We decided to rent a car and maybe drive around the island as far as possible. Due to some challenges with one rental agency we didn’t get our Turo rental until 11:30 but had a couple of good, challenging adventures.

First we drove up to the mountains behind Honolulu to Manoa Falls Reservation. The falls were about a half mile up the mountain from the parking area and the path uphill was rocky and muddy but doable – as evidenced by all the people including families going up and coming down. When we finally got there the actual falls were high (100 feet) and pretty – not spectacular – but the Hawaiian forest around us all the way was just wonderful to see. The caretakers of the area are Hawaiian and they explained that the waters are sacred so please, no swimming in any little pools created by the falls. Very heart-felt.

What next – so many possibilities but Dirk liked the idea of climbing up to a WWII pill box (lookout) on a mountain in Kailua which is on the east side of Oahu. After arriving at the pathway we wondered if this was a good idea but continued anyway. It was a long, steep climb many times over rocks, gravel and sand – scary at times… many times :). But we made it (after an hour or so). Note – young people did it much more quickly!! The climb down was a bit faster but more difficult due to chances of slipping on sand and gravel – we were cautious and slow.

We also stopped along the highway to appreciated some of the majestic mountain views of Oahu.