Bikini by Sofia by Vix + Top
I love Hawaii. I really just love Hawaii. Being from California, it was never super exotic, as it’s pretty much the easiest flight you can get to somewhere tropical – but the more of the world I see, the more I appreciate that it is really just a wonderful, beautiful, lush place, even if it is technically still a part of the US. Honolulu has always felt much too similar to Los Angeles to me but for Oahu, the neighborhood of Kailua, encircling Lanikai Beach feels like home. The day we moved out of New York, Brandon and I hopped on a 6:00AM flight straight to Hawaii, ready to jump in the ocean, hike the mountains, and cleanse ourselves of the chaotic, hellish process that is Leaving New York City. Arriving felt like breathing fresh air for the first time. We had the chance to stay in a perfect little beach bungalow, with stairs from the yard right into some of the most amazing water. A week living here was just a dream.
Kailua and Lanikai
The very first thing we did after landing was have Hertz upgrade our standard rental car to a Mustang Convertible – such a win! It seems like almost every car in Hawaii is either a convertible or a jeep, and there is no better way to experience how awesome the roads are. From this moment, we knew our trip was going to be unforgettable.
Jeans – APC, Boots – Rag and Bone
Trunks – Critical Slide Society
The Lanikai Loop is the most lush little tropical neighborhood. There’s one main road circling around the entire neighborhood that is constantly full of runners, walkers, cyclists and electric bikes, surfboard-carrying, and people wheeling little boats down the street by hand. Every house on the road is unique, ranging from little shacks to luxurious mansions with giant stone walls surrounding them. But the overall neighborhood just feels like home. Despite how expensive it is to live here, it still feels like a tiny beach, so similar to the one we grew up in.
Kayaking to the Mokulua Islands
On our earlier Hawaii trips, one of our favorite outings was paddling across the bay toward the Mokes. I’m pretty sure that’s the first thing that everyone that lives in the neighborhood does always. The Mokulua islands are an institution on this side of the island. For a visit now, arrange a kayak rental or guided outing in Kailua and check ocean conditions before paddling. The islets are seabird sanctuaries: access is restricted below the high-water mark, they are closed from sunset to sunrise, and nesting areas must be left undisturbed. Commercial landings require authorization and are permitted only on Mokulua Nui. Check current DLNR rules and any temporary closures before setting out; our old photos do not establish present-day access permission.
The backside of Mokulua is a crazy, otherworldly place made of lava rock and the clearest water. The experience below is a memory from an earlier trip, not a recommendation to cliff-jump or cross between the islands. We have a tendency to travel to Hawaii during high surf times, and if the waves are too rough, you can’t cross the path back to this side. At the time, I underestimated how exposed that rocky route was; my brother warned me that a fall could be fatal. When we went to Hawaii last year, we were on this backside as the waves crashing into the pools started getting bigger and bigger and starting to get unsafe, so we headed back and tried to time crossings in between crashes. Right at the peak, I hesitated too much and a wave crashed into me as I held on as tight as I possibly could, screaming. I didn’t get sucked out to sea, but my palms were scratched and bloodied from the force of my grip.
I have a bit of an obsession with sunrises, that I drive Brandon crazy with – because it always means waking up at 5AM to see them. I just love the light, I love the quiet and the dew, I love maximizing every bit of sunlight in my day and not missing a moment of it. The sun doesn’t set over the water on this side of the island – but the sunrises are absolutely unbelievable.
I also love sleeping outside every occasion I can. Why would you bother with a bed when you can wake up to this?
Sunglasses – Ray Ban
On a drive down to the Lighthouse, we spotted this little Mexican place on the side of the highway. Just on a quick drive-by, we could already tell that it was authentic, and that it was going to be awesome. We stopped in to Serg’s after a long, sweaty hike and could barely contain ourselves with excitement for how amazing this meal was about to be – the interior of this place looked exactly like home. This was real Mexican. Serg’s has since become a staple of our Hawaii trips, it’s our In-n-Out of Oahu – no trip is ever complete unless we get to stuff our faces on tacos here.
Skydiving on the North Shore
We made time to check off one of our biggest bucket list items – SKYDIVING! We passed by SkyDive Hawaii, and knew our first jump had to be here – look at the view on the way down!
…and before you know it, you’re flying toward the earth at 120 mph. But the view was absolutely breathtaking, you could see all of Oahu from up there, and it was all surprisingly so peaceful. If you do the math, you drop about 5,000 feet in around 30 seconds, which was at around the time that my dive instructor pulled the chute and we were floating down in a spiral toward the earth. It was a little dizzying to see your feet dangling below you with nothing but the world below. But hell, this was the best ride of my life! The details of the earth below slowly started to come back – the waves, palm trees, people, then the grass on the airstrip and before you know it you’re gracefully touching down on the earth.
Hiking Around Oahu
In terms of what makes me really happy, my favorite things in life are being outside, being somewhere beautiful, doing activities, and getting physical exercise – so it should not be a surprise that I am obsessed with hiking. My dad was a huge hiker and insane backpacker when I was a kid – I remember him going off on trips for 10 days covering a hundred miles, and coming back with no toenails. Every summer we would go camping in upstate California or the Sequoia Forest – and as a kid I hated hikes. I didn’t play sports (exact words from baby Amy “sports are stupid!” ((Not much has changed))) so keeping up was always a struggle. My dad’s trick was to pack gummy bears, and bribe me with them every few minutes. As I grew up, I discovered the satisfaction in hiking – and after so many years of living in the city, I craved it. When I would go home to California, going up a hike was always one of the first things I would do. Now in our travels, I’m always looking for mountains to climb, waterfalls to find, crests to tip-toe towards, sometimes on my hands and knees because I am far from fearless. Oahu is just made for this – the mountains, the views, the lava rock that is perfect for gripping, I don’t think I have ever been anywhere better.
Halona Beach Cove aka Cockroach Bay - This little cove below the lookout was unforgettable. I just wanted to soak this place in and live on this beach and in these blue waters forever. For a visit now, respect barriers and posted access signs, and check ocean conditions before approaching the shore.
Koko Head Stairs - Holy hell, these stairs are still haunting me. Reading about the stairs, it seemed easy enough – a quick 2 miles up a mountainside staircase. I can spend 45 minutes on a stairmaster, super easy.
No. Never. Just no.
We were dripping with sweat. We stopped on the way up so many times. There’s a part where the stairs bridge over a crag in the mountain side and there’s nothing below you for about 10 feet – I crawled up that on my hands and knees. I never thought it was going to end. But then finally we made it to the top! 360 degree views, and a precarious ridge line you could traverse all the way across. This hike gets huge points for just being such a killer workout, I will definitely do this one again. And definitely swear my way through it again.
SERIOUSLY! Nothing can beat the insanity of the viewing points at the top of this hike.
This part of our original trip was at Kamehame Ridge, often called Dead Man’s Catwalk. It is private land, not a public hiking route, and the landowners have asked that it not be promoted as a visitor destination. The photos below are a memory from that trip; please respect the access restrictions and choose an open public trail for your visit.
The name came from an old cement platform jutting out of the mountain with “Dead Man’s Catwalk” spray-painted across it. The platform has since been removed.
What I remember most from that day is the color: the greenery, the aqua ocean, and the bright orange moss growing on the rocks. As you can see, we couldn’t stop taking photos.
But the most important part, the best part, the most glorious feeling, is the water here. Lanikai water just has a special neon glow. It’s always warm. It’s clear, and it never ends. Everything else on Hawaii may be beautiful and lush and full of adventure – but the water is why I keep coming back.
