Family on Oahu // Pillbox Hikes

My Family’s Visit to Oahu • March 2018 • Part 2

After 5 days of cool and cloudy weather, the sun finally came out in full force. To make the most of it, I took Mom and Gina to one of Oahu’s most popular hikes up Ka’iwa Ridge, also known as the Lanikai Pillbox hike. We had already walked on Kailua and Lanikai beaches, but I wanted them to see just how bright blue the water can be on a sunny day. It sure didn’t disappoint — I realized that I hadn’t even done this hike on a sunny day yet, so this was a treat for me as well! Interestingly, the trail didn’t seem as busy as it had the past few times I’d hiked it — I had recently hiked it at sunrise, and found much of the ridge completely lined with photographers. That isn’t to say it wasn’t busy though! We hiked up to the second bunker for views all the way down to Makapu’u Point, then carefully descended the steep ridge.

Since we were already in the area, we immediately headed for Kailua Beach after the hike. Mom and I sat and relaxed while Gina tested out the water. While we were there, it was breezy and we didn’t feel like we were getting much sun, but the next few hours would prove otherwise when our new sunburns started to reveal themselves. We learned our lesson quickly and finally put all this aloe vera I had on hand to good use!

We took it easy the next day to let our burns heal, but the day after that were ready for another adventure. I decided it was time to show them the North Shore, so we headed that way via the scenic Kamehameha Highway up the East coast. Curtis and I had only hiked the Pupu Kea Trail up there, and while we really enjoyed the serenity and ruggedness of that hike, I knew it wasn’t the right one for today. Instead, we did the easier and more picturesque ‘Ehukai Pillbox hike, otherwise known as the North Shore Pillbox found near Sunset Beach.

While it was a little muddy to start off and steeper than I was expecting, we found it to be a good workout on a well-maintained trail, more maintained than both Ka’iwa Ridge and Pu’u Ma’eli’eli had been. There were plenty of ropes and stairs up the steep incline, which helped offset the challenge of the slick trail. We made it up to the first lookout and took a break, and I was able to point out the Westernmost point on Oahu, Kaena Point. After that, the trail was much easier as it leveled out into a wide and maintained path. We made it to the pillbox and again stayed for a while to enjoy the views, keeping our eyes out for whales and submarines…just in case. 🙂 After that, we decided to follow other unmarked paths just to see where they went. We didn’t find anything in particular, but loved the peaceful walk with no one else around.

Aside from these hikes, we enjoyed more walks on the beach, walks with Charlotte, and walks around town. Before we knew it, it was almost time for the rest of my family to join us. We filled the fridge with food, the bathroom with more towels, and air mattresses everywhere else. With that, my tiny house was about as ready as it ever would be to hold 8 people!