Aloha Slendees! This week I've been counting down the days til the release of our 2013 summer issue by visiting some of my favorite spots on Oahu. I grew up here on the island of Oahu on the Windward side of the island in Kailua but my family moved to the Leeward side of the island to Kapolei when I was a junior in high school. No matter where I've lived since leaving the islands, Hawaii has and always will be my home.
The Slenderbread Magazine
2013 Summer Issue Countdown
5.....
Monday I ventured to Kailua with my brother and found a bustling town of new stores and upgraded buildings along side several long time businesses I remember from my childhood. Our first stop was Island Snow - a surf shop that also sells the best shave ice in Kailua. It's so good even President Obama's been there! I ordered a li hing mui lilikoi shave ice with azuki beans and ice cream. (Suggestion: when ordering shave ice in Hawaii definitely request azuki beans and ice cream. It may sound weird but it is so incredibly fantastic!) We took our shave ice to Kailua Beach just down the road to enjoy. It was a perfect day to be at the beach as the water was calm and the sun was brilliant. Tourists and locals alike were kayaking, paddle boarding, sun bathing and splashing around in the water. It brought back so many wonderful memories of my childhood I could not stop smiling :)
4....
Tuesday my brother and I visited the Pali Lookout which overlooks the Ko'olau Mountains and the Windward side of the island. At over a thousand feet above the coastline, the Pali Lookout is usually quite windy, but to my disappointment it was only mildly windy on Tuesday. The lookout didn't completely disappoint though as the view was spectacular. Tourists flock to the Pali Lookout not only for its breathtaking views but also because of its deep historical significance. The Battle of Nuuanu took place at what is now the Pali Lookout in 1795 and was won by King Kamehameha I who eventually united the Hawaiian islands into one royal kingdom in 1810.
3...
Wednesday my brother and I took an early drive out to the North Shore to visit Pipeline at dawn. Pipeline is a popular surf spot for top professional surfers from around the world (which makes people watching there a sport in itself! ;)). Competitions like Pipe Masters are held there annually and are amazing to watch. The waves can get really, and I mean really, big there but we ended up there on a completely flat day. Without the waves and with only a handful of people on the beach, Pipeline was serene and peaceful, a nice change to what I'm used to there.
2..
Thursday I decided I wanted to visit the Blowhole and took my brother along with me again. I remember being so amazed by the Blowhole as a child and to this day it still excites me. Basically, when waves crash against that part of the shore, they are pushed through lava tubes and then sprayed high into the air. It's so cool to see in person! Just around the corner of the Blowhole is Sandy Beach where we also stopped so my brother could get in some boogie boarding and I could work on my tan ;) 
Today I figured I needed to do something super cool and chose jumping off the Rock at Waimea Bay to conclude my countdown around the island. The Rock at its highest point is about 25 feet high making the jump into the ocean truly exhilarating. I am kinda clumsy and have an interesting history of ER visits, but figured I had a 90% chance of being just fine. It can be confirmed that I survived the jump in one piece ;) 
Make sure you visit the Slenderbread Magazine website to order your copy of the summer issue out June 1st!
May the fierce be with you!
xoxo*j
**A special mahalo to my brother Andrew who traveled with me around the island and took all my photos!
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