Haiku Gardens in Kaneohe

What do you do when you want to go on an afternoon adventure but there's not that much time between the end of nap time and the beginning of supper time?  We decided to go to Haiku Gardens in Kaneohe. The kids had never been before and the only time we'd been there was ages ago so it was practically a new place for all of us.

Haiku Gardens is adjacent to a restaurant and is a popular spot for weddings.  It feels very private but it's open to the public.  It's a beautiful little spot, a hidden gym, an oasis...whatever cliché you might use would probably fit.  It really is a spot worth visiting.

Our boy's favorite activity was playing tag with Daddy and Grandpa on the big lawn.

Our girl's favorite activity was looking for fish in the pond, which meant that my primary activity was making sure she didn't accidentally join them in the water.

A little trail leads around the pond and we all had fun walking on that, checking out the plant life, looking at the koi fish and listening to the bullfrogs.

A fun place to spend a bit of time!  If you live on Oahu or come here to visit, stop in and see it.  If you live somewhere else, look for an overlooked place in your town and pay it a visit!


Do it yourself on Oahu:

• First off, a map link.
• And then a link to the website for Haiku Gardens.

And now, my thoughts/advice/tips:

• Haleiwa Joe's is the restaurant located next to Haiku Gardens.  Haven't eaten there so can't give you any info on it, but if you see the restaurant you're in the right spot.
• To get to the gardens, walk like you are going to the restaurant and just before you go in the entrance turn right. There's a sidewalk there that turns into a path that takes you along the side of the restaurant and down into the gardens.
• Probably wouldn't be quite as much fun for kids to visit here when a wedding is underway or when a bridal party is taking pictures, but when you have the place mostly to yourself it's great!