard to visitors.
2. Lani's
Just down the road, across from the horse stables, is Lani's a sloping right that can get a bit hairy on big days but is still worth a try if you think you're capable. Paddle out to the break to the left of the wave.
3. Chun's Reef
This is a great, fun break that's just a little farther down the road from Lani's toward Waimea. During low tide, Chun's can get downright shallow. If it were in any other place in the world, people might even consider it a world class break, but since it's at the bottom of the totem pole on the North Shore, it sees plenty of beginners.
Winter is upon us here on the islands and you know what that means: the Triple Crown -- the be all, end all of surfing events -- is ON! For those of you who don't know what this "event" (actually, there are three) is, the Triple Crown is basically the final event of the surfing world cup and tour. For the months of November and December, there will be three competitions that take place in three of the world's most elite and beautiful surf breaks: Ali'i Beach in Haleiwa, and Sunset Beach and the Banzai Pipeline just down the road past Waimea Bay.
The first event -- the Reef Hawaiian Pro -- is already over for the women and Carissa Moore, the 16-year old from Honolulu was crowned the queen of Haleiwa yesterday. The final day of the men's event will likely be held on Saturday, so get out there and cheer on your favorite surfers.
If you miss this event, you don't have to worry. There's another month left of surfing competitions on the North Shore and on Maui, so check the Vans Triple Crown website for the latest updates and news to find out when contests will be "on"!