We started with driving past a lot of the beaches in the North Shore that had surfers. The waves were high, so there were a lot of people out. You aren't allowed to swim (or it is highly cautioned against) in the beaches on the North Shore during the winter months because of the high surf and dangerous conditions. The life guards are there and mostly it is just the surfers that are out.
The kids enjoyed watching the people on the boards, and we saw some very talented surfers - it was fun. After that, we drove to Shark's Cove. Never did find out why they call it that. There are tide pools there that are safe to swim in with the kids. It is rocky, but there was a small beach area, and it was shallow. The kids were in their suits, so they were excited to get in. We saw a lot of fish and they enjoyed swimming around with them.
We had lunch before moving on at the row of food trucks that are parked permanently in an area across from Shark's Cove. We had yummy food and enjoyed a little break before moving on.
After that stop, we went to Waimea Valley. We had tickets for this spot. Waimea has been a place of Hawaiin Native history for 700 years. Waimea gained its title in 1090 when the rule of Oahu awarded the land to the high priest. They cared for it until 1886. After that, it became conservation land.
There are over 5000 tropical and subtropical plants on the land. A lot of them are native and endangered Hawaiian plants. The biggest reason we came here was to swim in the 45 foot tall waterfall and pool. The kids were excited to swim. The water was FREEZING, but they and Mat got in and had a good time for about 1 hour before they got too cold. There are life guards here, and they also make you wear a life vest if you go in (supplied for free by the park). So we felt safe swimming in the water (which got to be about 30 feet deep).
In Waimea Valley they also filmed a ton of movies (one being the Hunger Games). It does make a back drop if you need dense forest.
We were tired after this, so we headed back home. On our way out, we saw another great surfing spot so we stopped to watch for a few minutes. It was a fun day.
Enjoy the pictures
On our drive to the North Shore, we found pineapple fields!
Walking on the beach to see the surfers
Shark's Cove
The water was chilly, but not too bad because it wasn't deep
Finley has done a ton of rock climbing and maneuvering this vacation like a boss
Fish!
Mat and the kids found an open area to swim
Eating lunch after swimming
I went with shrimp with garlic sauce, salad, and avacado. Yum
This is how Finley feels about being cold
This is a Cannonball tree. Fruit grows out from the trunk
The Waterfall at Waimea Valley
Going in - water was COLD
Going under the falls - the kids thought this was fantastic
Sweet treat after a swim
There were peacocks and chickens everywhere on the island
The beach we stopped at on the way home was the home of a surfing contest
Arlington was really into watching this little girl. She was probably about 6 or 7. Took her forever to get out but she did it and did a great job surfing.
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