Palaces, Ruins, Temples, and Waterfalls with Lea

Ruins of Kamehameha III's Summer Palace

Lea soaking up nature

  There is so much to see here on the island of Oahu and I wanted to pack as much in as I could while my sister Lea was visiting. We explored the island north, south, east, and west. On this adventure day we explored some of Oahu's natural gems as well as some historical ones.

   The ruins of Kamehameha III's summer palace are located down an unsigned trail through a bamboo forest up in Nuuanu Valley. Unless someone told you how to get there you would probably never stumble upon it. There is a sign next to the doorway telling a brief history of the ruins, but that is it. There is no active preservation going on, although the fact that the location is hidden may be protection enough. I imagine one day this will be a tourist destination with lines and entry fees, but for now it is our own hidden jewel.

Windy Pali Lookout

Heidi, Me, Lea, and Ryan at Manoa Waterfall

   We continued up to the windy overlook on top of the Pali cliffs. This is where defenders of Oahu made their final stand against the invading army of Kamehameha. Many of the defenders ended up being forced off the cliff or possibly jumped to avoid capture. Either way their bodies were discovered years later when the new highway tunnel was under construction. Gnarly ironwood trees show the power of the ever present winds in their twisty trunks, and wild chickens seem to mock the feral cats that all hang around for free handouts.

Byodo-In Temple

 

  Our next stop was at the Buddhist temple called Byodo-In. This temple is one of my all time favorite places for landscape pictures. The red color of the temple contrast with the massive green cliffs which provide the background. A reflection pool in front is filled with bright orange koi fish. And if you venture up to the meditation gazebo you will be surrounded by wild ginger with total silence except for the irregular gonging of the massive bell.

Ironwood

Beautiful day at the temple

Serene Scene at the Temple

Wild action at Laie Point

   Laie Point was our next stop. Here we saw massive waves crashing into an ancient lava flow that extends out into the ocean. With a little searching you can find a plaque here that tells about the legend of a massive water dragon who terrorized all who entered his domain until a Hawaiian hero fought and killed the dragon, slicing his body into five pieces. The five pieces can still be seen today as the five offshore islands, including one with a giant hole in it. We call this the serpent's eye.

Iolani Palace

  Our last stop after heading back to the south side was a trip back in time to the era of kings and queens by visiting the Iolani Palace. Located next to downtown Honolulu on King St, the palace is in fact the only palace complete with throne room in the United States. An interesting audio tour educated us about each room, the most moving of which had to be the room in which the last queen, Liliuokalani, was imprisoned after the overthrow of the monarchy in 1893.

The only throne room in the United States