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? 

Best Coffee Shops on Oahu

As I'm sure many of you know by now, I absolutely LOVE coffee. When I travel, I always try out local coffee shops. I have stumbled upon the most amazing people in these shops and, of course, some super delicious coffee.

When I first moved to Hawaii, I set out to find the perfect cup of coffee. In my search, I have discovered some amazing places that often people wouldn't find. So here's my list of the BEST coffee shops on Oahu!

• Local Joe

It's the only coffee shop on the island where you can put any picture on your latte.

Pretty neat huh? And the coffee is delicous.

If you don't have a picture, you can choose from some they have

Phone: 808-536-7700

110 Marin St
Honolulu Hi 96817

Mon-Fri: 6:30 am - 5 pm
Sat: 8 am - 1pm
Sun: Closed

• Surfer's Coffee Bar

Surfer's is one of my favorite places to just go and hang out. The atmosphere is warm and welcoming and the coffee is super yummy.

The coffee shop is a non-profit coffee shop and all the employees are volunteers. 100% of the proceeds go to local and global non-profit organizations.

Phone: 808- 439-3644

63 Kamehameha Hwy
Wahiwa Hi 96786

Mon:  Closed
Tues- Thurs: 7 am - 7 pm
Fri - Sat: 7 am - 9 pm

• Brew + Foam

A friend actually found this coffee shop online and we decided to try it out. It's a little shop but the flavors are big. They have a Haupia Mocha. Try it. You won't regret it! And if you do try it, comment below and let me know what you think!

Also, they have super delicious Acai bowls.

Haupia Mocha

Phone: 424-234-2244

67-292 Goodale Ave # 105
Waialua Hi 96791

Mon-Fri: 6 am - 3 pm
Sat- Sun: 7 am - 1 pm

• Green World Coffee Farm

This was the first coffee shop we tried after moving to the island. It's pretty large. They even have a gift shop that you can buy local goods and tons of different flavors of coffee that are made in house.

Walking through the rows of the Coffee Farm

You can also walk out back and walk through the Coffee Farm itself. Before going here I had never seen a coffee cherry.

Phone: 808- 622-2326

71-101 Kamehameha Hwy
Wahiawa Hi 96786

Mon - Fri: 6 am - 6 pm
Sat - Sun: 7 am - 7 pm

• Glazer's Coffee

This coffee shop is small and cozy. It's a great place to bring a laptop and just chill.

The coffee is delcious! (I wouldn't steer you wrong, now would I?)

2700 S King St

Honolulu Hi 96826

Mon - Thurs: 7 am - 10 pm

Fri: 7 am - 9 pm

Sat - Sun: 8 am - 10 pm

These are just a few of my favorite coffee shops that I've tried on Oahu. What are your favorites? Have you tried any of these? If so, what did you think?

Kauai: Day Two. Featuring, The Sleeping Giant.

After going to bed early the night before, we woke up before the sun. We packed our backpacks, loaded up on snacks and water and headed out.

Our first stop, the Sleeping Giant Trail. We were super excited to do this hike. It's one of the reasons we visited Kauai in the first place. It's 4 miles round trip.

We started on our way. The first part of the hike was pretty steep. Lucky for us, the sun hadn't risen yet. So we didn't have to worry about the heat beating down on us.

The trail had trees creating a canopy over us. The side didn't have any railing, so if you decide to hike it, keep that in mind (especially if you have children). The higher we hiked up the mountain, the more beautiful the view got.

We were about halfway to the top when it started raining. It rains a lot in Hawaii, so we were used to it. But the rain made the trail super muddy and slick. But that's one of the fun things about hiking, right?

We finally made it to the top, just as the sun began to rise.

We were a little wet from the rain

 It was absolutely breathtaking to see. When we first made it, the top of the mountain was engulfed by a cloud. So we stood looking over the nearby town, while in a cloud. Pretty neat huh?

There was a bench that we sat on and looked out, just taking it all in.

It was quiet and because it was early, there wasn't really any people.

To date, this is one of my favorite hikes that I've ever done.

As we headed back, more and more people started to show up. So if you want to do this hike, I totally recommend leaving early in the morning before the sun it up. It won't be nearly as hot and there won't be a lot of people hiking with you.

By the time we got back to our car, we were hot and covered in mud. Remember how I mentioned it rained earlier? Well, it's even slicker going down. So be careful. We headed back to take a shower before going about the rest of our day.

Next stop, Kilauea Lighthouse.

It was such a cute little lighthouse! Lucky for us, we were there on a day that they do the tour of the lighthouse and give the history.

