Day 4 - Diamond Head State Monument and the Iolani Palace

By Ellen Outten

 Clicking on any picture will enlarge it for a better view


The hike from trailhead to the summit is steep and strenuous, gaining 560 feet as it ascends from the crater floor.  The hiking trail to the summit is not ADA accessible, it is very steep and uneven in some areas. The last 1/10 of a mile is all stairs (99 of them to be exact) and especially steep.   This is the statement from the brochure and the park's website.   I'd say I completed about 65% of the trail when I turned around and headed back down.   When the trail turned to slick mud, uneven pot holes and gullies full of water, I erred on the side of caution and turned around and headed back down the trail.  I gave it a valiant effort but decided I wanted to enjoy the remainder of my trip without casts or sprained ankles.


Still, I enjoyed the hike that I did and I walked a respectable 4.25 miles today on the trail and including the rest of the day.  I managed to capture a few views on the trail as well as coming in to the state park.
Driving in to Diamond Head State Park you can see the tunnel ahead and the height of the mountain through which the tunnel was carved.

Looking down into the valley floor from the trail.

After Diamond Head we went searching for our third fabric store only to find it closed.   We wandered back to the Hale Koa for another wonderful lunch, and another trip through the Navy BX exchange.  Mai Tai #2 and pictures of the grounds surrounding the hotel.




From there we went to the Iolani Palace.   Rain started just as we arrived and we were glad to get inside.  We only took a tour of the basement as that was all that was available.  I should have bought tickets in advance.   But, we got to see the jewels of the last King and Queen.  The Iolani Palace was the royal residence of the rulers of the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi beginning with Kamehameha III under the Kamehameha Dynasty and ending with Queen Liliʻuokalani under the Kalākaua Dynasty.  The palace was the official residence of the Hawaiian monarchs, prior to Hawaii becoming a US territory.














A 13.8 carat diamond among the collection.


King Kamehameha


Tomorrow we travel up the north eastern shore of Oahu and have tickets to the Polynesian Cultural Center concluding with a luau and a show.  Hoping for good weather.







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