I left Seattle pale, cranky and tense. Much as folks have told me it’s been a mild winter, moving from California to Seattle has been rough. Overcast to be precise. I jumped (no pun intended) at the prospect of a few days in Oahu. I returned bruised, (sun)burnt and blissed out. Gotta love those endorphins (and vitamin D). Here were some of my favorite activities for the adventurous folks out there (and I did it all in one day!)
1. Sea Kayaking
I participated in a guided day tour with Twogood Kayaks out of Kailua, a small town just a half-hour outside of Honolulu. Before we began we received clear instructions from our guide, Kevin, on how exactly to paddle, sit and brace ourselves in a kayak. We paddled out to the nearby Mokolua Islands and saw a number of sea turtles popping their heads out of the clear blue water. I imagined them saying “Aloha!” as they took a quick breath and then dived back down. Honestly, it was one of those picturesque kind of days where anything could happen. Including talking turtles.
2. Cliff Jumping
After a packed lunch we hiked over jagged, volcanic rocks to a cliff jumping spot. The waves were choppy and coming in sporadically. The guide had to time when we jumped so that the water would be deep enough at that certain spot. He yelled, “Jumper ready?!”, to which I replied, “YES!”. After a few seconds, he commanded, “JUMP!” . And I did just that. That’s me in the water. (I’m patting myself on the back right now for actually jumping.)
3. Snorkeling
We finished up the day snorkeling on a pristine beach near Kailua. I put on my fins and snorkel and swam about three hundred feet out to sea. I proceeded to act like I was seaweed and drift slowly back to the beach, observing all the brillantly colored fish feeding off the live coral reef. Have you ever tried to be seaweed in the ocean? It’s very calming. I highly suggest it.
The one downside to the day was the scorching sunburn I developed after a full day outside. Even though I’m an outdoor guide and continually tell folks to reapply sunscreen, I’m not too good at taking my own advice. I needed a gallon tub of aloe, not the three ounce airplane size I was stuck with.
Sunburn aside, I wouldn’t trade anything about this day, and the memory of it will help me get through March in Seattle. That and I’ll be gone in Vietnam and Cambodia…
Stay tuned for my bruised and blissful moments in Oahu! Have you ever traveled to Oahu? What was your favorite outdoor activity? Tell me in a comment below!
Many thanks to Oahu Visitors Bureau for hosting me on this trip. And a big shout out to Twogood Kayaks! As always, my opinions on my experience are my own.
All photos taken by Joslin Fritz.