22. Mokuleia Drive 23. Kaena Point The pavement comes to an end well before the tip of Kaena Point (pronounced "kah AY nah," which means "oven" or "heat"). Ah, but we're in luck. A Sierra Club group is just now getting ready to hike to the point, so we'll join them. The round trip is about six miles, but on our virtual hike, we can make that in a snap. The photo above on the left shows the shoreline as we start out. We are getting beyond the beach area and into very rocky territory. Three people (photo in the middle) look on as leader Sue Garner (hidden behind the woman an the right) talks about some native plants along the trail. In the picture second from the right is "naupaka kahakai," a common shoreline plant. In the photo on the right is the yellow "'ilima papa," a low-growing plant that has been used in making Hawaiian leis. On the left is a picture of a railroad bridge bulkhead, one of many remains of a railroad that ran around the point between 1897 and 1947. The railroad connected Honolulu on the south side of the island and Kahuku on the northeastern corner. It was used primarily to haul sugar cane. In the next photo, two hikers take a rest and enjoy the view from a high spot on the trail. Gracefully cruising the crests of waves below are albatross. Surprisingly, a number of them (like the one in the next picture) swoop very close to us, as though inquiring about our presence. Farther along are these water-rounded lava rocks on the shore (photo on the right). Much of the land at the shore is barren and rocky as in the photo on the left. Oceanward now, the surf crashes in (next two photos), sending water sprawling over the rock, only to drain back to the ocean and be smothered by the next crash and roar of a wave. In a sheltered opening in the rocky shoreline (photo at the left), we see how clear the water is. It's probably 12 to 15 feet deep here, but it's so clear that it looks only about three feet deep. In the next photo is the rare and protected "'ohai" plant with its salmon-colored blossoms and silver-gray leaves. On Kaena Point are some of the last survivors of "'ohai," at one time a common plant on the Mokuleia and Waianae coasts. In the inset picture is a nesting albatross. In their nests directly on the ground and with their bright white plumage, albatross are easy prey for predators. Once very rare on Kaena Point, their numbers are now increasing dramatically. The large rock formation in the photo on the right is the ancient Hawaiian "jumping off" place for souls, like on the other Hawaiian islands, near the western-most place where the sun sets. Looking toward the ocean at the very tip of Kaena Point (photo at the left). Turning back from the point, we see the beacon (photo in the middle), one of few man-made structures within miles of the point. In the photo on the right is the view we see from the area of the beacon as we start to make our way back along the same trail that we came in on. The Waianae Mountain Range rises sharply on the far right. Four more photos. 24. Dillingham Airfield 25. Leaving the North Shore Past the town of Haleiwa we turn from the coast and head toward central Oahu. We could have clung to the ocean a little farther, but there's not much more there, and the public access road ends after another 15 minutes anyway. A military road continues, but that's off limits to the public. As we head toward the center of the island, we climb to a higher elevation. Looking back at the ocean and barely-visible Haleiwa, we can see the rural setting of the town. 26. Pineapple Country Looking ahead we can see the Waianae (pronounced something like "WHY an eye") Mountain Range. If we'd been able to continue along the coast, we'd have traveled behind the mountain range. In the foreground of the picture at the right are pineapple fields that stretch out on both sides of the road and extend for miles. Below in the left picture is the Dole Pavilion located mosdtly by itself in the middle of a long stretch of road flanked by pineapple fields. It's a very popular stop for tourists. Food items are sold along with souvenirs, popular chocolate-coated macadamia nuts, pineapple selections ready to ship back home, etc. A specialty is the Dole Whip, a very smooth product resembling a very thin soft ice cream. Tables are located behind the railing along two sides of the building. Small birds hoping for handouts will perch on the handrail. To the right of the building are displays of different varieties of pineapple. There is another such display (but no shop or other attraction) by Del Monte farther down the road. 27. Wahiawa Nearing the center of the island is Wahiawa (roughly pronounced "WAH hee wah"). There is a very nice botanical garden here but no other especially prominent or popular attractions. Because of its proximity to Schofield Army Base, there are many businesses in and around Wahiawa that cater to military personnel. Leading into Wahiawa from the north is this bridge over the North River, possibly the only such steel bridge in the state. Click here for a related story. Just before the expressway is Lake Wilson behind Wahiawa. There is a lot of water around Oahu, but this is one of only a few lakes. Today it's rather muddy because of the recent rain. 28. Wahiawa Botanical Garden 29. Mililani 30. Back to Honolulu Back on the expressway. This super highway that started at Wahiawa and ends on the far side of Honolulu is quite straight, and traffic from Mililani to Honolulu is often quite heavy, but the scenery is pleasant. For a stretch, the Waianae mountains can be seen on the right, then deep gorges on the left, and finally Pearl Harbor and Honolulu straight ahead at lower elevations. The photo at the right is a view from a bridge along the expressway. The gorges are quite dramatic because of the height of the bridges from which they are viewed. This gorge is just below Mililani Town in central Oahu. 31. Aloha Stadium Now down on the plain we see Aloha Stadium ahead (the photo above, however, was taken from another location). The stadium is the home of the Aloha Bowl, formerly the Hula Bowl, the Pro Bowl, the University of Hawaii Rainbow Warriors, high school football title games, and other events. Michael Jackson, Mariah Carey, and Janet Jackson have appeared here in the last couple of years. From here it is more or less straight back to Waikiki. Thanks for taking the tour. Remember, if you want to take the Windward Tour to make it a full circle of the island, I'll give you a free ticket for that tour.