Exploring Hawai'i, O'ahu

I had popped by Sears to buy a 32mm socket to remove the read axle nut. To be honest I thought all the Sears stores had shut down.



This picture was taken at Schofield Barracks 79 years later after the Pearl Harbor attack.



We have a new guest that has taken residence in our garden.



On the Leeward side heading to Makaha Valley.



In the Makaha Valley.



Ka'ena point.

You live in one of the most beautiful places I have visited, would like to get back one day and wander around more. Merry Christmas and have a great new year.

+1. I can't wait to go back for a visit. Merry Christmas everyone

Mele Kalikimaka

Cheers, it has it positives and negatives.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you too.

Took a drive tonight to the Leeward Side near Yokohama Bay. It's been raining and cloudy on the Windward side.

Do you have any pictures of Hanauma Bay? I camped on that beach for about a month in 1970 until we found an apartment in Wahiawa. Haven’t been back since. Have enjoyed looking at your photos of the area. I remember driving down King St. in my ‘47 Chevy hoping it wouldn’t break down. It was a bit of a red light district then.

What a beautiful place....you take great photos

I'll post the pics I do have of Hanauma Bay. They were taken about a year ago. Since then it has been closed due to covid. I just checked their site and it's now showing as open so I'll probably go next weekend.

These are not the best of pics as it was late on a Sunday and there was no time to snorkel. Instead my wife and I were in awe by all the wild cats there.

You definitely cannot camp there today. I can imagine it would be a great camping spot. Wake up to the sunrise and swim with the dolphins.

I'm sure Wahiawa today looks the same. If there any are specific location picture requests anyone has, I'll be glad to take them. Any excuse for a ride.

King Street itself is ok but on the China Town end it's bad, especially at night. About a year ago when I was doing hardcore ubering to pay off my home I'd spend a lot of time there. I've seen some crazy meth heads do some crazy shit. I do my best now to avoid that area and Honolulu in general. The roads are so bad.

Thank you for the compliment. It's not hard to do when the scenery is spectacular.

Thanks so much, I used to swim in the pool shown in the one picture. It was beautiful then. There was an Air Force family camped there at the same time while waiting for an apartment. The place in Wahiawa was an apartment complex with a little store and gas station.

Taken from the Pali Gap in the evening, looking towards kaneohe bay. I need to get here for the sunrise.



At the base of Koko Head near the shooting range.



Another large section has been removed from the Robin Masters Estate wall, this was nearly 100 years old.



By Sandy Beach. The chain tension was set by the book but I felt it was too slack. Adjusted the chain some more to remove the slack and now it feels just right.

Riding home.





My PCX has developed a lot of noise at random speeds. I inspected the drive belt, variatior, drive face, roller weights and clutch pads. Everything looked ok. I found that rotating the rear wheel was quite noisy so I ordered a new driven face that has the 2 wheel bearings already pressed in. I ordered one of those and an ignition coil as the original one fell apart when I was checking the connection.

I don't take credit for these following pictures.
K-Bay with the Pali Gap in the background.

Kailua and Lanikai beach.




Makapuu Lighthouse in the background and Rabbit Island in the foreground. Rabbit Island is in the backdrop on Magnum P.I. in most episodes. I'd love to go there but it's a bird sanctuary.



Near the Kaneohe Bay Sand bar. I'd like to take a boat out here.



MCBH/Kbay


Waianae Kai Forest Reserve Range

Got out of work early the other day so I made a small bbq on Waimanalo Beach.



Watching the AH-1Z Viper from MCBH (Marine Corps Base Hawaii).



Another end to a hot day. Late at night it may get slightly cool, but there is always humidity.



I finally got 30,000 miles. I've owned the Vstrom since zero miles. This is the highest mileage bike I've owned.

I spent today riding around MCBH to find a beach I went to a while back. Tried on my new old stock Bilt explorer air jacket and pants. Very comfortable and made all the difference.

Here are some pics from the static display.

No fishing license is required in Hawaii, you can fish right off the pier. So there are quite a few beaches on MCBH and you don't have to worry about being jumped or your motorcycle/car broken into/stolen. I'm going to get some sunrise pics from here. I was on Kailua beach this morning for sunrise but it was too cloudy to see anything.

I really love your pics, thanks so much for talking the trouble to share these!

I'm considering heading over to Maui in the next month or so. I've been to Oahu twice a couple years ago and have traveled all over the island and I remember being in many of the places you post. However, I never made it all the way to the North Shore- we just made it to the top of the hill past the Dole plantation before we had to head back to the airport. We got pupus at one of the markets, but weren't able to get any chicken. Anyway, my buddy in my unit who is from the island thinks I'd really like Maui so that's where I want to go. I want to be respectful regarding the pandemic, but I've heard that's becoming less of an issue so I may get a flight over there while things are still cheap. Got any advice regarding good/cheap places to stay for a military guy? Things to see? I'm unsure of renting a scooter at this point but might be fun to see some things on the scooter instead of a car? Also, must-go places to eat?

@Essbee your welcome. It's never a trouble.

@Baroquenride I have noticed tourists have started to appear again in small numbers. I have never been to Maui so I can't comment on what to do or to see.

Regarding the pandemic, if you go, make yourself look as least touristy as possible. Grow out your facial hair and fade. No aloha or Hawaii t shirts. Basically make yourself look as scruffy as possible like you have been sleeping on the beach for a few weeks and you are good.

Don't rent a convertible mustang, camaro or jeep wrangler. Locals know who a tourist is by the small horizontal barcode sticker on the windshield of rental cars. I'm sure there is nowhere cheap to stay, I haven't looked. I'd like to think hotels there are doing covid deals or at least the 10% military discount.

Personally if it was myself, I'd rent an SUV and sleep in the back. It never gets cold to the point where you will freeze and it won't be hot at night.

Those that run businesses and have jobs want tourists to come back. Then you have a small percentage of locals (typically Californian transplants) who like to act that you are bringing covid to the islands and you are not welcome.

I'm not sure if the state is still doing 2 week self quarantine, I'd hate to be trapped in a hotel room paying for it while I'm just waiting to be freed.

Definitely not interested in renting a Camaro or Mustang, but renting a van or SUV and sleeping in it has absolutely been in the back of my mind from the start, but I'd need to shower somewhere and not sure where I could do that every couple days. Thanks for the less touristy look tip!