I had a wonderful time in Hawaii last week, and updated many of the lotsafunmaps entries! Things change all the time! I also added some great places that I’ve wanted to add for a while, including St Louis Heights, where Cook pines grow at the top of a mountain overlooking Manoa Valley.

The first thing I did when I arrived on Oahu was swim at Eternity Beach. This is a tradition! This time the waves were wild and I had to be quite brave to jump in! Next my son and I had a nice day exploring Aloha Tower Marketplace, which is no longer a marketplace- only the tower remains plus Gordon Biersch Brewery. Where the shops used to be there are now classrooms for the third campus of Hawaii Pacific University. Going to the top of the tower affords great views in all directions, and we really enjoyed this.

Magic Island had no photos on lotsafunmaps yet, so my son and I went there- I had forgotten how lovely it is on the huge lawn under giant trees. It was so lovely to sit on a bench with my son and look out at Diamond Head and the waves in the surf lineup called Bowls.

I went alone to another spot that didn’t have an entry yet, Kawaikui Beach Park. I had always thought this was an unimpressive little square of lawn next to the main road, but around the corner is a gorgeous view of Koko Head and Koko Crater. I sat there for about half and hour and didn’t want to leave!

Dinner was at The Shack, on the water in Hawaii Kai– nothing feels more tropical than sitting by the tiki torches and feeling the breeze in your hair! It was fun to say hi to my parent’s friends.

My mom and I went to Doris Duke Beach and I swam. The funny thing is that I had this on my list of things I wanted to do, and I also had “end of Kalumanu Place” on my list. I had read about this in the new book Barbarian Days: A Surfer’s Life. The author, William Finnegan, lived at the end of Kalumanu Place as a teen and I wanted to go see it. Well, it is the same place as Doris Duke Beach! So I killed two birds with one stone, simply by coincidence! This time, high tide hid the pool where I swam two years before, so I had a wilder though wonderful swim!

My mom, dad, son and I had a picnic from Olive Tree Cafe, under the palm trees at Waialae Beach Park, followed by a rainy walk at Kahala Beach Resort– paradise!

Another swim was in order, so my son and I went to Royal Hawaiian Beach. We got a bit lost and ended up in not quite as nice a spot to swim, but afterward saw the resort from a side garden, a lovely view we’d never encountered before! We picked up some surf clothes, and some gifts from one of the zillions of ABC stores along Kalakaua Ave. Also at an ABC store, we bought triangle musubis with salmon, and pineapple pieces, and ate them on the lawn by the Duke Kahanamoku statue. It was a magical day.

My mom, dad, son and I had a burrito from Cha Cha Chas, enjoyed in a little hidden spot at Makapuu Beach. The wind was cool, and the view perfect. My son bodysurfed and it was fun to watch him.

I went alone to visit Kapiolani Community College farmers market, for a new entry! It is a heaven of fruits, flowers, plants, coconut drinks, and hot food. What a popular spot, with many tourists from Japan! Beside the stalls is a world-class cactus garden that is inspiring to explore.

The North Shore is a must-do when visiting Oahu. Mom, Dad, my son and I drove up there and had another wild swim at Three Tables Beach. It was invigorating and fun, and there were purple orchids floating in the water, leftover from a wedding. We walked to Shark’s Cove which was more crowded than I’ve seen before, and I took photos for lotsafunmaps from new angles. Dinner was a mahi mahi sandwich at Kuaaina Burger in Haleiwa town, what I’d been dreaming of for two years!

Bale French-Vietnamese cafe was another eatery on my list of favorite places to return to, and we all bought sandwiches there for the picnic at St Louis Heights. Later we watched a movie at Koko Marina.

No one could keep my pace by the end of the trip, so I went on a swim alone at Hau Tree Beach, where it’s shady in the morning, even in the water! You really start to need a break from the sun by the end of your trip. A lovely last outing was a hike at Hawaii Loa Ridge with my mom and brother- what a gorgeous spot with views way high up over Hawaii Kai. See the ocean, Koko Head, and the valleys below. The wind is cool and delightful. We had a fantastic night dancing and tapping to the beat of live music at Hard Rock Cafe in Waikiki where my brother played an amazing gig. What a venue! I’m lucky that I got to see him play.

It was special to spend such lovely times visiting my family. And a lot of fun to update lotsafunmaps too!