Exploring the Back Roads of Oahu with Mom

View from the old Pali Highway
Old Pali Highway hike
  A full day of adventuring here in Oahu included waterfalls, botanical gardens, and exploring some of the back roads with my mom. We found dramatic overlooks, old highways long since forgotten, ancient battlefields, the longest beach on Oahu, and even a chance stop at a polo match. It is always good to have the flexibility and adventurous spirit while traveling, you never know what you may come across. Luckily my mom has that in droves.

   The Nuuanu-Pali overlook was a great place to start. This is the ancient battle site of the final stand of Oahu warriors defending against the invading Kamehameha. Many of the defenders ended up falling to their deaths off the steep cliff. Around the corner from the overlook we found the remains of the old Pali road, determined to clutch tightly against the sheer cliffs. Nowadays the old Pali road is open for hikers and provides some beautiful views of the Ko'olau range and Kaneohe Bay.

  After stumbling upon some plant nurseries in Waimanalo town I took my mom to the longest sandy beach on the island. The beach stretches along the coast of Waimanalo and Bellows Airfield for five and a half miles.

Waimanalo, 5.5miles of sandy beach

Spontaneous stop at the Polo grounds
Polo breakaway
  One of our last big finds of the drive was a polo match occurring at the field across from Bellows. I've driven by the polo field many times but have never seen an actual match going on. My mom talked me into sneaking in for a quick view, although it was so exciting that we ended up staying for the final whistle. A few times all of the horses came racing by at top speed right in front of us. All that was missing was a mint julep and a big hat for my mom.

The fourth chukker at the Polo match

Makapu'u Cliff Overlook
Hawaiian Monk Seal on Sandy Beach
 After the match we headed down the coast. Makapu'u overlook is always a must stop scenic place. And as the sun was setting behind Koko Crater we made our final stop at Sandy Beach. This is where we made our discovery of one of the rarest animals we will ever see in the wild, a Hawaiian Monk Seal. There are less than 2,000 of these seals left in the world so it was a special encounter indeed.

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