Jack and Jill Adventures Hawaii

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The rustic town of Waimanalo stretches lazily along the windward coast of Oahu along the foothills of the Ku’ulou Mountains.  This laid back Hawaiian beach town is usually only a rest stop for tourists on the way to the North Shore from the resorts in Waikiki.  A smattering of restaurants and lunch trucks along the narrow two lane highway providing them a place to stretch their legs and grab a shave ice or plate lunch before continuing on their way to the better known beaches and attractions to the north.  Locals, undoubtedly, are ok with this.  They prefer to keep their rural, sleepy lifestyle separate from the hustle and bustle of nearby Honolulu.  It also happens to sit on one of the largest and most scenic beaches on the island.  A long, curving white sand beach that stretches for nearly 3 miles provides an ideal location some of Hawaii’s best for  body boarding and beach going all set against the postcard-perfect backdrop of the steeped mountain range it fronts.  Behind the village rises acres of land ideal for farming, the rich volcanic soil and sunshine providing perfect conditions for growing a variety of plants and vegetables.  In autumn, this includes pumpkins!  The rich foothills are home to Waimanalo Country Farms and their 2^nd Annual Pumpkin Patch and Corn Maze.  Only in its second year, the event delivers nicely on the nostalgic yearly family trip to the local farm to select the perfect Halloween pumpkin, with a Hawaiian twist of course.  Hot apple cider and mittens are replaced by rainbow colored shaved ice and slippers.  The typical farm expanse tragically littered with awe inspiring views of the nearby ocean instead of changing foliage!  Open every Saturday and Sunday in October from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., the family owned and operated farm hosts a fall celebration including pumpkin picking, hayrides, corn maze, games, photos, face painting, food, shaved ice and other family activities.    Pumpkins of all shapes and sizes line the farm’s fields for your family’s scrutiny, evaluation and selection.  Pumpkins are priced by size and start at about $2.00 (slightly better than prices at other farms or the grocery store!).  Activities are grouped into packages of four activities and each package is $6.00 per person.  The last two weekends of the month, the maze and hayride will take on a far more sinister and haunting attribute and will reopen from 6:30 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. (they stop selling tickets at 10:00 p.m. to ensure ticket holders can get through prior to closing) for those seeking a more frightening experience.  Tickets for these two events cost $12.00 for one or $20 for both.  Bring plenty of cash, the pumpkin patch is cash only and there are no ATMs on site.  There is no charge for parking or for admission.  There are restroom facilities on site (Port-a-johns only).   Food and drink are available for purchase.  We highly recommend that you bring a wagon, preferably the All Terrain type with a sun shade, for carrying your children and pumpkins around the farm!  Trust us on this one, you will thank us later!  Jogging strollers will work too if you do not have a wagon.  Additionally, we recommend you dress the family in clothes and shoes that you don’t mind getting dirty—it is a working farm!  The farm is off Lupe Street in Waimanalo across the street from Waimanolo Beach Park, follow the signs from Kalanianaole Highway.  At the end of Lupe Street, follow the narrow dirt road leading to the farm.  Use caution, the road is narrow (one way traffic only) and quite rough.  Pay attention to the staff along the road managing traffic flow, it can get backed up at times.  You won’t need a four wheel drive but you may wish you had it!  The experience at Waimanalo Country Farms is similar to other island pumpkin patches in that the pumpkins are pre-picked and placed in the field, replenished each night for the next day’s customers.  The patch is slightly smaller than other farms but there is still a large selection of quality pumpkins available.  Likewise, the number of activities is not as plentiful; however, there is more than enough to keep the children entertained for the afternoon.  Despite the smaller scale of the event at Waimanalo Country Farms, we actually greatly preferred the more picturesque surroundings, the typically cooler temperatures found on the windward side and the smaller crowd size over neighboring  farms and patches --although that may change as word continues to grow out about it!  The farm’s smaller size somehow made the visit more intimate and the experience less overwhelming.  The weather was balmy but not oppressive, and its super friendly staff made this feel like the vintage family friendly trips we so fondly look back on and want our children to experience as well.  We highly recommend you consider visiting Waimanalo Country Farms if you are looking for a uniquely Hawaiian family adventure to the pumpkin patch.  Neighbor Islands: Oahu is certainly not the only Hawaiian Island that holds these terrific family friendly fall events.  If you are visiting or reside on Maui or the Big Island, there are farms on those islands that also offer pumpkin picking during the Halloween season.  Consider checking out Kula Country Farms in upcountry Maui and Kohala Mountain Farm Pumpkin Patch on the Big Island.  