The lighthouse has a very interesting past. At least I think it does. In 1927, two Army aviators attempted to make the first flight from the mainland US to Hawaii. The aviators were 20 hours into their flight, they see the light of Kilauea Lighthouse, after overshooting Oahu where they had intended to land. They circled the lighthouse until dawn came. They were then able to make the flight to Oahu.

After serving as a light for both aviation and marine navigation for 63 years, the Kilauea Light was replaced with an automated beacon and boarded up.

Many years after being boarded, the lighthouse was registered as a Historic landmark. They tore the boards down and restored it. You can now take a tour on certain days.

They ask you to remove your shoes before entering the lighthouse.

We had an amazing time exploring Kauai for a couple of days. We can't wait to go back!

What are your favorite things to see and do on Kauai? 

Kauai: Day One

We got up at 3 in the morning to head to the airport. We were the first to get our tickets and go through security. Luckily for us, the flight was a little less than an hour. So we didn't have to worry about trying to get sleep on a day long flight. Plus we got to see the sunrise while on the plane.

You can tell we were a little tired.

After getting our rental car, our first stop once on the island was to get coffee. Of course, right? We stopped at Java Kai in Kapaa.

 Their menu had some very interesting drinks that we have never heard of, which is kinda a big deal considering coffee is our thing. Cody ended up trying a coffee called El Bandito.

It had espresso, vanilla cream, and Mexican Coca-Cola. He loved it! They had other drinks like the Iced Shark Bite (extra shot of espresso, whipped cream, and raspberry). I totally recommend anyone who visits Kauai to make a stop here. You won't regret it.

After charging up on caffeine, we made our way to our first stop: Glass Beach. It's this super cool little beach that's located in an industrial area. You have to take a rough little road to get to it, but it's totally worth it. The beach itself has a lot of sea glass (hence the name).

 The area was beautiful. On both sides of the beach are towering black cliffs that the waves crash into.

At the top of the cliff to the left, there is an old Japanese cemetery. You access it by a small road next to the parking lot for the beach. The view from the cemetery is beautiful.

 If you stop to visit, please be respectful.

We decided to drive to Hanapepe and walk around a little while. We stumbled across a bookstore called Talk Story Bookstore. The outside was painted like shelves of books.

It's the western most bookstore in the United States and they had pretty much any book you can imagine.

Near the bookstore was a swinging bridge. A historic, swinging bridge to be exact.

So of  course we had to walk across.

Next stop, Waimea Canyon.

The view, simply breathtaking. The canyon is filled with so many different colors.

Honestly, pictures don't do it justice. I just stood there, taking it all in.

 The haze that covered the canyon, the layers of red, brown and green, the nice breeze that was blowing through, the waterfalls that flowed across the way.

Sometimes, you just need to stop and enjoy the things that nature has given us.

We ended our night early (around 7:30 to be exact). We fell asleep right away but we were so excited for what the next day would hold!

Makapu‘u Point

After spending about 10 days unpacking our house, we had to get out of the house. We were beyond tired of being trapped behind the walls of a building. Since Cody's birthday was Monday and we knew we wouldn't be able to do anything since he'd be working, we decided to spend our weekend celebrating. What better way than to go on a beautiful hike?

We decided to do the Makapu'u Point Lighthouse Trail, after being recommended the trail by a neighbor. It's a 2-mile hike, round trip. The path is paved all the way up. I would definitely say this is a good beginner hike.

On the drive there, we stopped at a couple of places to enjoy the view.

I mean, look at that water! 

Along the way, there were little overlooks where you could stop to rest if you needed to. You could see over the crystal blue water. At each overlook, they had boards with information about the area that you could read. At one overlook, you learned about the other islands that you could see. At another, you learned about the whales that mate in the nearby waters. At the final overlook before reaching the top, you learn about the history of the Makapu'u Point Lighthouse. You're even able to see the lighthouse itself, poised on the cliff-side.

There are places where people go climb down the slopes and into the tidepool areas. They have signs warning you not to do it because it's dangerous. Please, if you do this hike, respect nature. Stay on the trail and you'll see just as much beauty. It's not worth the danger you could face.

Anyways, when we finally reached the top, the view was breathtaking.

 The water was so blue. When you climb the few steps to the very top, you overlook the lighthouse. It's probably the smallest lighthouse I've ever seen. But it was oh so beautiful.

I definitely recommend bringing water with you. There is no drinking water available on the trail and it gets hot hiking to the top. If you bring anything that produces trash, please take it with you.