Hawaii: Day Three

Rob and I hit our stride on Day Three because it stands out as the best day of our vacation! Despite not planning too much ahead of time, the day just seemed to roll out perfectly with many highs.

We started out at Bogarts Cafe for breakfast, thanks to yelp. The small restaurant seemed like a local favorite for college students and young professionals. Rob had blueberry pancakes and I had an omlette. All the ingredients were local and very fresh and my vanilla latte was so yummy, a welcome change to the starbucks I had been drinking all week.

The only low to the day was when we drove up the coast to Sandy Beach Park. We were looking to catch some rays but the only thing we caught was a bunch of rain pouring in our convertible jeep. After dealing with a bunch of rain storms the previous two days, we were feeling defeated and sat there like sad puppies allowing the rain to soak us before putting the top on the jeep. Eventually we had a good laugh about our bad luck and decided to drive north because we realized the rain clouds were moving south.

After driving north a few more miles the sun started to shine again and we realized the rain was a blessing after laying our eyes on Makapuu Beach. This place was beautiful, lined with jagged cliffs and lush green vegetation, this "hidden gem" was the perfect place to relax and watch the body boarders take on the crashing waves. Makapuu Beach was our favorite beach because it was not crowded and it was very picturesque.

But after a couple of hours of beach sitting, we needed to fuel up for the only planned activity of the day... Surfing Lessons! So we grabbed a quick bite at Teddy's Bigger Burgers (which quickly became a favorite of Robs) and headed off to Hawaiian Surf Adventure.

A few months ago, I started stalking Groupon to see what type of deals I could score for the trip. One day, surfing lessons for two, came up and I quickly took part in the deal, so this was an activity Rob and I have been anticipating for a while. Hawaiian Surf Adventure is a family owned and run business which started out of the couples love for surfing. The business has a relaxed and friendly atmosphere, everyone was welcoming and excited to go out on the boat to catch some waves.

After a lesson on land, the 4 of us "surfers in training", took a boat out past the reef where the long gentle waves were breaking. We all took turns as the instructor would push us into the wave at the perfect time. See, the hardest part of surfing is actually "catching" the wave, its all about timing. So with the instructors help it was easy to catch a wave, in fact all of us did very well. Rob and I rode out all of our waves, around 6 each. The feeling was incredible, what a rush!! Hawaiian Surf Adventure even took pictures of us in action. Thinking back on it, 2 weeks later, still makes me smile. It was an incredible experience, unmatched by any other on our trip.

After surfing, Rob and I were up for a little bit more adventure and decided to hike up to Makapuu Point Lookout. This hike had a gradual incline which eventually led to overlook the beach we visited earlier that morning. Another lighthouse was also situated on the cliff. It was nice to overlook the Hawaiian coast and reflect on our perfect day.

To round out the day we ate at the Hula Grill Waikiki. which proved to be out best meal of our vacation. Infused with Hawaiian flavors, Rob and I both had the special with Mahi Mahi and Swordfish along with mashed sweet potatoes. Out table was overlooking Waikiki Beach and the meal was superb. The perfect ending for a perfect day.

Makapuu Beach

Me Surfing!!!

Hike up to Makapuu Point Lookout

Hike up to Makapuu Point Lookout

Makapuu Point Lighthouse

Overlooking Makapuu Beach

Hollywood Sign Hike

Since I had the day off of work for MLK day, I thought I would take a hike. One of my big goals this year is to hike in many different places around or near Los Angeles. Even though I usually prefer to hike in Malibu for the amazing ocean views, I decided today was a good day to tackle the Hollywood sign hike.

There are many different places in LA where you can view the Hollywood sign. One of the best views is from Beachwood Drive. Follow Beachwood to the end and you will find yourself at a trailhead. You will also find lots of cars, tourists and people trying to look cool while hiking. The three reasons I never have a desire to hike in Hollywood. But I soldiered on because I wanted to see the most unique look you can have of this most famous landmark, from behind.

This trail starts off up hill on a wide path, your biggest obstacle is people hiking in skinny jeans and heeled boots who have just realized this hike may actually take effort.

Once you sift through those folks the path will switch back and forth up the mountain with occasional views of the front of the sign. Before your final ascent to the top you will hike up the back of the mountain and will have good views of Burbank and Glendale. At the top of the mountain you will see the Hollywood sign from behind... "DOOWYLLOH". Success! There you can see the entire city all the way to the ocean. The haze was heavy today, so the views were not very clear but I was impressed to see the Echo Park resovior. The only other time I have seen this random lake in the middle of the city was when I ran the LA half marathon in 2010.

I also had the opportunity to take pictures for many tourists who think they have found the greatest secret of LA. Also, I was lucky enough to see people who jumped the fence that has video surveillance to actually touch the sign. Never a dull moment. After I took in the views and snapped a few photos I headed back down the mountain. Only to be passed by a truck going to pick up the trespassers. There is a gate for a reason folks. For those rule breakers this will be their last time viewing the Hollywood sign but for me I am going to tuck this little gem of a hike in the back of my mind for when people visit LA. The hike was a quick 4.5 miles and I give it 3 out of 5 stars.