Hawaii Island Hopper

Hiking to the Top of Diamond Head Crater. The 1.4-mile round-trip takes about 1 1/2 hours and the entry fee is $1. Before you begin your journey to the top of the crater, put on some decent shoes (rubber-soled tennies are fine) and take a flashlight (you'll walk through several dark tunnels), binoculars (for better viewing at the top), water (very important), a hat to protect you from the sun, and a camera.

The hike to the summit of Diamond Head starts at Monsarrat and 18th avenues on the crater's inland (or mauka) side. To get there, take TheBus no. 58 from the Ala Moana Shopping Center. The trailhead starts in the parking lot and proceeds along a paved walkway (with handrails) as it climbs up the slope. You'll pass old World War I and II pillboxes, gun emplacements, and tunnels built as part of the Pacific defense network. Several steps take you up to the top observation post on Point Leahi. The views are indescribable.

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One of the most popular hikes on the island takes visitors inside Diamond Head volcanic crater, where even relatively unfit travelers can trudge up 175 stairs and journey through a 225-foot unlit tunnel to reach an observation deck once used by the military to search for approaching enemies. The paved trail attracts novice hikers rewarded with a view of the shores of Waikiki and nearby areas from above.

- More intense than Diamond Head is the climb into Koko Crater to the south, where more than 1,000 makeshift "stairs," which are really wooden blocks from an old railway track, take climbers to the top for sweeping views of the upscale Hawaii Kai homes and marina.

- While on that side of the island, the paved pathway on Makapuu Lighthouse Road offers views of Manana (Rabbit) and Mokuhope islands. A rocky switchback leads more adventurous explorers to some tide pools and a powerful blowhole located nearly 400 feet below the road.

- Crave waterfalls? Most tourists make their way to the Manoa Falls Trail, which veers through a bamboo forest, over massive boulders and exposed roots before the 0.8-mile-long trail reaches the 150-foot shimmering falls. Don't expect a swim, as a 2002 landslide dropped debris and rocks into the pool at the base of the falls, causing the state to rope off the pool. Most people end here, but the 1.3-mile Aihualama Trail will take hikers up a winding path to the end of Manoa Valley and a stunning overlook.

- The Judd Trail, known as Jackass Ginger, crosses a shallow, rocky stream and passes bamboo, ironwood and eucalyptus forests before coming to a small waterfall, which trickles into a refreshing pool. A rope swing makes for an adventurous dip and a slippery rock can be used as a slide. (The trail is also where ABC's hit show "Lost" filmed many of last season's scenes, including Eko's death and the mysterious Jacob's home.)

- Midway through that hike, the Nuuanu Trail veers off for a rigorous climb and more great lookouts, connecting to those 20 other trails above Honolulu. Look carefully from these openings, especially on the Manoa Cliff Trail, for distant falls across the valleys.

- The ridge trails are often the most challenging, but offer airplane-window views of the island. The Mauumae Ridge Trail, also known as Lanipo, is often called the "roller coaster workout" for good reasons as it leads visitors along the tip-top of the dense green mountainside, with a closeup view of the rest of Koolau Mountains and the entire south half of the island from Koko Crater to the Waianae Mountains.

- Another high journey for experienced hikers is the 5.5-mile haul up the Dupont Trail in the Waianae Range, which rises 4,000 feet and eventually reaches Mount Kaala, Oahu's highest peak.

Na Ale Hele: Maps, trailhead access points and trail descriptions for hikes throughout Hawaii, organized by island, are available at: http://www.hawaiitrails.net/.

Hawaii's Hiking Trails: Find maps, tips, recommendations, weather and discussion boards at: http://www.backyardoahu.com/.

Hawaiian Trail and Hiking Club: This Oahu-based club leads different hikes every weekend and publishes a quarterly hiking schedule on its Web site noting which hikes are open to nonmembers. A $2.00 donation is requested for each nonmember, age 18 or over. Children under 18 must be accompanied by a responsible adult. Visit: http://www.htmclub.org/.

House Without A Key restaurant - cocktails at sunset with Hawaiian live music
either night, open at 5:30pm

To fill up like a local, find a "plate lunch," an only-in-Hawaii experience that matches a hefty portion of protein (maybe teriyaki chicken or barbecue ribs) with two sides (usually giant scoops of rice, potato salad, or macaroni salad), for under $10. The plate lunch at the Koloa Fish Market is a gourmet experience hidden inside a Styrofoam container: roasted kalua pig with sides of ahi poke--raw ahi tuna tossed in soy sauce and spices--and salt-cured lomi salmon salad (5482 Koloa Rd., Koloa, 808/742-6199).
In Hanalei, the simply named Mixed Plate serves a kind of hippie-fied version, with brown rice and tofu stir-fries alongside the salty and deep-fried entrées that Hawaiians love (5-5190 Kuhio Hwy., 808/826-7888).

Please join us for our monthly starwatch in Kaumakani at the softball field. Follow highway 50 West past Hanapepe. After mile marker 18, just past the Thrifty Bakery on your left, take the next right at the fork to Kaumakani School.
Follow the signs to ball field, behind school buildings, for parking