Our first stop was the Diamond Head State Monument which is a huge crater. It's a 0.8 mile hike to the top to get a great view of the city. The sun was starting to slowly rise as we began our ascent. After walking up 99 step and through a tunnel, we reached the top! The view below was incredible!
Our next stop was to Manoa Falls. It was an easy 1.5 mile hike to a 150 feet tall waterfall. The hike went through rainforest with thick canopy featuring huge trees and the stream running through the rocks before coming to the bottom of the cliff side falls. People used to be able to swim in the waterfall, but a recent rockslide has the area roped off.
We then headed across the mountains to Kailua Beach on Oahu's Windward Coast. We had hoped to kayak across to some of the uninhabited islands, but there was no kayak rental on the beach (and our rented Jetta wasn't able to transport one). So, we just went for a swim and relaxed on the beach.
Next up was Pearl Harbor and the USS Arizona Memorial. After viewing the various memorials to the horror, courage, and sacrifice shown in WWII, we took the boat ride across the harbor to the sunken remains of the Arizona. One of many battleships destroyed on the morning of Dec 7, 1941 along with over 1000 people entombed on board when an armor piercing torpedo hit the ammunition stores, you can see various rusted, twisted sections of the hull and oil still leaks up to the surface.
We headed back to our hotel, Outrigger Reef, on Waikiki Beach for a walk on the beach featuring surfers and another fantastic sunset before cleaning up. Dinner at Duc's Bistro in Honalulu's Chinatown was a great mix of French and Vietnamese cuisine.
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