The Maunawili Falls Trail And The Pupukea Beach Tide Pools

...Continued From Yesterday:
    The following day, Thursday, April 25, we were once again in the lobby of the Hale Koa before dawn,

​...joining the other early risers  lined up at the Java Cafe,

...to grab an early breakfast before heading out to our destinations for the day: The Maunawili Falls Trail and the Pupukea Beach tide pools. After a pre-trip cheer we passengered into our vehicles,

…Maria, Justin and family into the snazzy red convertible they’d rented,

​…and the rest of us into our Ford Expedition.

    Then once again we had the chance to see  Waikiki looking so pretty in the early morning light,

…as did Honolulu and the misty hills off in the distance.

 The Maunawili Falls Trail was a half-hour drive from Honolulu through breath-taking landscapes. 

   The trail head began on a cul-de-sac of a residential neighborhood, so we parked the cars in the the cul-de-sac, 

 …and entered the trail, our plan being to walk two miles down to the Maunawili Falls, which was at the bottom of a valley and, according to our guidebook, one of the hidden gems of Oahu.

   Eventually the trail became very steep and muddy and treacherous with roots.  

    Tom and I decided that, while we could most probably conquer the remainder of the trail if we had our hiking sticks, not having them we’d be wiser to leave the rest of the trail to the youngsters.  So we turned back,

…passing this sign along the way, but opting this time to stick with the mild rather than the spice of life, ​

…and taking instead a walk through the neighborhood next to  the trail,

     As I walked around this neighborhood I could hardly imagine what it would be like to live here in the midst of these panoramic views and natural wonders. But in truth, even though I enjoyed seeing this beautiful spot, I wouldn’t want to live here. Way too quiet  and isolated for me.
     As it turned out the rest of our hiking party ended up eventually aborting the mission before reaching the Maunawili Falls, concluding, as Tom and I had at an earlier point, that, although this trail had been advertised in the guide book as  family-friendly, it was becoming too treacherous for this family.

    From Maunawili we drove northwest across the island,

…stopping along the way in the town of Wahiawa for brunch at a little diner we found called Koa Pancakes,

…where, I can vouch, the pancakes and waffles were great,

​...and the omelettes and potatoes were good, too.

     After brunch we continued driving for about another half hour until we reached the north shore,

…and Pupukea Beach,

…where the tide pools are. ​

     Tide pools are shallow pools of sea water left behind on rocky shores at low tide,

...in which one can find interesting fish, plants, and other forms of sea life.

     While everyone else played in the tide pools,

...I was perfectly happy to sit on the shore and watch our stuff and snap pictures.

     Across the street from the beach was a little snack stand that sold fresh ice-cold coconuts from which one  sipped the refreshing coconut water.

      It was late afternoon when we headed back across the island to Honolulu,

​...where we arrived in time for dinner at the Koko Cafe (see yesterday's post).

     After dinner we walked down to the beach,

...then we strolled around Waikiki,

...making a stop at the ABC Store (see post from 4/30/2019, "The ABC Store And A Poke Bowl Picnic"),

...before heading back,

...to the Hale Koa.