Sunday, September 2, 2012

Aloha to the Waikiki Trolley, Diamond Head, and Coastal Views



Mary is a winner from last week's posts!   Last week Mom and I hopped aboard the Waikiki Trolley!  Above is Diamond Head ... I had never noticed the view over the fountain until the trolley driver pointed it out!


We stopped at the Diamond Head overlook, offering a gorgeous view of the beach!


Here's a surfer surveying the waves ...


... and here's the tunnel into Diamond Head's crater!


Once the home of military operations, today tourists climb up the interior crater wall to the WWII pillboxes.  I posted pictures from my family's climb up Diamond Head last year at this link.   


Have you climbed up a mountain like Diamond Head?  One randomly selected commenter from this week's blogs wins a book choice from my convention stash.  This giveaway is open to all readers.  Comments are open through Saturday, September 8, 10 pm in Hawaii.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, September 9.

Mahalo,

Kim in Hawaii


We also stopped in front of the Diamond Head Lighthouse.   From Lighthouse Friends website (at this link),

In the 1820s, sailors discovered what they believed were diamonds in the rocks on the volcano's slopes. Although the sailor's diamonds turned out to be clear calcite crystals, the name Diamond Head has been associated with the crater ever since.

When the Lighthouse Board took control of all aids to navigation in the Hawaiian Islands in 1904, it reported that the Diamond Head Lighthouse was the only first-class lighthouse in the territory.

View from Diamond Head's pillboxes










12 comments:

  1. Wow, I wish I will have the opportunity to climb a mountain with my family. I don't know if this counts, but in our province, where vehicle is not famous to people. I think I've crossed three mountains just to get to the provincial church! Oh yes, it's true. Imagine how tough it was, I felt like I didn't want to go back to our house during that time. ;p

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  2. Years ago, I climbed a couple of small mountains/hills. Nothing recently. I did, however, climb to the top of a tall lighthouse a year ago. (Your photos reminded me of it.)

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  3. I've climbed some mountains that sure felt like I was climbing Diamond Head, but no, I've never climbed anything like it. Not sure I'm really in shape to climb like that anymore!

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  4. Congratulations, Mary! :)

    I have never climbed a crater like that but it looks to be amazing! I live in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains so I do a lot of climbing and hiking here. Table Rock in the Linville Gorge is one place I enjoy hiking to the top.

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  5. I've never climbed anything but a step ladder!!! LOL


    Congrats Mary!

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  6. I haven't climbed anything resembling Diamond Head.

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  7. I climbed a mountain on horseback in Haiti to reach a fort, The Citadel. Glad I did it but I wouldn't do it again lol.

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  8. Congrats, Mary!

    I just walked a little way up Mt. Hood in OR. I could still see the lodge so it wasn't very far! lol

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  9. Thanks! I'll send ya an email.

    The only mountain I've walked up was at Mount Charleston and it was in the snow and I kept falling down..I didn't make it all the way to the top..lol

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  10. have nto maybe would try great pics
    kimh

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  11. My husband and I have hiked Diamond Head and we loved it. Fun hike, awesome views. I'd love to visit the lighthouse sometime too.

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  12. Nope, I haven't climbed up a mountain like that before...

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