Ambria's Adventures

  Sunday is typically reserved as a hiking day for my friend group and me. This past Sunday, we decided to try a trail none of us had ever done but was on our lists: Pali Puka. This trail is less than 1 mile (my GPS marked it as .85 to the hole in the rock and back), rated moderate-difficult, has many steep areas where ropes are provided to help climb, can be windy and muddy, and will have you walking along some cliff edges. If you’re not great with heights, this may not be the one. However, one of the girls with us was very nervous at the cliffs and managed to make it with our support. Getting to the Pali Puka was pretty easy, and there is a parking area for the Nu’uanu Pali Lookout Point (if you’re coming from Honolulu, just take highway 61 N about 5 miles, and the signs are marked. If you reach the tunnels, you went too far). There are parking fees for non-residents that can be paid at the pay station. It looked like there were several options to pay, including using a credit ...

One of the best ways for my friends and me to pre-game in Waikiki was by taking a quick, semi-scenic trip off the beach on a fun and friendly booze cruise. There are a few options, but the one I always ended up taking was the Na Hoku II (http://nahokuiiandmanukai.com/wp/) behind the Sheraton Hotel in Waikiki. You can call and make reservations for your group or take your chances and hang out near the area around the times they ship out (late morning, afternoon, and early evening). The prices change a bit according to the time of day. It was $35 per person when I last went on this trip, but the price may have gone up since then.  The best part about taking this short cruise is that you can sit and relax with your friends while having as many drinks as you can (all drink costs are covered with the entry fee). There are a variety of mixed drinks, along with Coors Light and PBR beers, and some non-alcoholic beverages available. And don't worry! There are bathrooms below deck....

The infamous Stairway to Heaven. Loved by many, hated by residents. I actually did this hike as a result of a Tinder date. I was talking with a guy who lived very close to my school, so I agreed to meet him after class. There weren't any major sparks from either party, but we did have quite a bit in common and decided to be friends, without saying so directly.  After our lunch and some drinks, he began asking about the hike, and I told him what I'd heard, although I never did it. We ended up making plans to do the hike that day... well, in the wee hours of the next morning.  As I went home to prepare, I instantly regretted agreeing to this. I was pretty drunk and not in the mood to dodge security and climb up thousands of wobbly steps. But I wasn't going to be the one to back out of it, and neither was he. We met back up, gathered some extra supplies, and made our way up to the neighborhood where the trail begins.  Right as we were beginning, it started raining! I too...

In an attempt to be more active and not miss out on "Hawaii", some friends from school and I decided to make a bucket list group to plan events so we could cross off items on our list together. This only lasted about a month or so because people in the group realized they did not like each other very much (what an optimist I was to think a group of funny, wise women could remain friends). Nonetheless, I planned our first event, which was Stand Up Paddleboarding.  The girls and I decided to meet for lunch at Hiking Hawaii Cafe ( hikinghawaii808.com ). This was a relatively healthy place known for its smoothies and wraps (unfortunately, the last time I checked, the cafe had closed). After we were all accounted for and sufficiently fed, we left to enjoy the fun part of our day. We cross the street to Quality Surfboards Hawaii (www.qualitysurfboardshawaii.com) to rent the boards. It was only $30 for the day, but the store even offered $25 student discount (upon request). Th...

Because I'm just starting to blog about my bucket list, a lot of the things I've done have already taken place, and some I've done multiple times. I'm unsure how to best disseminate the stories (chronologically?) or if each item on its list needs its own post. I'm going to wing it and hope it works out.   Let's start with the last item that was able to be crossed off the list: The   Sandbar (or "Sand Bar") The sandbar is located in Kaneohe Bay on the northeast side of Oahu. There are several ways to get there and several points of access. At this point in time, I've been to the sandbar on three occasions and got there using three different methods. 1. Sailboat While in school, I was lucky enough to meet an awesome, adventurous girl who had an equally awesome and adventurous boyfriend who was in the Navy. He and some friends pooled their resources and bought a sailboat. For my friend's birthday, a group of us gathered on the boat to head ...

This blog is far overdue.  I've wanted to share some experiences in Hawaii since I have lived here for over seven years now and have become increasingly familiar with the island. I know a lot of people come for vacation, so I would like to help offer some experiences outside of Waikiki.  I came to Oahu when I was 26 years old to finish my BA in Sociology at Hawaii Pacific University. I moved here from Phoenix, AZ, although I was born and raised in Daggett, CA (right next to Barstow). I joined the Navy after high school, and I took it VERY seriously. After 6.5 years of my enlistment, I had worked myself thin (not literally, unfortunately), completely stressed myself out, and started showing signs of major depression. I took on way too many extra duties and did a lot of things outside of work, like college classes and volunteering to help my military career. The time came when I realized the military didn't care about me the way I cared about it. I also realized I was very li...