Hawaii Trip - Day 4

Geof and I decided to drive to the North Shore to checkout some of the beaches and sightsee. Our first stop was Waimea Bay. This beach is known for it’s beautiful water, big waves and cliff rock that rises up out of the ocean. Before we came on our trip, I watched videos on YouTube of people jumping off the rock and decided that I wanted to at least see it on my trip and possibly jump off myself.


Waimea Bay

We arrived at Waimea Bay on the North Shore around 10:30 am and the beach was rough. The waves were literally knocking us over even when we were just heel deep in the water. I have never experienced anything like it. There were some local girls climbing the rock and jumping off. I watched them do it a few times and decided that I was going to do it too. I asked the girls if I could follow them as they climb up the rock, so that I would know where to step and climb. I would say that the peak is about 40-50 feet up. Once I slowly made it to the top, I was asking the girls for any tips or tricks they had. They told me that I could jump anytime and if I wanted to I could wait for a big wave. They said that no matter what I wasn’t going to hit the bottom and that the water was very deep. I knew that I was already up there and the only way off was to jump. There was no turning back. The next tricky part before the jump is balancing yourself on the rock you jump off of. I don’t know when I have been so scared. I was terrified that I was just going to fall. Thank god I didn’t. I stood up, balanced myself and finally took the plunge. It was over in what felt like a second. Everything was fine until I hit the water and bent my legs forward. They smacked the water and it felt like my thighs ripped open on my right leg. It was a quick, sharp pain and finally subsided. I came out of the water and felt like I had done something really big that I didn’t think I could do. I will always have the video and this nasty bruise (at least for the next week)…haha. After the big jump, we went down the beach where it was a bit calmer and just treaded water and relaxed.


Here is the video of my jump. I still cannot believe that I did this!

After Waimea Bay, we went to the Bonzai Pipeline so that we could see the big waves and watch the surfers. The water there was beautiful and the waves we like nothing I have ever seen before. There were a ton of surfers out in the water and it’s the first time I have seen anyone take on a big wave. There may be a swell that comes in on Friday and if so, I’d love to head back up there to see the surfers take on some even bigger waves. Walking in the sand along the Bonzai Pipeline felt like walking in quicksand. My calves got a killer workout!

Me at the Bonzai Pipeline

Geof and I on the beach at the Bonzai Pipeline

The last beach spot we visited was Shark’s Cove. It was another beautiful place protected by coral and rock from the rest of the ocean. The word cove really suits the area. It looks like a lagoon and it is full of shallow water perfect for snorkeling. We made our way down to the cove, got in and snorkeled. There were some beautiful fish and the water felt fantastic.

Shark's Cove

Our last stop on our trip to the North Shore was the Dole Plantation. The whole area smells like fresh pineapple. We went through the World famous maze and Geof was my hero that followed the map so well and found all of the secret locations inside. It took us about 45 minutes to get through. The world record is 8 minutes. I have no clue how that was accomplished. After the maze, we headed inside the store to browse around. Geof got me the cutest silver pineapple necklace and we bought some fresh roasted pecans to snack on.

Geof getting ready to take us through the maze

One of the "secret" locations

Me outside the plantation

On the drive back to Waikiki, we had a late lunch at Jack in the Box. I’d never been to one before and for fast food, it wasn’t half bad. We made the trip back to the hotel and sat in lots of traffic the closer we got. Once we got back to our room, the hotel surprised us with a bottle of champagne and more banana bread as an early anniversary gift. It was very nice!

View from the highway driving back

Surprise waiting in our room

We cleaned up and took a walk around the main strip and then ended up having dinner at the Top of Waikiki. It is a revolving restaurant that gives a 360 degree view of the Honolulu/Waikiki area. The food was delicious and the view was amazing. It was a fun experience. We had the cheese fondue for two as an appetizer and I had the Kobe bacon cheeseburger Wellington for dinner. I finally tried a Mai Tai cocktail with my meal and it was okay. I think it was a little too fruity for my liking.

Ready to head out to dinner

Mai Tai

Our restaurant

Cheese fondue for two

After dinner, we hit up ABC to grab some things for the morning and then called it a night.