Grand Vista

Today, we got in a really full day. We're still seeing nifty sights on the south and east sides of Oahu. We climbed Diamond Head, found the Spitting Cave, drove the Round Top drive on Mount Tantalus. Then we finished off the day snorkeling at Kailua Beach. This time we took the digital camera and the pictures are beautiful. Click on then to see a large view and lots of detail!

We started by climbing Diamond Head - possibly the world's best known volcanic crater. This is a view of the inside of the crater. There was a lot of VOG in the air - that's volcanic fog from the big island of Hawaii. Still, there were plenty of fabulous views! The hike starts inside the crater and ascends over 700 feet.

The trail starts off as an old mule trail that was used to carry supplies to the underground artillery fire control center. About half way up, you start climbing stairs - lots of them, including a spiral staircase that ends up inside a pillbox overlooking Waikiki.


Scrunching through the pillbox opening, you take a short walk to the peak of the hill to the observation platform for a wonderful panoramic view of south Oahu. Very nice, but definitely not just a stroll in the park!



Next we drove over to Hawaii Kai to visit the little known "Spitting Cave. It's not on the usual tourist maps, but it was well worth finding the unmarked access trail in a residential neighborhood. After a steep descent, we popped out on some cliffs above the crashing surf. The waves roll into the cliffs, but when they enter the cave, they are channeled and then "reflected" back out. The result is a large jet of water that is thrown back into the ocean. You can see the cave spitting out just to the right of DeAnna's head in the picture above.
We watched the show for a little and then climbed the cliffs before climbing down to the waves. This time, we didn't get too close. There was no one around to call 911 to retrieve our bodies if we fell in... :-)



After these hikes, we drove to the mountains up Mount Tantalus along Round Top Drive. The views of Honolulu and Diamond Head were marvelous though hazy. This is a tour that is good for everyone! After a lunch, we headed back to Kailua and did some snorkeling for the rest of the afternoon. It was a beautiful day and lots of fun! We haven't done much more than the south and eastern shore of Oahu and it has been amazing.

This week, I will be busy doing a Kaizen event with a team at work. We pidgeon-hole several experts in a room for several days and at the end, have actions and results that would have otherwise taken months. It will be intense, but the subject is very important and will be worth a lot of money. Next weekend, DeAnna and I will be visiting the island of Maui. She's planned a trip and is surprising me, so I'll just have to report on it after the fact!