I'm not sure what happened, but this island seems to have gotten bigger in the last few months, and going downtown seems like such a loooooong drive. So, I don't go into Honolulu very often. But we had to make the trip into the big city to see Hannah's orthodontist, so we decided to make a day of it.
About 10 minutes after Hannah's braces were adjusted we were out of the city and into the rain forest. Manoa Falls is right there, surprisingly close to town. One minute you're in bumper to bumper traffic, the next minute you're in a quiet neighborhood, and then a few turns later you are deep in a jungle.
My favorite guide book says Manoa Falls is the second only to Diamond Head in the hike popularity contest. But there were way, way less people on this hike than on Diamond Head. And good parking. That's important to me.
I was amazed how the weather changed on our 10 minute drive. Sunny skies downtown. Overcast and drizzly at Manoa Falls. I guess that's why Manoa is so green and lush!
About halfway in, the trail went from damp gravel to slippery mud. And John slipped. He was so sad. Having muddy hands is no fun, but come on, it could have been his whole front (or back) side covered in mud. I'd say we were pretty lucky.
Ooooo. Awwwwwwwe. Wowwwwww!
Sydney saved the day with her bottle of water and towel. She helped John clean up his hands and he was happy for the hike back down. As we were hiking and John was crying about his muddy hands, I thought of a few important hiking tips:
Bring treats. Oh, what I would have done for one little Starburst...
Bring bug spray.
Go slow. Take your time to enjoy the scenery.
Wear good shoes. Even though this hike is rated "easy", high heeled flip-flops seemed a little dangerous.
Smile at your fellow hikers. Those Japanese tourists were the happiest people ever!
When you get to the teeny tiny viewing area at the waterfall, be polite and give others a chance to see the information sign and get that great shot of the pool.
At 0.8 miles to the falls, it was a nice distance for me and the kids. Not too far, but still an adventure. I had a great time. All the way down the kids kept saying how much their dad is going to love this hike.
How did you like Manoa Falls, Hannah?
8 comments:
looks like a beautiful place, and definitely worth the hike :)
Thanks for sharing!
that looks so beautiful!
Looks like so much fun.
How beautiful! I'm so jealous!
I'm glad you and your family had fun! Beautiful place!
beautiful pictures!
gorgeous place
Lucky he didn't get injured.
Oooh. Wow.
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