That’s right, I drove my car. After checking the bus schedule, it would have taken three hours to get to Kailua by bus, and the same to get home. I decided to drive for 30 minutes instead.
I pushed out at 0730. H1 town-bound was thick with wheeled steel heading to work, but traffic was moving. Peeling off HI near the stadium, some asshole in front of me careened across two lanes of traffic to make the exit. Yes, this is a popular place for accidents.
Always a nice drive across the mountains on the H3. Coming out of the tunnel at the top is sweet. Sometimes you’re in the clouds and then break through into sunshine and the splendor of Kaneohe Bay, with mountains on your right. Sometimes, after a rain, a series of impromptu waterfalls cascade down the mountain. Sometimes the sun makes them glisten. Sometimes there are rainbows. Today, weather is fairly clear, so no rain-inspired dramatics, just the normal spectacular view of the Bay and the mountains in the early light…. always cool.
I thought of a guy I used to work with. It was September of 1998 and we were driving across the H3 to Kaneohe, where there was an office farewell thing, a golf outing at the Marine base. I was driving and had three co-workers in the car with me. The H3 highway, at the time and maybe still, was the most expensive per-mile highway ever built in the United States. It took 16 years to build, over and through the mountains, and over and through the numerous legal challenges about endangered species and sacred lands and sacred bones and such. When they cut the ribbon on the H3 in January 1998, it was an island-wide happening. Cars were lined up to take a ride on the new highway. To avoid the early throngs, I waited a solid week before making my maiden voyage across the H3. Now here it was eight months later, and my co-worker Gary from the back seat says, “Hey, nice view. This is the first time I’ve been on the H3.” I turned to look at him briefly and said, “You’ve got to be kidding, it’s been open for eight months and this is your first time.” Yes, he said, he’s had no need to go to this side of the island, so has not used the H3. Needless to say, this ignited a spirited discussion about life and adventure and experience, etc… But Gary was steadfast in his ways; there was no need to go anywhere except to and from work, the grocery store, and once in a while to the movies, and he usually walked to the movies. To each his own, I guess.
In a twist of fate, I found myself following a city bus into Kailua. Yes, if I started my journey at 0500 this morning, instead of 0730, I could be on this bus. Who knows what magical bus experiences I’ve missed.
Kailua, Kailua. It’s the fancy beach town on the windward side. There is a small downtown area of three or four blocks with a good selection of shops and restaurants, a main road heading to Kailua Beach Park, two substantial roads paralleling the shoreline, and a small web of residential streets surrounding. Enter into this mix a seasoned West-side buccaneer from Waipahu, and no telling what hijinks may ensue this day.
I cruise straight through town enroute to Kailua Beach Park. I want to check out the actual beach associated with this “beach town.” This is the kind of iron-clad logic that makes Waipahu Bob such a force to be reckoned with. Similarly, if I was visiting a “factory town” I would want to visit the factory, a “college town” I would want to visit the college. I draw the line with “prison towns.” Yeah, that’s right, there’s some of those towns too, but no thanks, as far as visiting those namesake institutions.
Plenty of parking at Kailua Beach Park. Since I’ve previously only been here on weekends or holidays, I’m not used to easy parking. Ah, the luxury of weekday travel.
I decided to hike over to Lanikai, which is right next to Kailua. If Kailua is the island’s fancy beach town, then Lanikai is the super-fancy neighborhood right next door. Lanikai is mostly just a single lane, one-way loop along the shoreline. The houses are some of the most expensive on the island. The beach is open to the public, but there is no public parking, and no park facilities like restrooms or benches or barbecue places. Seems designed to keep the area more secluded for the well-heeled residents. It’s Lanikai where President Obama used to rent a sea-side house for his vacations here.
I try to hike along the shoreline to get to Lanikai. When the shore turns rocky, I head up a narrow path above the shoreline, and below the road to Lanikai. On the path ahead is an orange tarp-like tent. Caution, homeless alert. But as I get closer, I see a youngish guy sitting in a chair by the front of the tent, shuffling through some index cards. Looks like he’s studying for something. I decide to walk in front of the tent rather than stray from the path by going behind him. As I approach, a large dog suddenly charges, snarling. I freeze and keep my hands by my side, and quickly say, “Good boy, that’s a good boy.” The dog rubs up next to me, sniffing. I stay still and talk sweet to him. “He’s friendly,” the guy in the chair says. “That’s cool,” I say as I rub the back of his big head and wonder how much pit bull is in him.
Up ahead, the rocky shoreline becomes impossible to traverse and the path heads up to the road and the entrance to Lanikai proper.
Walking down this narrow one-way road, you can see why traffic and parking problems in Lanikai are an ongoing issue. I’m not sure what the current status is, but tour buses used to download visitors into the middle of this narrow lane, causing traffic problems. Parking fines have increased to $200 for illegally parking in the bike lane on the side of the street, but there are still problems with illegal parking. But not this Monday morning. It’s a little busy, but not bad.
Despite all the fancy houses and the owners who would love to keep Lanikai Beach private, Hawaii state law requires beach access for the public. There are four or five access points along the shoreline road. My plan is to enter the beach at “Access Point 1,” walk down most of the beach, pop back to the street at Access Point 4, then backtrack on the street out of Lanikai and back to Kailua Beach Park where my car was.
Back on the street in Lanikai, I head back to Kailua. I liked this narrow one-way street better when I was facing traffic as I walked.
It was about 1030 when I got back to Kailua Beach Park. I had a good sweat going, so sat on a bench in the shade and gulped some water. This was my kind of beach. Tall pines offered plenty of shade for picnic areas, and the beautiful beach was just on the other side of a sandy berm.
After cooling down, I got into my car and headed to a place where the lights shine bright, and a young man can find his fancy. That’s right, downtown Kailua!
I parked on Kailua Road and walked up and down there, and Kuulei Road, and Oneawa Street. These three streets form the heart of the big city of Kailua. I was pleasantly surprised at the nice mix of shops and restaurants. I have not frequented the town much, and this was my first time on a walking tour.
It was a little after noon and I’d seen enough. I drove back to Waipahu a satisfied man. A little beach hiking, a little park hanging, a little downtown strolling. And did I mention that H3 ride over the mountains…always sweet.
Waipahu Bob 