crouching lion hike on oahu, hawaii
When you live in Hawaii, exploring the island on the weekend never gets old. With hundreds of hikes and endless miles of beaches, there’s always a picturesque view to discover. Today Jarden and I, along with our fur child, Buddy, took a drive to the east side of the island, Ka’a’awa, to do the mini Crouching Lion Hike.
The Crouching Lion Hike is a relatively short and easy hike that connects with the Pu’u Manamana hiking trail. Since we had our dog with us we chose to do the easy route, but the Pu’u Manamana trail goes a far ways up, and is known for it’s lethal, yes lethal, ridge lines. That’s for another day, without the fur baby!
Walking along the asphalt as cars whizz past, the hike starts off of the side of the road. With a short trek up the mountain, it’s not long before we got to the first bunker. Cue yoga pose!
With a slightly longer hike, we passed a second bunker, the first peak, and finally reached a second peak. Cue hairy legs!
This is where we stopped as it was nearing the connecting point to the aforementioned ridge trail. Overall, it was a pretty easy hike! The path wasn’t necessarily dangerous as long as you’re careful, and the view was astonishing as always. It does suck going down though; I had to slide on my butt a few times down.
After the hike we decided to stop at Jarden’s favorite place to get huli huli chicken. Mike’s Huli Huli chicken is a bit pricey, but after the first bite you’ll agree that it’s worth all of your dollars. (Tip: Cash Only!) I’m dying to come back and try the kalua pig and ahi-shrimp combo!
Apparently we aren’t the only ones who love Mike’s! This truck has been frequented by the likes of Rachel McAdams, and Guy from Diner’s, Drive Ins, and Dives.
Huli Huli Chicken is chicken cooked on a skewer while rotating. (“Huli” means to turn in Hawaiian.) We got the regular chicken plate #5; it was extremely moist, saturated with flavor, and accompanied by a sweet, slightly spicy sauce that will surely make your mouth water.
Naturally after our meal I was craving a sweet treat. With a lack of smoothie/coffee shops in the nearby area, we headed off to Mocha Java Cafe at Windward Mall.
Mocha Java Cafe is a “hidden” gem in my opinion. Although widely available, it’s not something you’d expect to find in a mall, and more reminescent of healthy/hippie Haleiwa town. Fresh pressed juices, a plethora of acai bowls, and delicious iced coffee.
All in all it was a terrific Saturday. (Despite the RIDICULOUS traffic to and from the east side). Keep an eye out for more posts in our Explore Hawaii series! What’s one of your favorite places to escape to in your hometown?
