Around the island

Ryan's buddy Steve Do and his wife Jane (Yes her name is Jane Do) came and picked me up this morning and graciously took me on an amazing tour around the island, allowing me some time outside of the tourist haven of Wakiki. The beaches in Wakiki are certainly great, but don't compare to the North Shore which is extremely blue, as a result of fewer tourists jumping in who wear sunblock and other oils. Here is a list of activities for the day.

• We began with the Nuuanu Pali Lookout with its amazing view of the east side of the island. It seems to always be misting in the mountains and in the afternoon in Wakiki. In some of the pictures you can see how low the clouds are. In the distance you can see the island where Gilligan's Island was filmed. Really cool.
• On our way to the North Shore we passed the Kukaloa Ranch, where Jurrassic Park was filmed.
• Stopped for lunch at this killer shrimp shack off the highway.
• Checked out the Sunset Beach community on the North Shore where my dad lived when my grandfather was stationed in Hawaii for the Army.
• Stopped at Hanauma Bay and saw a giant Green Sea Turtle the locals refer to as a Hona. The turtles tend to gather in this particular area and often sit on the beach and don't seem to be phased by the spectators.
• Finally we stopped at the Dole Pineapple Plantation and enjoyed some delicious pineapple soft serve. This is the place to come to answer any questions you might have about pineapples.
• Finished the night off with a nice umbrella drink on the beach listening to some local music.

Steve was awesome and entertained all my simplistic tourist questions. We mostly talked about how goofy Mr. Ryan Lewis is. Just kidding of course. Big thanks go to Ryan for the hook up. This connection definitely allowed me to see much more than I would have otherwise and it was awesome to get some insight from someone who lives here.