<< Just Grousing

11/01/10 - Honolulu - Diamond Head and The Hau Tree

We haven't been updating our website lately. Why? Because we were in Hawaii for a week. That's right. We went back, and this time we made it all the way up to Diamond Head. You can't miss Diamond Head. It's that big volcanic crater that dominates the coast past Waikiki. It's an old fort, and the only way into the crater is through the tunnel or a rugged climb over the crater's walls. We took the tunnel and climbed the staircase(s) to get some great views of Honolulu and the area.

The crater floor is covered with kiawe, a rugged tree, covered with spines and fond of dry volcanic soil. From the viewpoint, an old artillery emplacement about 700 feet above sea level, you can see Waikiki, the mountains inland and much of Honolulu. The city, like Los Angeles, tapers off into the canyons. It's dry in the flat lands, but the hills are green.

That evening, we had dinner at The Hau Tree and watched the sun set over the beach. Tropical sunsets are always amazing.

The tunnel into Diamond Head

The view east

The view inland

The view west to the hotel strip of Waikiki

Back then, forts relied on rock, not air cover

The Hau Tree

A sunset sail

Keywords: hawaii, los angeles