Stillwater Fire Tower

I feel like I'm playing catch up when it comes to hiking and traveling. I moved to New York during the winter, so the snow limited my ability to go out. Then, once the snow was gone, quarantine happened. Now, I'm able to go to parks and hike some trails. Let me tell you, I've missed it so much. 

I drove a couple miles from home and into the mountains. I ended up in the forest with no cell signal. Who doesn't love that? I do. I love being able to disconnect from the world for a little bit and just lose myself in nature. 

The drive took me down a road that quickly changed from pavement to dirt. Parking was a little lot on the side of the road, with 3 spots. 

The trail itself was beautiful and ran deep into the forest. There was a couple small foot bridges that went over a little stream that ran along the trail.

 It had a slight incline, but wasn't anything too difficult. At the end of the trail there is a clearing where the fire tower stands. There's even a little picnic table where you can have a picnic or just enjoy nature. 

Climbing the tower was an experience. I'm slightly afraid of heights and the wind was gusting but the tower isn't super high, so it doesn't take long to get to the top. 

The view from inside the tower was absolutely stunning. There are windows in the tower that you can open up to get pictures. 

Inside there is a map that has a little metal rod that you can spin around. The road points to specific locations on the map, which you can see from the tower. 

The hike was roughly 2 miles there and back. I highly recommend wearing bug spray. The mosquitoes were crazy.  

As always, whatever trash you bring with you, take with you when you leave.

Would you climb the tower to see this amazing view ?

Pixley Falls New York

With New York slowly opening up after the quarantine, it was time to get out of the house and into the woods. It's been far too long since I've been able to hike. I've missed it. 

I decided to go to Pixley Falls. 

The main falls

It's a 1.2 mile hike located near Booneville, NY, although if you want to just see the main falls, it's shorter. I decided to just do the entire trail. 

The main falls were gorgeous. There is a nice little picnic table near the base of the falls for you to sit and have lunch. There was quite a few people at the falls, so we decided to continue on through the trail. 

It was quiet and peaceful and not crowded at all. Birds and chipmunks were running around beside us. The trail isn't the best marked, but it's easy to figure out where to go. 

All along the trail, there are multiple smaller waterfalls. It's definitely worth the hike. The trail was a little muddy in places, but was fairly easy to do.

You're even able to be on top of the falls, if you so choose. Just be careful because the rocks can be slick. 

Overlooking the main falls

I highly recommend this hike if you want something short, not to difficult and full of beautiful scenery.

As always, respect the area. Don't go off the trail or bother nature. And please, take out any trash that you bring in.

What's your favorite waterfall hike?

A Frolic Through the Sunflowers

I'm sure  you've seen tons of pictures of sunflower fields all over Instagram. I know that, personally, I've always loved Sunflowers. They're tall, strong and beautiful. They are the unspoken symbol for summer. Honestly, sunflowers are probably my favorite flower.

Well, I had the opportunity to visit a beautiful sunflower field, tucked away between some mountains on Oahu. Who doesn't want to visit a beautiful field of flowers in paradise? I'm talking about the sunflower fields at Waimanalo Country Farms.

It's a little farm down a small dirt road. Every year they open it to the public. It only cost $3 per person to enter. You can stay as long as you wish. Trust me, you'll want to take your time while visiting.

I mean look at this view. It's absolutely breathtaking.

They even have some chairs set up throughout the field and a bathtub!

There's a vintage van parked at the front of the field. It definitely has so much potential for Instagram worthy pictures.

There is also a little farm with goats, pigs, chickens, turkeys and even horses!

There's so much to see and do. It's a place for everyone to enjoy.

Have you ever been to a sunflower field? Or any memorable field? Where at?

Moloka'i: Day One

This post may contain affiliate links for which I may receive compensation. But as always, the views and opinions in this blog are my own. 

