North Shore and Ka'ena Point State Park

On Friday morning, we woke up early got ready, and headed to Ka'ena Point State Park and North Shore. Because of this large mountain, there was no quick way to get to North Shore from here. So Sajal and I decided to hike a part of the journey. We ubered from home to the Makua Military Reservation. From there we started on the trail that went all around the point of the island.

Starting our Journey

This trail is was mostly flat, but it is LONG. It took Sajal and me about 2.5 hours to walk the entire stretch. This journey has the most beautiful views. The entire journey was in between these gigantic mountains and the ocean. The first part of the journey is on a paved road near the beach which made it easy to walk on. The beach water had these huge waves that some people were daring to surf on.

The real trail began when the paved road ended. The paved road turned into a slightly muddy dirt path. This part of the trail had a rocky shore, which created these beautiful pools of water and fascinating shorelines. We were above the water and there were opportunities to climb down to get closer to the water. Some people had even brought their bathing suits and were relaxing in the pools.

My favorite view was this little bridge that was created by the water. As seen below.

Rock Bridge

The next part of the journey was inside the predator fence. This fence protects the wildlife of Kaena Point. This part of the journey had this natural green grasses that were contrasted with the bright blue of the ocean. We, unfortunately, didn't see any animals here but it was still very beautiful.

After this section, there were multiple paths that you could take. There was one that was closer to the water and was beachier. This path was much closer to the water compared to the previous sections of the trail. And there was one that was more of a hilly rocky path. This path was closer to the mountains and the nearby grasses. There were many paths in between the two, so we alternated between the two. Below is a picture we took while we were taking a quick break.

Rocky Shore

Finally, we reached end the of the hike. This hike was gorgeous and fun, but it was very long. You need to bring water and snacks at the very least. Hats are highly recommended by both of us. I wish we had brought lunch and had a picnic during the hike. Furthermore, the entire journey is in the sun. Sajal and I wanted to start around 9:30, but we ended up starting at 10:30. The sun was our biggest enemy. I wish we actually started around 8 or 8:30. That way the sun wouldn't have been as harsh and it wouldn't have been as hot.

Another problem with the hike is that ubers aren't readily available towards either end. When we finally saw the road, Sajal and I had both Uber and Lyft app running to see if we could get a car. After 10 minutes, we were lucky to get a car but it was 20 minutes away. We decided to walk closer to the car just so it would be faster. Thankfully, someone gave us a ride in the back of their pick up truck. I can't believe I hitchhiked! I was surprised to find that it was so much fun. After the long hike, I was beyond thankful to the person. Hawaiians are so kind. The person even offered us snacks and water in case we needed it.

Hitchhiking in a Pickup

We finally arrived in North Shore! We went to a town called Haleiwa. This town was so cute. It has many food trucks, little shops, and amazing restaurants. By this time, Sajal and I were STARVING. We stopped by this restaurant called Waialua Bakery & Juice Bar. The food was AMAZING. Sajal and I shared the BLT and Roasted Chicken Pesto Sandwiches. They were so good and so filling. The BLT I especially couldn't get enough of. These sandwiches were so good I forgot to take pictures of them. I also got a smoothie called the Mango Madness that was fruity but not too sweet. Sajal got a Wonder Bar and a Chocolate Chip Cookie that he loved.

After this, we were feeling pretty full and lazy. We walked to Matsumoto Shave Ice, which is famous in North Shore. We had multiple friends tell us to go try it out. Right by that store was this cute little area with picnic tables, benches, and trees. We were chilling in this area, enjoying the atmosphere. After about an hour we got shaved ice. We got the rainbow flavor with mochi and condensed milk. It wasn't the best dessert I've had, but it was super Hawaiian and fun to eat. It definitely cooled us down.

Then our friend Katie joined us. We walked along the stretch of restaurants and shops. We decided to go to Cholo's Homestyle Mexican to get margaritas. They were having a deal on them and the margaritas were super good. Sajal got a virgin one, I got a pina colada, and Katie got a blue Hawaiian. Finally, we ended our day in North Shore by visiting some Food Trucks for Dinner. We stopped by 2 Thai ones. Sajal got Pad Thai, Katie got Poke, and I got dumplings and spring rolls. Food Trucks are especially renowned in North Shore so I recommend stopping by some if you get the chance.

My day was long, fun, and adventurous. Below is a map showing where I went. North Shore was such a cute little area with mouth-watering food. Sajal and I hitchhiked! And the Ka'ena Point Trail was a beautiful trail that will stay with me forever.