Waimea Falls, et al

Today was drive-around-the-island day.

 Condo at sunset

We headed north from our condo, on what I thought was a connecting highway, but it dead ended after a few miles. We could have taken the dirt track that maybe connected to the north shore road . . . but turning around seemed the better option. 

 Not overly impressive building

But! 

 Space Force domes

Where the road ended was also the guard post for our first Space Force facility. Bonus!

 Chenille tree - the flowers actually felt like chenille fabric

Our main goal was seeing Waimea Falls and the surrounding nature preserve. 

What we thought was going to be an easy quarter-mile walk

turned into a hot, 2-mile, uphill (both ways! 😂) hike. 

 Hubby for scale

Was it worth it?

Not for the waterfall - 

not much water there this late in the season -

but the flowers along the trail were spectacular,

we made a little friend at our rest stop,

Fire throwers at the private luau 

and we could watch the fire throwers over the hedge while we had a late lunch.

We loved checking out the small towns along the north shore

I love tunnels!

and the 5000’ Harano Tunnel - 

just a few feet shy of 1 mile -

before we hit Honolulu just in time for 6 lanes of rush hour traffic. 

Sunset from the condo. 

 Hibiscus 

Flowers!

 Lollipop flowers 













 Wild bananas





 Stephanotis, one of my mom’s favorites