Heaven on Earth

We finally went to one of my favorite places, Oahu's North Shore!  Every time I come to Hawaii, I go to the North Shore.  We came here once in college for a basketball tournament and got to watch the Billabong Pipeline Surf Competition.  In the winter, the North Shore is famous for its gigantic waves, professional surfers, and endless surf competitions.  In the summer, however, the waves settle down dramatically, which makes it an amazing place to visit.

There are many famous beaches on the North Shore so we decided to start with Sunset Beach.  Since it was a weekday (Wednesday), it wasn't too crowded.

We didn't do a lot here. Mostly we relaxed and watched Jaden have fun. We did manage to take our traditional North Shore photo shoot, until a lost dog, Pua, interrupted it and wanted to join in the fun!

We spent about three hours here and then packed up.  As we were driving through the North Shore town of Haleʻiwa, we came upon Waimea Beach.  This beach, obviously, is beautiful (what beach in Hawaii isn't?) but the real reason we, Jaden, stopped was because of "Jump Rock". 

I politely declined his invitation for me to jump with him.  Being the good mother that I am, I ignored the warning signs and told him of course he could go jump.  I even suggested he do a backflip.  So, he climbs up this mountain, rock, and I'm waiting to take his video/picture, but the sun is right in front of me!  Anyone with an iPhone knows you always want the sun behind you!  He jumped three times but then got mad because on his last jump he messed up his "cannonball" and I wouldn't let him do it again.  I don't like to tempt fate repeatedly.  

After the daredevil dried off, we headed further into town to Turtle Beach (aka Laniakea beach).  This natural sanctuary attracts many of the endangered Hawaiian Green Sea Turtle or “Honu”.  They are federally protected by the Endangered Species Act and it is against the law to get within six feet of them.  We saw many turtles swimming in the shore as well as taking a nap on the sand.  

The day was winding down, so we decided to stop for dinner and watch the sunset.  Even though I have been here many times, I don't think I have ever seen a sunset on the North Shore.  We stopped at Haleiwa Beach to watch the sun go down.  Jaden's energy level is directly related to how full his "food box" (stomach) is so he opted to run during the sunset.  Who's kid is this?  My hope is that, as he looks back on his childhood, he realizes and appreciates how lucky he was.  Enjoy the photos!  

I love the SUP in the distance