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It’s known by many different names but the narrow strip of sand which runs from the Royal Hawaiian Hotel along the Outrigger Waikiki to the Sheraton Moana Surfrider is the heart of activity along world famous Waikiki Beach.  Surrounded by Waikiki’s oldest and most historic hotels, the beach hearkens back to the early days of Waikiki when societal elite first began to arrive on the island.  It was here that local surfers first mingled with guests and began to teach them not only about Hawaiian culture but also water sports, breathing new life into the ancient Hawaiian sports of surfing and canoeing.  The “beachboys” embodied the Hawaiian way of life and provided comprehensive concierge services to visitors often serving as local guides, surf instructors, lifeguards, and entertainers who frequently serenaded guests with Hawaiian music on the ukulele often for nothing more than friendship, a handshake, and a diminutive tip!   This tradition continues even today as visitors can relax on the verandas of the very same hotels or beachside in linen lounge chairs and still be catered to by modern “beachboys” offering Mai Tia drinks, sailing catamaran charters, surf lessons, or outrigger canoe rides.   Today’s “beachboys” are more organized, either working for the hotels or beach services companies that line the beach, and work on a fee-based service concept but they still reflect the spirit of aloha reminiscent of their Hawaiian waterman lineage.  They have endured over the past 90 years though, not because of the services they provide or the spirit in which they provide it, although both are superb, but because of the tremendous beaches that front the hotels and the throng of beachgoers that it beckons.  Packed with golden sand, surrounded by shallow and well protected water, and with easy access to some of the best beginner surf breaks in the entire world, this is vintage Waikiki.  The beach here is surrounded by magnificent hotels, open air beach bars, easy public access, and numerous beach services stands, making it an ideal location for beachgoers of all type.  Families, in particular, will like the soft sand, perfect for small children to play in, and the modest surf, which is ideal for little swimmers.  Older children and teens will love the variety of water activities that are available and will probably yearn to catch a wave on a surfboard.  There’s no other wave in the world that has taught more people to surf than the one that can be found right off shore this beach.  All of this perfection does not come without its downside though as this section of Waikiki Beach is also the most densely crowded.  The adjacent hotels chain off areas of the beach near their beach access points in order to make lounge chairs and umbrellas available for use by their guests.  Catamarans beach themselves as they await their next departure.  Outrigger canoes come and go with regularity.  Surf schools line their students up along the beach for instruction.  All of which makes for a beautiful cacophony of beach activity, but limits the amount of beach actually available for, well, enjoying the beach!  If you plan to bring the family, arrange to get here early, you will do well to find a spot to claim by midmorning.  There are limited pockets of shade available but they too are always taken early and shift with the arcing sun.  Your best bet is to bring a small beach tent or umbrella for shade and lots of sunscreen!  Lifeguards monitor all of the water activity from a couple of lifeguard stations located on the beach.  Restroom facilities are available at all of the hotels or there are public facilities available at the east end of the beach on the Diamond Head side of the Moana Surfrider.  Dining options are abundant if you plan to stay over lunch.  There are numerous concession stands available as well as a number of restaurants lining the beach and nearby Kalakaua Avenue.   By far the most famous, and well worth a visit if you have never been there before, is Duke’s Waikiki in the Outrigger Waikiki, where shoes and shirts are optional and bikinis and board shorts preferred.  Popular for its beachside location and access, open aired dining with a view, and Hawaiian music the oceanfront retreat is named for Hawaii’s most famous son, Duke Kahanamoku, and offers breakfast, lunch and dinner.  This vivacious hotspot is constantly crowded but the experience is worth whatever waiting you may have to endure (Hint: we recommend reservations, even for lunch!).  Consistently ranked among Hawaii’s best, be sure to check out all the Duke memorabilia and the kids will love the Hula Pie!   Parking can be a little hard to find if you plan to drive to the beach.  Most of the hotel parking is only for guests or patrons of their shops and restaurants.  There are a few public lots on streets perpendicular to Kalakaua Avenue and at some of the nearby shopping centers but your best bet is to park at the lot next to the Honolulu Zoo or in stalls along Kapiolani Park and walk to the beach.   There is no beachfront sidewalk that parallels this section of beach so accessing the beach from the eastern end, which is where most of the available parking is located, and walking to an open spot of beach will be a challenge in the soft sand especially if you are carrying an entire family’s amount of beach gear!  If this is your family or you intend to bring a stroller, be sure to walk along Kalakaua Avenue and access the beach through the hotels public beach access locations. It will make your life much easier!  This is a terrific beach for all beachgoers, especially families.  Terrific conditions and abundant activities make it ideal for children of all ages.  Its popularity derived from both, and its superb location next to some of Waikiki’s finest and most admired hotels.  There is a friendliness and tropical euphoria among all visitors that overshadows any unpleasantness as a result of the crowds.  It’s somehow fitting that the center of Waikiki, the heart of the “Gathering Place,” is itself a hub of activity and a gathering place for all to enjoy.  We highly recommend a family trip here.  You will not be disappointed and you may even catch a glimpse of vintage Hawaii and why it has been, and will continue to be, one of the world’s top beach destinations.