Since living in Hawaii, I've made it a point to try to visit all of the Hawaiian Islands. Most people only know about Maui, Oahu, Big Island, and Kauai. Well, I wanted to visit the lesser traveled island of Moloka'i.

So I packed up my camera and my bag and hopped on the tiniest plane I've ever been on.

The tiny plane I had the pleasure of riding

I literally sat directly behind the pilots

The island itself is only 38 miles long and 10 miles wide. It's very rural and most of the inhabitants of the island are of Native Hawaiian descent.

Moloka'i coming into view

Upon arriving in Moloka'i, I learned that it is known as the Friendliest Isle and that title holds true. The people were warm and welcoming to us everywhere we went.

The signs greeting us as we leave the airport. "Slow Down. This is Molokai."

We got in our car and left the airport. We just picked a direction and drove. No map. No GPS. I mean, why limit yourself?

We were taken aback by the pure beauty that the island had to offer. It is so much different than the scenery that we see every day on Oahu. We drove the entire length of the island. Each area had something different to offer.

We drove all the way to Halawa Valley. The road was curvy and scenic the entire way. We didn't have the opportunity to do the hike though. If you're interested in doing the hike, you have to book the tour to do so. I would absolutely love the opportunity to go back so I can swim in the waterfall!

We drove the opposite way and ended up at Papohaku Beach, or Three Mile Beach. It is one of Hawaii's largest white sand beaches. We stayed for sunset and it was beautiful! Once the sun goes down, there is no light pollution, so the sky fills with stars. It's absolutely stunning. If you ever visit, please take the time to appreciate the beauty of the sky.

Look how beautiful the sand is! 

Look at this cute arch that was on the beach! 

We ended our night by grabbing dinner at one of the few restaurants on the island, Moloka'i Pizza Cafe and headed back to our Airbnb. We had dinner and showered. Overall, I'd say our first day on the Friendly Isle was a success.


Would you ever visit Moloka'i?

The Pink Pillbox

Since moving to Hawaii, I've wanted to do the Pu'u'ohulu Kai hike, also known as the Pink Pillbox. Well, I was finally able to mark it off my list!

We started out kinda late in the day (later than I normally like to hike), and headed to the west side of the island.

The hike itself wasn't bad. The beginning has a semi-steep incline but nothing crazy. The best part was the fact that the hike wasn't overly crowded. I feel like so many times we miss out on beautiful sights due to the crowds.

A super cool tree on the hike

There are 3 pillboxes you can see, go into and climb on top of. The views are absolutely phenomenal.

Tips for this hike:

• Bring lots of water, especially if you go later in the day.
• Don't leave anything of value in your car.
• Be safe. There are some tricky parts on the hike, with some drop-offs.
• But most of all, take some time to sit at the top and take in the scenery. 

Have you ever been to the Pink Pillbox? What did you think? Do you plan on visiting it one day? 

Kaniakapupu Ruins

The Kaniakapupu Ruins are nestled deep within a bamboo forest on the island of Oahu. It holds a lot of meaning and history to the island.

The bamboo forest 

It was the summer home of King Kamehameha III and dates back to 1847. King Kamehameha III ruled the Kingdom of Hawaii between 1825 and 1854. Kaniakapupu was built as a place of relaxation for the king. No one knows the exact reason that the palace fell into disrepair.

We made the short trek through the bamboo to the "old ruins." There were a few people present, even one doing a photoshoot. We explored the area some while waiting for the people to clear.

There was a nice little hike to a waterfall nearby. Definitely take the time to visit the falls, if you can.

Part of the falls 

TheKaniakapupu Ruins

The remaining structure is absolutely beautiful and the area is breathtaking. You can really understand why King Kamehameha III decided on this location to build his summer palace.

Can you imagine what it looked like when it was first built?

If you decide to visit the Kaniakapupu Ruins please be respectful. Do not leave anything behind and don't climb on the building itself. Let's all work together to preserve this piece of history.

Have you visited the Kaniakapupu Ruins? Do you want to?

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?