Lost in Hawaii

Of course, I noticed that the military property was on the other side of the fence and I made a point to mention that to them as I was leaving. Yes, call me coward. I am not going to stand around arguing with armed men, but I can still have the last word as I'm leaving.

We drove away and found a place called L&L Drive Inn and ordered lunch. It's a local spot that offered a decent lunch that was both filling and satisfying. We stopped for dessert at Matsumoto's Shaved Ice. People were lined out the door and were raving about how good it was. Where I come from we call these sno-balls. I ordered a strawberry and was a bit disappointed. I was not impressed in the least. Maybe I should have ordered extra syrup. Either way, it did, however, provide a cooling snack in the afternoon heat.

Our last stop was the Waimea Valley Audubon Center. It is considered to be the most sacred spot in the Hawaiian Islands. We paid the small fee to walk through the pathways, and I was pleasantly surprised. Down on my left was a river that looked very familiar. Was this another secret LOST spot? It sure looked like it.

I continued my leisurely walk until the path ended at a waterfall. I noticed there was a lifeguard, but no one was swimming. I looked at him questioningly and he nodded his head. That was all the confirmation I needed. I threw off my clothes until all I had on was my swimsuit and I navigated through the boulders and slick rocks until I could swim. This had to be the spot where Kate and Sawyer found a bit of wreckage, corpses and those infamous guns under the water.

I swam around and floated on my back, trying not to think of what Kate and Sawyer found. Another tourist was inspired to come into the water with her clothes on. The spirit in the air made everyone want to jump in. We laughed without inhibition. It was a fabulous ending to a wonderful tour. I never realized a group tour could be so much fun.

The ride back to the Hilton Hawaiian Village was somber. We were all exhausted from our swim and reminisced over the day's events. We passed Kualoa Ranch, where Jurassic Park, Pearl Harbor, and the LOST castaways golf game were filmed. We were lost for a bit in our own minds before reality of the real world intruded again.

My visit to Oahu was memorable and all that I could hope for. I'm diligently saving my hard-earned dollars so that I can get LOST in Hawaii once again.

For more information:
www.hiltonhawaiianvillage.com
www.audubon.org
www.visit-oahu.com

Shannon Hurst Lane is a Louisianna-based travel writer and a Romance columnist for Travelworld and another online magazine.

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