You can view the pictures and also view the map of the trip.

Like so many of us, a work friend, Lee, and his wife, Mimi, had always dreamed of living in Hawaii. Finally, she found a teaching job there, and his boss let him keep his job and dial-in remotely to work everyday from Hawaii (how sweet!). They sold practically everything they had, packed up their dog and their 2-year old, drove their car to the west coast, sold it, and got on a plane to a new adventure! Wow!

In April, there was a conference for work in California. I contacted some friends there, and they were planning a camping weekend, just a little more than a week before my conference. A plan came together: I flew to San Francisco, rented a bike to go on the camping weekend, then returned to the city in time to repack and fly to Hawaii for a week, back to California for my conference and more time with my friends! All that in just two weeks away from home.

By this point, I have ridden a motorcycle in 49 of the states (there’s a qualification there… another trip and another story), and Hawaii was the hold-out. A rental bike was available, and Lee is looking forward to seeing a familiar face from back home. An inflatable bed was available in their apartment.

The Hawaiian islands are incredibly beautiful. With few exceptions, the weather is always perfect, There’s a constant breeze off the Pacific Ocean, that keeps the temperatures comfortable, and the high mountains generate just a little bit of rain each day at the beach. The brief rains don’t last more than a few minutes, and the sun is back out and everything dry a few minutes after that.

The Island of Oahu

The island of Oahu, the third-largest of the eight major islands, is also the home of the state caputal, Honolulu. Over 800,000 people live on this one island, that is 44-miles by 30-miles in size. Another 200,000 people live on the other islands.

A three-day bike rental was the perfect amount of time for me to enjoy the island. Waikiki Beach, in downtown Honolulu, is one of the more famous beaches, but there are many more on the other side of the island. I spend the first day riding the coast from Honolulu, and trying to explore and also figure out my way back to Lee’s house in Kailua. I didn’t even need to pull out the GPS.

Other than the few freeways on Oahu, the speed limit gets up to 45MPH. Of course, there are cities and towns with lower speed limits, so it takes about two hours for a leisurly ride up the coast. In some places, the road follows the ocean, and in other places, there are tremendous houses blocking the view. Much of the trip is in the middle of tropical forest.

The North Shore, famous for the incredible surfing, shows only 4-6 foot waves today. Still, there are at least a dozen people trying to ride the waves. Giovanni’s Shrimp Truck offers made-to-order meals at a decent price. I manage to find a seat at one of the picnic tables with some folks who are visiting a friend with a house, and boat, nearby. After they leave, a family joins me at my table. They travel a half-hour at least once a week, just to eat lunch here.

Eating is one of the best things you can do on Oahu. There is such a variety of flavors, brought by the many immigrants from all over Asia, India, and Europe. It was an incredible assortment of Korean barbecue, Szechuan, sushi, dim-sum and lobster.

The third day, when the rental bike is due back in Honolulu, is my chance to see Pearl Harbor. I opt to avoid the hour wait to take a boat to the Arizona Memorial, and instead tour an exhibit on the role of submarines in World War II. The museum offers headsets and a control to tune into hear many of the displays. The headsets also work on the U.S.S. Bowfin, a submarine that is open for tours. I manage to get several excellent pictures of the Arizona Memorial, and learn quite a bit about the war at the same time. I stop at the local Harley shop to get a few shirts before returning the bike and meeting Lee for the trip back to his house. He and Mimi have had to work while I have been out riding around the island.

The Island of Hawaii

The next day was a day-tour around the big island of Hawaii. It began with having to be at the airport at 5am, then a flight to the other island, and getting on a tour bus at about 7:30am. The driver is a native, and he’s practiced his speech many times. We stop at various hotels to pick up other tourists, then the bus takes us to the Kona Coffee Plantation.

The moist climate on this part of the island is perfect for growing coffee. We continue to a bakery (where were they when we were drinking coffee?), and our bus driver tells us many interesting facts about the islands. He points out the various types of trees on the island, and where they originate. Since the islands are formed by volcanoes, everything on the island came from somewhere else. What the trade winds and surf didn’t bring to the islands was brought by man. Sometimes for farming, and other times to have something to remind them of home.

We stop at a beach where the sand is completely black. This is volcanic rock that has been broken down by the weather, and it’s new enough that the sun has not yet bleached it the familiar color we expect.

The island is also the home of one of the world’s most active volcanoes, and the island is still expanding into the ocean. We have lunch at Volcano National Park, but the tour bus can only get us as close as a few steam vents. However, we do get to walk through a lava tube. These are caves formed by hot lava running towards the ocean. The cool air cools the top and the sides, and they solidify, while the magma inside continues flowing. These tubes are all over the islands, and wealthy people have homes near them and are using the tunnels as wine cellars, storerooms, and even guest rooms.

The tour also takes us to an orchid farm, on our way to the city of Hilo. This beautiful city has seen its share of tsunamis, and the bus driver points out some of the signs of the damage, and of the steps they are taking to reduce the future impact of these walls of water.

Back to Oahu

It’s a long day on the bus, and we get back to the airport. Lee meets me at the airport (THANKS AGAIN!) at about 7:30pm. On our way across the mountains, in one of the tunnels, there are brake lights. We see clothes and boxes scattered across the road, apparently from the car that is now on its roof. We call 9-1-1 and go to help. This had just happened, and people are just starting to stop. I get to the car first, and the driver is concious and able to talk. He’s hanging upside down in his seatbelt, and we know its best to wait for the rescue squad before moving him. The driver seems to be alert, and able to respond to questions. Other than a few cuts from the broken windshield, his adrenaline is going to mask any other injuries for awhile. Help arrives quickly, and we relate what we know to a firemen while the police begin trying to control the traffic in the tunnel. Lucky for us, we parked just beyond the accident, so when we can’t be useful, we leave. From what we could tell, this car was run into the tunnel wall by another car, then lost control.

I spend the next day relaxing at Lee’s house, and enjoying the chance to stay in one place for awhile. I drive into town and manage to find a used bookstore and lunch, before returning to the house. It’s my last full day in Hawaii, so Lee grills an awesome dinner. We enjoy the view of the mountains from his back yard. After sunset, we head into Kailua to the local biker bar. It’s the kind of bar that I can relax in, with a good jukebox. We talk to a few people, and enjoy the drinks before heading to the house.

We wake up the next morning, I get everything packed, and Lee’s family takes me to the airport. They take me to a dim-sum restaurant for an early lunch. Dim-sum is the name for a traditional style of Chinese meal, where the servings are the size of appetizers. This restaurant is huge, and the tables are full. The waitresses bring carts by our table, carrying various goodies. Lee and Mimi spot several dishes they like, and I pick a few that I have become familiar with. It was an excellent meal, and an excellent trip to Hawaii. Back to San Francisco, for more fun!