Oahu's Hidden Bunker

One of my friends told me about this hidden bunker that they found one day while running. I, being the history buff that I am, had to find it and see for myself. So, of course, I did just that.

We walked back into this lightly wooded area and there it was. The Battery Hasbrouck, buried beneath mounds of sand and grass.

A Little History: 

The Battery was built  between 1909 and 1914. It was used to protect Pearl Harbor and Hickham Air Base. It got it's name from General Henry Cornelius Hasbrouck.  

The battery was divided into two mortar pits, with four mortars in each pit. They would wheel shells and powder from magazine to the loading platforms on shot carts.

Currently, there are no mounted weapons at the battery, but trust me when I say it's still a super cool exploration. 

The Exploration:

The battery was dark. I mean eerily dark. Duh, right? I mean it's underground. So if you happen to decide to explore, be sure to bring flashlights. I actually recommend headlamps, that way you have your hands free. And bug spray. Definitely wear bug spray.

Anywho, we made our way through the dark rooms and let me just say, it was so cool! It was crazy to think that our military would navigate these halls and rooms. I got turned around quickly inside. So I wonder if any of the military personnel did also? Maybe they had maps drawn up of the interior (probably not, but hey! I can imagine.)

The first room we walked into had some super eerie paintings inside. Imagine how startled we were when the light shined on these silhouettes.

One room was a bathroom. I mean, it makes sense that they'd have a bathroom inside for people to use who were working there. But I never really thought about it. 

Can you imagine showering in this? 

There were tons and tons of other rooms. One room even had the tool storage outlines still up. 

The shop guide

Outside you could go up on top of the battery. 

Being on  top was pretty cool. It gave you a new view of the area. It makes it even cooler if you just imagine what it looked like back in the early 1900's. 

The top of the battery

There was this walkway that led to this shower looking thing. I couldn't understand why there would be a shower on top of the battery, out in the open. So I decided to take a closer look.

Turns out it wasn't a shower at all. It was actually an old spot light. 

Pretty cool, huh? 

Instead of scaling the mounds to get back to the other stairs, we decided to take these. Trust me, it was a lot more nerve wracking in person.

There were so many more rooms that we explored. There were way too many for me to post. So if you want to see them, I highly recommend taking the trip. 

A couple things to note: 

Battery Hasbrouck is located on Hickham Airfield. 

If you're terribly afraid of spiders DO NOT GO. There are thousands of spiders on the ceiling inside (I wish I were exaggerating), most dead. None fell on us while we were there though. 

Also, as I said before Bug Spray is important! 

And, as always, be respectful. 

Have you been to Battery Hasbrouck? Do you plan on going? Have you every been to a different bunker or battery? 

Have You Ever Had Coffee in Space?

Have you ever had coffee in space ? No? I have! Okay... Well... Maybe not in space, but I have had Rocket Coffee! What is Rocket Coffee you ask? Well, let me go back a bit and I'll tell you all about it.

One day I was driving home from work and a bright orange van on the side of the road caught my eye. Lettered across the top was "Rocket Coffee." Now, if you're an avid reader of my blog, then you know how much I love coffee. I went down the road and turned around and stopped next to this van.

The  first thing I saw when I got out of my car was a big dog laying beside the van. I soon learned his name is Earnie and he goes to work everyday!

Say hi to Earnie! 

I began to look at the menu (which is quite large in my opinion) and the owner, Robby, began talking to me.

He asked what type of coffee I normally get. I told him I normally drink espresso shots. Well, he asked if I like lattes. Of course I do! Robby said he was going to make me the best latte of my life.

The latte was made from his cold brew concentrate. Now, I love coffee but I'm not a huge cold brew fan. It's usually too bitter for my liking. But Robby quickly changed my mind. This cold brew latte was so smooth and delicious. Seriously. It wasn't bitter at all!

Robby preparing my latte

As I talked to Robby, I began to learn more about him and his coffee truck experience.

He and his wife owned a shop on the mainland for 6 years. They took a vacation to Hawaii for a month and fell in love with it. Hawaii had always been their retirement plan, so they decided to just move to Hawaii and do what they were doing on the mainland.

He loves that his coffee truck puts him out of his comfort zone and engages him with other people. His goal is to offer not only a great cup of coffee, but an experience that people love. And believe me, he does just that.

Rocket Coffee offers a variety of menu options. You can have it as a cold brew or a cold brew latte. He uses only quality ingredients in the making of his cold brew concentrate. There is also the option of whole milk, almond milk and soy milk for your drinks.

Robby believes that the future of coffee is not coffee shops. But instead, someone being able to make great quality coffee that you can take home and make yourself. That's why he sells his concentrates also! So that you are able to put the exact amount of cold brew and water/milk ratio that you choose.

 If you're interested in having not only a great cup of coffee but also great conversation, then you should totally check out Rocket Coffee. To see where they are located for the day, simply go to their instagram page @rocketcoffeemobile. I promise you won't regret it!

Robby and his Rocket Coffee Van

And when you do try it, or if you have already, drop a comment below and let me know what you think!