Today we eschewed the usual visit to Maxie’s park and decided instead to spend this pretty Sunday on a drive out to the west side of Oahu to Yokohama Bay.

This is a little fishing cove on the west end of Yokohama. The waters are clear and fresh and while we saw no fish, the guys at the end of the rock outcrop seemed to be doing pretty well.

If you head west from Honolulu, ultimately you will reach the end of the road and that is where you will find Yokohama Bay whose real name is Keawa’ula which means “red harbor”. The red harbor refers to the huge population of squid that lived in the waters and turned bright red when they reproduced. Japanese fishermen in the early 1900s who came here to fish called the area Yokohama after the harbor town south of Tokyo, and the name caught on with locals.

Wifey & Max enjoy the beach breezes. Looking from the west towards the east side across Yokohama Bay.

Technically, Yokohama is the northernmost beach on the west side of Oahu. If you were to walk beyond the end of the road around Ka’ena Point you would be on Oahu’s famous “North Shore”, specifically the town of Mokuleia.

When I was a whippersnapper I drove around the point on a narrow dirt trail avoiding potholes that could swallow my first car, a 1949 Chevy known for the puka (hole) through the floorboard under the brake pedal, two bullet holes on the left rear quarter panel and a small but active colony of roaches that inhabited the trunk. Someday I’ll tell the tale of that vehicle, but not today. In any case, you cannot make that drive anymore as the cliff faces have eroded.

Exploring the beach grass

Max is not a beach dog. He will tolerate a short walk including some limited exposure to sand if there is hope of a treat and access to a nice bush on which to pee. Otherwise, he prefers sight seeing from the air conditioned car. That’s just as well as Maltese are prone to sunburn because of their pink skin and silky thin hair rather than fur coats.

The trail to Ka’ena Point. Keep walking around the point and you’ll come to Oahu’s “North Shore”.

This part of Oahu is the least explored by our herds of tourists, partly because the road dead ends. Also, it’s a very local part of the island and lacks the tourist infrastructure offered elsewhere. The outdoor pleasures here are more subtle, time moves mores slowly and things are not so obvious.

Nearby Makua Valley. So lovely but inaccessible. It is held by the Army and used for training including live fire exercises. Back in the 1800’s it was a cattle ranch. When I was a kid the beach area nearby was called “Pray for Sex” Beach. Not many folks call it that any more. As I recall, a lot of praying took place, but not much else.

Returning from Yokohama we stopped at many sites to enjoy the views and reminisce about good times had there. Of course, ice cream treats were purchased and enjoyed by all three of us. We chuckled remembering a small beach near Makua that all the kids called “Pray for Sex” beach. We made a stop without success at the boat harbor in search of fresh fish. We visited Ko Olina where Disney built its new resort complex Aulani.  Perhaps I’ll post some more photos of these other spots along our way. It was a fun jaunt but Max was happiest when he got back to his favorite lawn area.

He’s mighty particular about the quality of grass.