I’ve always wanted to see Koko Head from this angle.

You see, I like guns.

The thing is, I don’t own any. But, Reanne’s friend John has a bunch. Big ones. And he offered to meet us at the range and let us shoot them.

If you’ve ever hiked up Koko Head during the day you know where this place is. It’s inside a smaller crater between Koko Head and Hanauma. You can hear the guns firing during your entire hike up the stairs. It’s unsettling and for the entire hike you need to remind yourself to have faith in humanity. And now that I’ve been to the range I can confirm that yes, hikers are totally within firing range. But, I’m happy to know that there are several range attendants on duty that monitor the shooters with eagle eyes.

On this day Reanne’s friends John and Jeff generously let us shoot their custom built rifles. They taught us the rules of the range and showed us how to handle and aim the weapons. We had a blast. Get it? A blast.

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Pele’s Chair is the prominent rock formation that you can see while driving to the Windward side of Oahu. It overlooks a small beach called Alan Davis (named after a guy that owned a ton of land back in the day).

Alan Davis is a very popular beach with Windward side locals because of this pole. The kids here do crazy tricks off it. You’ve probably seen a bunch of pics on Facebook of your friends jumping off it. I know I have, and I’ve been wanting to go.

The chair and beach are easy to get to. You park in the same lot that takes you to the Makapu’u Lighthouse and tide pools and after a 10 minute walk, you’re at the beach. Last weekend, we wanted to go do something outdoorsy but we didn’t have all day. Coming out here fit the bill nicely.

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If you’ve done the Ka’au Crater hike you’ve no doubt seen this temple. It sits at the back of Palolo Valley and you drive past it on you’re way to the Ka’au Crater trailhead. But, have you ever been in it?

The Mu-Ryang-Sa temple is a humble Korean Buddhist temple that’s been around for over 30 years. As your driving to the back of Palolo, it’s hard to miss. This weekend I decided to check it out before heading into the rainforest. I thought I would walk around for 5-10 minutes but ended up spending over half and hour here taking pictures. And I would’ve stayed longer if I had more time. There’s eye candy galore on these grounds.

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Ah, Sandy Beach. The most beautiful sandy bottom beach on the Southeast side of Oahu. It looks peaceful and serene here, but those who know this beach know that this is not the typical scene.

This is the typical scene. Utter chaos.

But on Saturday, some of the chaos was controlled. There was a bodysurfing competition and the islands best bodysurfers charged this infamous shore break.

Most of you probably know where it is, but if not, you can get to Sandy Beach (or just “Sandys”) by driving Eastbound for 25 minutes from Town. It’ll be the first beach you see after you pass Hanauma Bay. If you’re looking for somewhere to swim and sunbathe, you’ll probably want to look elsewhere. There are many better beaches for that. The parking lot is always full here, it’s not good for swimming and it’s swarming with genetically perfect local youths that will (unless you too have sub-5% body fat) make you feel like a fatty.

But if you surf, this place is awesome. And if you’re a bodysurfer or bodyboarder, this place is epic.

I cruised out here for a morning BBQ with some friends. The waves were too big for my taste on this day. I had my fins in my car and that’s where they stayed. My camera on the other hand got some good use. Check out the full post to see pics of some local men and women bodysurfers.

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