It was heavenly!
The best I can do now is to blog about Maui. One of my favorite quotes (Gandhi, you’re the man!) goes something like this: Thoughts become words, words become actions, actions become habits, habits become values, values become your destiny. Heavy stuff!
Thus, I am destined for the shores of Maui, one way or another, given Maui is consuming my thoughts. It’s time to put my thoughts into words, my words into action!
Pick one, any one, whenever you need a breath of warm topical air to brighten that cold dreary day putting a damper on your disposition. There'll be plenty of those to go around for a while.
I even did an ‘I Miss Maui’ post ten months ago when winter’s icy tendrils were sending shivers from my nose to my toes. There’s only one thing better than being there; that’s reliving the experience via pictures and shared memories.
While we were in Maui, Jimmy and I did some island hopping. We were a hop, skip and a jump away from the island of Oahu, and the historic Pearl Harbor. No way was I passing up the opportunity to tour the World War II Memorial there, not when we were so close.
If you’re interested, this link will provide you an inside look at the Memorial that rests atop the battleship USS Arizona. It went down along with 1,177 of her crew on the morning of December 7, 1941, the day Pearl Harbor was attacked.
But today’s post is all about Oahu’s Diamond Head Mountain. Amazingly, I missed blogging about that disastrous trip. My blog rarely keeps pace with my life, especially those parts of my life that don’t always go the way I planned.
Don’t tell me you thought my life was all peaches and cream. I readily utilize literary license to filter this travel thing so it looks like one big exciting adventure from one day to the next. I rarely complain about all the schlepping, all the waiting, all the sleep and luggage lost getting to from Point A to Point B, all while maintaining my blog. I'm sure you've got your own stuff at your end. Besides, I wouldn’t have it any other way!
I went with the flow despite my fashion debacle while touring Vienna, despite my breakdown while visiting Ireland, despite my run-in with the trolls my first day in Iceland. And now I’m going on the record that despite the killer hike up Oahu’s Diamond Head Mountain that left me lame for the next two weeks, I’d do it again if given the chance. Yes, I’m a stubborn old coot!
It was hotter than hell by the time we got to Diamond Head, just after lunch! Rain had threatened all morning (which is to say the humidity had the upper hand when it came to my hair) at Pearl Harbor, than finally acquiesced to the trade winds that had carried the worst of the wet weather back out to sea.
No second thoughts for Jimmy and me. One of the world’s most recognized volcanic craters was demanding our attention, the summit less than a mile away and a mere 560 feet up, where we’d heard the view was spectacular. Bring it on!
British sailors who came through in the early 1800’s dubbed the volcanic tuff cone Diamond Head when they mistakenly thought the calcite crystals in the lava rock were diamonds. The Hawaiians aptly named their volcano Leahi, which roughly translates to “browridge of a tuna”.
The ridgeline of Diamond Head supposedly resembles the shape of a tuna’s dorsal fin, at least according to those experienced in dorsal fins belonging to tunas. See what you think.
We did make it to the top. The view was spectacular! Yes, it was a view we might have considered from the comfort of a helicopter, but where’s the challenge in that? No story, either, no pride of accomplishment, no history or geology to consider up close and personal. And much cheaper, too.
It was still worth it. We came, we saw, we conquered! Which is more than I can say for the drab days I've been battling since Daylight Savings kicked in.
Insider Information: Go early to beat the heat and the crowds; plan on 2 hours to make the hike to the top and back down. The last 1/10 of a mile is nothing but steep steps. No pets are allowed in the park. There are no facilities on the trail and very few places that afford privacy should nature come calling. The park is open daily, year round. The last entrance to the park is at 4:30 pm. Gates to the park are locked at 6:00 pm.
How to Get There: The entrance to Diamond Head State Park is off Diamond Head Road between Makapu'u Avenue and 18th Avenue, Honolulu. Entry fee of $5 per vehicle or $1 per walk-in visitor.
Nearby Food: Vending machines and lunch wagon foods are available onsite, as well as water, otherwise it's back to Waikiki or Honolulu proper.