Hawaii Diary 2000

Hawaii Diary 2000 • Part 1: Overview • Part 2: Arrival, the Hard Way • Part 3: Mighty Mo and Downtown Honolulu • Part 4: Circle Island Adventure on Oahu • Part 5: Oahu's Leeward Shore • Part 6: Oahu in Pictures • Part 7: Off to Maui • Part 8: West Maui's Rugged North Shore • Part 9: Old Lahaina Luau, Lahaina, Maui • Part 10: In Celebration of Canoes, Lahaina, Maui • Part 11: Maui's Kihei Coast • Part 12: Haleakala and Upcountry Maui • Part 13: A Day of Rest on Maui • Part 14: Molokai for a Day • Part 15: Hana, Maui and Beyond • Part 16: Sunset Sail in Paradise • Part 17: Hawaii Diary 2000 Retrospective

From Kaneohe Bay we took a brief loop back south on the Kahekili Highway to the Valley of Temples and the Byodo-in Temple. The Valley of Temples is actually a large cemetery with lovely areas devoted to several different religious denominations.

Byodo-in Temple
Photo by John Fischer

To the west of the cemetery lies the Byodo-in Temple, a beautiful Buddhist temple, which is open to the public. The Byodo-in Temple is one of the hidden gems of O`ahu which most visitors never see.

Continuing north we decided to stop at Kualoa Regional Park where you can get a great view of Mokolii Island, more popularly known as Chinaman's Hat.

Mokolii Island (Chinaman's Hat)
Photo by John Fischer

This is a popular park for family gatherings and parties. The beach is very narrow but there is a large grassy area where entire families gather for outings.

From Kualoa we headed further north past Laie, home to the Polynesian Cultural Center, BYU Hawaii Campus and a large Mormon Temple. The Polynesian Cultural Center is run and staffed by BYU and the college's students. It is closed on Sundays.

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