Molokai Lookout

Whenever I have guests in town I like to take them for a drive along the southeast part of the island of Oahu. The road is carved out of the lava rock and passes along the ocean cliffs. During the winter you can see humpback whales on their migration route from this road. On this portion of Kalanianaole Highway are several scenic outlooks. One of these is called the Molokai Lookout.

As you can infer from the name, on a clear day you can see the island of Molokai. The Kaiwi channel separates the islands of Oahu and Molokai and is 26 miles (42km) across. On rare days you can see the top of Maui's Mt. Haleakala appear over Molokai. Haleakala is over 10000 feet high (3048 meters) and 130 miles (210 km) from Honolulu. If you're even luckier you may see Mauna Kea on the Big Island. Mauna Kea is 13,796 feet (4205 meters) high and 175 miles (278 km) away.

I personally like the Molokai Lookout for the views of the cliffs. To the left and right you will see the ocean waves crashing along the black lava cliffs. In front of you are lava rocks that aren't particularly steep. Even though it's not recommended, you can walk down and get great views of the cliffs. There are some very cool shapes as a result of the erosion. Use caution because waves can be unpredictable and the rocks are slippery.