Aloha, North Shore: Chasing Turtles and Crushing Tacos

After the bustling, touristy vibe of Waikiki, we were ready for a change of pace. Today was dedicated to the North Shore, a chance to escape the city and see the rugged, natural Hawaii we all envision.

The jet lag has actually become a gift. Jeremy and I are up long before the island is, which has allowed us to establish the most perfect new routine. We start our day with a quiet, pre-dawn walk down to the main drag—a silent scouting mission for caffeine.

This morning, we found our anchor: Hawaii Aroma Cafe. Jeremy secured his much-needed coffee, and we settled in to watch the sky transition from inky black to brilliant gold. The best part? Watching the sun climb over the mountain range. It was a beautiful, quiet moment, and one we immediately decided must be the official start to every day on this trip. It’s hard to beat that kind of peace before the world wakes up.

The Great Turtle Chase

Our mission was clear: find “turtle beach,” a famous spot where the majestic Hawaiian green sea turtles (Honu) like to bask in the warm sun. Our GPS, however, had other ideas.

It led us to the beautiful Turtle Bay Beach Resort. While turtles certainly visit the area, we quickly realized this wasn’t the specific, famous spot we were looking for. We stopped anyway, enjoyed a nice walk along the shore, and noted that the water was a little rough for a good swim before consulting the map again. Mission: Abort. Destination: New.

We finally arrived at the correct “turtle beach” and, following the crowd, hoped for a sighting. Sadly, the sand was bare. We did, however, find some friendly people from a conservation group who were documenting the turtles. They gave us the intel: the turtles tend to visit in the afternoon to soak up the sun. We were in the right spot, just at the wrong time of day.

Excitement on the Water

We walked further down the beach, away from the crowd, and found a perfect spot to enjoy the water. And then, the excitement began.

We spotted several turtles swimming just offshore! They were close enough to swim out and get a look. Daren and Jeremy took turns with the snorkel mask, trying to get a glimpse underwater. Kat was in her happy place, absolutely thrilled. She even jumped in to swim with them. Seeing the smiles, the pure excitement, and the joy on everyone’s faces provided a huge wave of relief. This was it. The trip was starting to live up to everyone’s high expectations.

Shrimp Trucks and Pipeline Dreams

After a successful turtle encounter and time in the beautiful ocean, we were hungry. The next must-do on the North Shore list was finding the legendary food truck, Giovanni’s.

Hawaii is full of great food trucks, but we managed to find the spot. The line for Giovanni’s was easily the longest in the area! Kat and Jeremy devoured the shrimp, while the rest of us enjoyed some tasty tacos. My favorite discovery, though, was the custom soda truck. The Orange Crush & Vanilla Cream soda I ordered was absolutely delicious—it tasted exactly like a melted orange creamsicle.

We explored some local shops, then headed to the most famous North Shore beach of all: Pipeline Beach. It’s still a little early in the season, so the monstrous winter waves haven’t arrived yet, but it was still incredible to be on the sand at the legendary surf break where the big competitions are held.

A Perfect Ending

Since we were already on the North Shore, we finished the day by making our way over to Sunset Beach.

We found a great spot to set up our towels, relax, and enjoy a quintessential Hawaiian sunset. As the sky exploded in colors over the water, I realized this was the image everyone had been carrying in their heads. It was fantastic to see everyone enjoying themselves, checking off their bucket list items, and soaking up the beauty.

My heart was completely in its happy place: a beautiful beach, a gorgeous sunset, and the people I love smiling and having a good time.