Ultimate 2021

 Kaimana Beach - located in central Oahu, near the Kapi'olani park.  Kaimana Beach is one of my favorite beaches in Waikiki. During summer the monk seals come to the shore to bathe in the warm sunlight. To protect the monk seals, parts of the beach are closed off so people don't get close.  The beach is always calm and very family-friendly. You will see families with young children at this beach. I like to go with my family to this beach because I have a baby sister who is only three years old and some beaches in Hawaii can be a bit dangerous for little kids. 

 Waimea Bay Beach Park - located on the North Shore of Oahu.  Waimea Bay Beach is one of the most popular destinations amongst locals and tourists. Visitors are able to swim, bodyboard, surf, cliff jump, and snorkel at the beach depending on the season. Cliff jumping is one of the main attractions of this beach, people are able to jump off from a 30-foot rock. The parking at this beach can be a little difficult because of the limited parking spaces. This beach has one of the prettiest views and it is extremely fun to swim. 

 Makapu'u Beach Park - located on the east side of Oahu.  Makapu'u Beach can be dangerous for non-experienced swimmers and bodyboarders. The seafloor of the beach drops sharply creating a strong shore break. Visitors must enter the water with caution! Although the shore break can be dangerous, the beach is extremely nice and fun to go to with friends. This beach is one of the beaches that my friends and I go to. 

 Waimanalo Country Farm - located by Waimanalo Beach Park and on the east side of Oahu.  The Waimanalo Country Farm is an amazing place to visit for the spring and fall seasons. My favorite time to visit the farm would be during the spring season when the farm allows its guests to walk and take pictures with the blossomed sunflowers. This location is popular amongst mostly locals and some tourists. This farm is an amazing location to visit if anyone is looking for a place to take nice pictures and see the beautiful sunflowers across the farm. Although when I visited the farm the weather was cloudy, it was still nice to see sunflowers with my family and take nice pictures. 

Maunalua Bay Beach Park - located in the East side of the island of Oahu. This location is easily accessible with a beautiful view of the ocean. When looking out to the ocean during the day time, you will be able to see many people on their boats, paddle board, and jet ski. My favorite time to go is during the sunset, especially during summer the sunsets from this location is very beautiful. My family and I park the car right by the water and watch the sunset. 

 Kuliouou Ridge Trail - located in East side of the island of Oahu. This trail is 4.3 miles long and listed as moderate for the difficulty on AllTrails website. I would rate this trail a 7/10, one of the reason why I would rate this a seven out of ten is because the condition of the trail was difficult to go through, especially the day after it rained. Some part of the trail was extremley muddy and slippery. Although, it was scary at some points of the hike the view at the top was worth the trouble. During the hike the 4.3 miles felt extremly long, there were certain times where I considered going back down but I pushed through and went to the top.  I would love to go back to this trail with my friends by end of this year, when I do go back I will remeber to bring tons of water and wear sunscreen. 

Lanikai Pill Box - located in Kailua. I would rate this hike 8/10, one day my friend and I decided to go on a hike and we decided to do the Lanikai pillbox. I always wanted to go on this hike because I have seen many people posting about this hike. This hike is considered a moderate hike on the All Trails website, after finishing the trail I would consider this hike a moderate as well because it was extremely short but some parts of the trail required climbing up and down the rocks.   The view from the top is breathtaking, being able to view Lanikai beach and Mokulua Islands. The trail is steep and it would the best option to wear shoes that have good grips. The downside of the hike is the difficulty in finding parking. Since Lanikai is extremely popular amongst the tourists and the locals it can be difficult to find a parking spot near the entrance of the trail. Overall, this hike was rewarding and fun to go on with friends and family. 

 Hello!  My name is Mao Mina Hanada, but I go by Mina. I turned twenty last month and I have been living in Honolulu, Hawaii for the last twelve years of my life. I enjoy living in Hawaii because I am able to experience the tropical paradise and the diverse culture of the island. My favorite part of living in Hawaii is the diverse culture and the acceptance of everyone. Having the luxury of traveling to different countries, I have realized that I am extremely lucky to be in a state that is a melting pot of different cultures. I am able to learn about other cultures and also share my own culture with other people every day. For my blog, I will be sharing the amazing views of Hawaii and the different cultures that Hawaii is full of.