Given that Day 2 started with such a bright and early wake-up call, we were prepared on Day 3 to start our adventures early. We packed up the night before and headed out to Diamond Head Crater as soon as the kids woke. Sunrise was around 7am, and we made it to the parking lot inside the crater about 10 minutes before. We could tell when the sunrise could be seen from the top because you could see flashes going off from everyone that had climbed to the peak in the dark to watch the sunrise. We headed to the top shortly after sunrise. Teagan was a great hiker and hiked 99% of the way up and down all by herself. She was beaming with pride and excitement at the top. We got so many comments on the way up from people about what a good hiker Teagan was, and equally as many comments and smiles when they saw the little monkey on my back. It was not an easy hike, but not a huge challenge either. Lots of switch backs on the way up, followed by a lot of stairs near the top. The views were spectacular. To the West, you get a complete view of the Honolulu and Waikiki skyline. To the East, a view of the south eastern portion of the island, scattered with the silhouettes of palm trees. The crater itself is quite impressive as well - from the outside, Diamond Head looks like a mountain, but from the inside and from the top you can see the ridge that goes all the way around and the lower lying field in the middle created by the crater. Matt and I had lots of fun with lenses at the top - the 16-35mm wide angle, the 15mm fisheye, and the 70-200mm telephoto were all used to take the shots shown below.
Surveyors pin at the top
City and ocean views
Bright and sunny with the sun on the rise
Happy hiker at the top
Mama and little monkey boy
Blue waters, reefs, and $$ homes below
The outer ridge of the crater
Close-up city shot
Diamond Head Lighthouse
The hike back down was much less strenuous and much faster of course. Teagan had fun stopping to scale rocks and we took turns passing on some encouragement to people on their way up. In the very last section (coincidentally the final flat parts before the car) Teagan hailed a ride on Daddy's shoulders and enjoyed bouncing along with a view. Clearly riding up and back down Diamond Head is tiring for a little monkey because Declan dozed off on the hike down.
Starting the trek back down
Scaling rock walls
Hitchin' a ride
Family shot (minus Declan who is still asleep on my back)
Sleepy monkey
After heading back to C&Ns to rest and relax we ventured back downtown. Our first stop, after navigating a lot of traffic, was Chris' work. It was nice to see where he calls home during all of the hours he works. After that we headed to Waikiki to the Yard House Restaurant. We waited about 25 minutes for our table but then enjoyed yummy food and good company for a while. The guys each had a half yard of beer, and everyone seemed to rave about their meal.
After dinner the sun had set and we walked a few blocks through a torch-lit Waikiki to the beachfront. The girls walked through the sand a bit and then we spread some blankets in a grassy spot and got settled to watch the Friday evening fireworks. It was a quick show, but of course very special sitting on the beach watching fireworks in Waikiki Beach, Hawaii. Greta wasn't such a fan of the noise, and Teagan and Declan watched intently from my lap. After that we took 4 sleepy kiddos back to C&N's to get a good nights sleep since we had fun plans for Saturday.
Random shot - a gecko on the screen door. Naomi informed me they are very common in Hawaii - inside AND outside the house. They are harmless and they eat the bugs, but I am glad she warned me before I saw one scurry across the wall!
Gorgeous Views!
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