Weekend Events: February 26 & 27, 2011

There is lots of fun to be had this weekend.  You and your family can learn about taro, hear the Royal Hawaiian Band, meet the tooth fairy and improve your origami skills.  If you did all that you'd be tired come Monday and those are just some of the activities and events to choose from on Oahu this weekend.  Head to the Weekend Events Page to get all the details.

Enjoy the last weekend in February!

Whale Watching at Halona Blowhole

If you look closely at the picture above you can see the Halona Blowhole spouting.  I took this picture from Sandy Beach after we finished our kite flying adventure.  

Now I'll show you the picture I got from the blowhole lookout when we had stopped there earlier in the day.  

See it spouting?  Me neither.  The ocean was calm and the waves only got the blowhole going occasionally.  After watching it for ages and ages I gave up on the blowhole (which of course spouted right after I walked away) and did some whale watching instead.  

The calm water made it easy to spot whale spouts and we saw spouts in a number of different directions.  Got to see a whale tail, some pectoral slaps and, best of all, multiple breaches.  I am always amazed at whales and their ability to hurl their entire body out of the water and into the air.  I wished we'd taken our binoculars, but the show was good even without them.

So if you want to see whales from land on Oahu, but don't want to hike up to Makapu'u Lighthouse, try the Halona Blowhole lookout.  I'm wondering why I never thought of this before!

Do it yourself on Oahu

Location:  The Halona Blowhole is on Kalanianaole Hwy. between Hanauma Bay and Sandy Beach.
Directions:  There are other pullouts along this stretch of road but the blowhole is the only one with a large parking lot.  There's a sign at the entrance, so you should have no trouble finding it.
Parking:  Although a nice size, the parking lot does fill up.  Just wait a few minutes and you'll get a spot.  Since it's a lookout there's a lot of turnover in the parking lot.
Facilities:  No restrooms or other facilities here.
Other:  The humpback whale season in Hawaii goes from mid-December to April. • Don't try to hike down next to the blowhole and get your picture taken - a handful of people have been killed doing that.  Please use common sense and stay safe.

Kite Flying by Sandy Beach

Doesn't this photo look idyllic?  A boy and a kite and long afternoon shadows at the end of a beautiful day.

Well, I for one appreciate it when bloggers keep it real, so I will tell you the story behind this picture.  

We are the proud owners of two kites.  One has been in the family 10 years and hadn't been flown for at least 8 years.  The other has been in the family 7 years and had never been flown.  It's a wonder they have survived the sorting and purging I like to do on a regular basis.

Anyway, this past weekend the kites finally saw the light of day and got to fly in the great big sky.  We decided to head to the big grassy field adjacent to Sandy Beach and fly kites with the kids.  We packed the kites, the kids, some snacks, water bottles, a blanket and I can't remember what else into the car and headed off.  

The kids were asleep when we got there so we took a detour and after they'd had enough of a nap to be cheerful humans we parked at Sandy Beach and woke them up.  Then we walked over to the big grassy field and flew our kites.  Well, not quite.  

First there was some whining about having to wait for us to get the kites ready to fly and then some crying and arguing about sharing and taking turns.  Then someone needed to go to the bathroom and someone else wanted a snack (which had to be retrieved from the car).  Thankfully we have grandparents visiting and with the kids outnumbered two to one we were able to actually get the kites launched before the sun went down.  Everyone who wanted to fly a kite got a turn, the kite that collided with a tree was rescued and in the end it was a fun time for everyone and will make a good memory.  

So if by chance you've ever compared yourself to Oahu Mom and wished it was as easy to get out and about with your kids as it appears on her blog please know you're in good company.  I'm the author of this blog and I have wished the same.  But I can tell you that in the end it's (almost always) worth it, so push through the challenges and go fly a kite or see some sights with your keiki.

Do it yourself on Oahu

Location:  There is a large grassy area just inland from Sandy Beach and that is where we flew our kites.  In my previous post you can kind of see it at the right site of the picture.  

Directions:  Sandy Beach is located on the Kalanianaole Hwy. between Makapu'u Lighthouse and the Halona Blowhole, just SW of the intersection of Kealahou Street and the highway.  It's right by the road so it's hard to miss.  Some maps label it Sandy Beach and others call it Wawamalu Beach Park.  

Parking:  There is a lot of parking all along the beach park, though I'm sure it fills up sometimes.  There might also be room to park between the grassy field and the road, but I'm not 100% sure about this.

Facilities:  There are outdoor showers and public restrooms here.  The toilets are the plain metal ones with no toilet seats, but the restrooms had TP when we were there.
Other:  This is a very popular kite flying spot with lots of wind.  Don't let the fact that we got our kite stuck in a tree deter you from this spot.  It's a huge field and if we'd walked out into it a little more instead of staying by the edge that wouldn't have happened.  Oh, and I almost forgot to mention that according to the signs, it's a hang glider landing spot so if some come to land, they have the right-of-way.

Scenic Sunday: Sandy Beach

Scenic Sunday...because I never get over the beauty of these islands.

Sandy Beach on the east side of Oahu, 

(with its adjacent not sandy coastline in the foreground)

Check out Photo Friday at DeliciousBaby for more great photos from around the world.