Tour d'Honolulu Final

Kapiolani Park is where the Honolulu Century Ride starts. I followed the basic route back home.
The first leg is up the hill around Diamond Head:



There's a beach down there below the cliffs and a popular surf spot. People were lined up at the look outs here waiting for the tsunami to come.
At least they had a nice view.
I'm headed out this way:



From there, the highway heads east. There is nice wide bike lane that takes you all the way to the area called Hawaii Kai.
This is Mauna Lua Bay:



Some kids were paddling a double hulled canoe. You can see the low tide reef behind them:



I took a break at the marina and contemplated my route:



From here, the Century Ride route goes into the valley over an incline known as "heartbreak hill." I've never gotten up the hill in one pass.
The other way through is to go up another incline towards Hanauma Bay. The bay is a perservation area that is popular with tourists. That road also follows the coast line. I went that way.
First, I had to go up:



I'm not going to lie, I had to rest twice going up that puppy. Here's the view looking down the hill:



Once you hit the top, the view is worth it:



That's Hanauma Bay, sort of. The area is all cliffs and deep water:



This fishing spot is known as "Bamboo Ridge." In the rocks hundreds of holes have been drilled so that you can set your fishing poles. The place got it's name for when the fish are running, there are so many poles set out that it looks like a bamboo forrest. I used to fish there a lot:



On the cliffs above, there is a Japanese image of Ojizosan. He is supposed to be the protector of travelers and fishermen:



There is a bit of controversy that surrounds that shrine. Seems no one is actually responsible for it; it was built some time ago. Then, some other religious sect has started to take care of it. I'll try to find the article later.
Right below that is where they shot the beach scene in From Here to Eternity:



On to famous Sandy Beach:



Famous for that is where the President went bodysurfing. Also famous for it's where people have gotten hurt in the shore break over the years.
Today was a "red flag" day, a day when the surf is considered dangerous:




How did that lady's head get in my shot?
Sandy's was nice today; the waves were breaking outside too. The whole coast line there was under consideration for development. I believe it got voted down.
The Ka'Iwi coast:



Around the Horn. Here's where I make the turn and start riding with the wind:



The road to the Makapu'u Light House is around that bend. I would've gone there, but I was pretty freakin tired of climbing hills.
Here's the view from the lookout:
Okay, here's not the view from the lookout. Here's the view from above Makapu'u Beach:



Rabbit Island, also known as Manana Island:



Rabbits actually were raised there hence the name. I forget the name of the smaller island.
From here, I can see home:



And home I went.
Six hours.
Three hours thirty nine minutes elapsed.
Thirty Eight miles.
Not really epic long, mostly epic fun.
Next up: Tour d'Windward
Maybe.