I'm pretty excited and telling everyone live or inanimate (whoever will listen!) that I have just completed TWO SOLID YEARS of doing The Walking Hawaiian! Walking a total of 659.10 miles and acquiring 10,000+ views, I feel like celebrating!
First of all, I want to sponsor another CONTEST with the prize being a hand-made (by yours truly) felt Easter egg that you can fill with candy and use year after year! You get to pick which one of the four you want!
Enter by putting the date and year of your own personal favorite "Walking Hawaiian" blog in this comment section and you will be entered in the drawing! The drawing will be held on Friday, April 18, 2014. So you have less than a week to enter! Hurry!
As motivation, I want to share with you my own personal favorites this past year. Click on the date to link immediately to my favorites!
March, 16 2014. - Ford Island, I bravely rang a ship's bell and instantly regretted doing it! Find out why!
February 27, 2014 - Kaka'ako, the artistry of the painted mural on the walls of businesses wowed me!
February 14, 2014 - Makapu'u lighthouse road had dramatic views and I saw WHALES!
January 10, 2014 - Newtown, Aiea had so many strange sights and beauty too!
November 18, 2013 - Fort Shafter, walking on Parks road which is nestled deep in the valley was peaceful and lush with older homes full of character!
September 2, 2013 - Niu Valley was a desire coming to fruition by exploring it fully with all the interesting gates, gardens, driveways, mailboxes and cars!
May 7, 2013 - Diamond Head road introduced me to Reuben, a fellow Hawaiian and craftsman. Also, the walk was full of history!
April 11, 2013 - Kahala-Kaimuki is my old stomping grounds and it brought back so many memories!
So, what have I learned doing "The Walking Hawaiian" the past year? Most importantly, never lose your passion in life! Even though friends, family, health and other activities will wrest for your time, make sure to make time for your passion! Then you will wake up every morning enjoying your life's journey. With me, you won't have blisters! Aloha no! (Lots of Love!)
Thank goodness he wasn't armed when I first talked to him! Actually, Reuben is a Security Guard for "La Pietra: Hawaii School for Girls." He also produces replicas of Ancient Hawaiian weaponry and sells them at Waimea Falls in a booth just past the ticket booth. You can find him on Sunday and Monday, from 9am to 4pm at Waimea Falls if you are interested. I handled the "Pahoa" and it is pretty wicked! It's nice to be "The Walking Hawaiian," and to talk with another Hawaiian as I continue my journey.
Today was a perfect day of sunshine and good surf! So back to the surfing spot in Waikiki to drop off my daughter and her board and on to paths not walked yet in the area. I was able to trek 4.56 miles and found many fascinating facts in this small area.
The school, "La Pietra" started off as a luakini heiau called "papa'ena'ena. After the death of King Lunalilo, James Campbell bought the area. Campbell sold the property to Walter Dillingham who built "La Pietra" in 1883, to closely resemble the "Villa la Pietra" in Florence, Italy where they were married. Bequeathed to Punahou Schools after their demise, Punahou school couldn't use it, so they sold it to Lorraine Day Cooke, wife of the great-grandson of Amos Starr Cooke (co-founder of Castle and Cooke.) They transformed the house to a school and opened officially in the 1969-1970 school year. Talk about a "history!"
The Diamond Head Lighthouse, first built in 1899 was renovated in 1917 when cracks were found. Still using the "Fresnell len's" it's light can be seen 18 miles out to sea! Hawaiians called Diamond Head, "Leahi," which meant "wreath of fire," since Hawaiians would light a fire on the crest of the volcano to guide canoe fleets back to the Island.
The Coast Guard is now responsible for the upkeep of the lighthouses and buoys. The Commander of the 14th Coast Guard district now resides in the lighthouse keeper's dwelling that was built in 1921.
Beautiful homes line the beach fronts and I think that I should have been wearing make-up with all the surveillance cameras I came across today! Hey! Wait a minute! I think that there is an ancient drawing of Reuben on the gate here! HaHa! Check out the left side in the middle! Double click the picture to enlarge if you can't see it!
Heavily decorated near the lighthouse dwelling, this little "patch of pretty" caught me by surprise! You need to see it yourself and study the little details put together here! I don't know who did it or why, but I surely enjoyed it!
Here is a little "patch" of Diamond Head Road. The sidewalks were wide and well maintained which made for excellent walking conditions!
I didn't take a tally count of how many "historic homes" I passed today, but I'm sure that there were at least 6! This is one of them built by Earl Williams in 1932 in the English Tudor Style. I was taken back to England looking at this home, although the palm tree looked out of place! HaHa! Well, you and I may not be making history, but we all have a story to tell! Keep the story going, everyone! Aloha! (Bye!)
