Feeling the blues (sky and ocean) atop the Lanikai Pillbox Hike
Saturday, September 10, 2011
By Christine Strobel 3D TRAVEL ONLINE EDITOR
You know how you feel a kinship with a place where you spent quality time in your life? My father lived in Lanikai, a division of Kailua on Oahu's Windward side, for a number of years before retiring to the Mainland. I shacked up in that glorious little A-frame house of his for a few months, just up the hill from the entrance to the Lanikai Pillbox Hike. For a while there, that hike and strong coffee was my morning ritual. (Pictured top: Look closely, you can see the rain falling on Molokai across the Ka Iwi Channel. Pictured below: The trail winding down from the WWII bunkers, or "pillboxes," at the top. Kailua Bay and the Koolau Mountains are in the distance. Photos: 3D Travel, Inc.)
I can promise you this: There is no half-mile hike anywhere else on the island that will give you these views. It's a bit of an uphill push over slippery and dusty pathways to start, but you're soon rewarded with striking views of the offshore Mokulua Islands, Molokai and Maui in the distance, and every imaginable shade of blue, including a few not yet in the Crayola box. That view will accompany you as you wind your way up the rest of the Ka Iwi Ridge until you reach the WWII-era bunkers — the pillboxes — at the top. The ocean and reef views are mesmerizing: such clarity to the water. You can watch the teams of kayakers slowly approach the "Mokes" and the beachgoers frolick on their stand-up paddleboards and catamarans. And, if there's a swell, surfers at the Mokes and Flat Island.
If you enjoy exercising on your vacation, try this: Run or walk the "Lanaikai Loop" — the 2.2-mile road that circumnavigates the the neighborhood — a couple of times before you hit the trail. The neighborhood is gorgeous: laden with trees and flowers, a mish-mash of old-style beach bungalows and palatial estates, with lots of beach access points along Mokulua Drive... in case you decide to jump into that inviting Pacific instead.
Keep in mind while you're hiking: This trail is not maintained by the state. There are ropes and many small trees to assist in that first vertical push, but don't depend on them to keep you upright. Still, it's easy enough to bring the kids or anyone groaning at the prospect of exercise. The payoff is worth many more times the investment.
Ready to eat? You've earned it. For hearty fare, try Food Company in Enchanted Lake, the original Lanikai Juice for epic acai bowls or Aloha Salads for fresh and local veggies, Island Snow for shave ice or Morning Brew for coffee, eggs and bagel sandwiches. Or, Mac Nut pancakes at Boot's & Kimo's.
You know how you feel a kinship with a place where you spent quality time in your life? My father lived in Lanikai, a division of 
I can promise you this: There is no half-mile hike anywhere else on the island that will give you these views. It's a bit of an uphill push over slippery and dusty pathways to start, but you're soon rewarded with striking views of the offshore Mokulua Islands, Molokai and Maui in the distance, and every imaginable shade of blue, including a few not yet in the Crayola box. That view will accompany you as you wind your way up the rest of the Ka Iwi Ridge until you reach the WWII-era bunkers — the pillboxes — at the top. The ocean and reef views are mesmerizing: such clarity to the water. You can watch the teams of kayakers slowly approach the "Mokes" and the beachgoers frolick on their stand-up paddleboards and catamarans. And, if there's a swell, surfers at the 