East O'Ahu Drive

 Motorcycle cop on O'Ahu - now there's a job that looked good to me.  First of all, the whole island has a pretty laid back vibe, the speed limits almost everywhere are very low, no road rage, everyone seems to be in no real hurry.  I spent a lot of times on the roads and saw maybe six or eight in 10 days, including these guys.  I was usually back at the rental by six most nights so maybe it gets more lively at night?

 This is the Hukilau Burger from the Hukilau Cafe right in Laie where we stayed, as featured on Man vs. Food.  1/4 pound beef patty sitting under 1/4 pound of teriyaki beef, all under a fried egg and melted cheese.  A little lettuce and tomato and you have burger heaven folks, it was amazing . . . .

 I'm not sure what the name of this beach was without dragging out the guidebook, but I do remember the tide pooling was great, so my sister from Idaho would love it.

 Hard to see, but a land crab is making a stand in this crevice.  I tried to get closer for a better photo and he backed completely into the hole.

 Along with the good tide-pooling, there was some nice surf rolling in on the lava rock.

 This is Halona Blowhole, looking back towards Halona Beach.  This is one of my favorite photos from the trip, I like the rock formations piled on the cliff and I love the water with Halona Beach in the background.  The weather was perfect, we had the top down, and it was just a great day cruising around being tourists.

 Honolulu Fire Rescue apparently doesn't always hang out in their bare feet, they were staged on Halona Beach making a rescue (or doing some very realistic training) on the cliffs above the highway.

 They made several trips, bringing someone down in the litter basket each time.  Riding in that litter would be pretty wild . . . .

 This is the Blowhole in action - not going too high when we were there, it depends on the surf and the tide.  From what I could tell, it was the amount of water entering the right side of the blowhole that dictated the height.

 I'm not sure if this lighthouse is still a navigational aide, but it makes for a great picture.

There was so much to see on the North and East sides of O'ahu, we didn't make it to the middle and leeward areas of the island until the day we left.  Based on what we saw, we stayed in just the right place!