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Home » Travel

Holiday in Hawaii - December 2020 - Part 2

Published: Dec 17, 2020 · Updated: Jun 23, 2025 by Carissa Erzen · This post may contain affiliate links · 23 Comments

Day 3 - Green World Coffee Farm, Snorkeling at Shark's Cove, Matsumoto Shave Ice, Sunset at Barber's Point Lighthouse

Welcome back to Holiday in Hawaii - December 2020. 🙂 Here's Part 2! We did so much on Day 3 that I could only fit the recap of one day into this post!

Green World Coffee Farm

Our first stop of the morning on Day 3 was Green World Coffee Farm on Oahu's North Shore. I treated myself to their golden milk latte, which included turmeric and coconut MCT oil in it. It was delicious AND healthy! They roast all their coffee on the farm, so the shop inside smelled incredible. We taste-tested one of their freshly roasted and brewed holidays blends, and while I'm not normally a fan of plain black coffee, this stuff was undeniably good!

We walked around the farm a bit and were greeted by chickens! It was an equally energizing and peaceful way to start the morning.

Green World Coffee Farm wood sign
Green World Coffee Farm!
Green World Coffee next to the coffee beans
Freshly Roasted & Brewed Coffee
coffee roasting machine at Green World Coffee Farm
Coffee Bean Roasting Machine
coffee beans growing on the plant at Green World Coffee Farm
Coffee Beans!
wild chickens at Green World Coffee Farm
Caffeinated Chickens!

Snorkeling at Shark's Cove

Confession - Before this trip I held onto a debilitating fear: being in the water with fish. I went snorkeling eight years ago and I thought I was going to be eaten alive by fish! But I didn't want this fear to stop me from having an enjoyable and adventurous time with my family. So I gave myself a pep talk: "Carissa, if a fish tries to eat you, you can just punch it and eat sushi in front of it. It's going to be ok, you're not going to die..."

Lo and behold, once I got in the beautiful lagoon water, I wasn't hyperventilating and screaming! Yippee! By facing my fear head-on and keeping my cool, I found out something I never knew about myself. I LOVE SNORKELING! I even want to get my scuba diving certification now!

Shark's Cove in Oahu
Shark's Cove with Big Waves
view of Shark's Cove between trees
Romantic View of Shark's Cove
View of the ocean and a tree with a surf board tied to it about 15 feet up the trunk
Surf Board Stuck in a Tree from the Last Storm... (jk)

Waimea Bay

After just a couple minutes in the car driving away from Shark's Cove, my mom pulled off to the side of the road across from a church and told us to get out and walk down to get a glimpse of the famous Waimea Bay. This bay is home to one of the world's biggest surfing competitions known as The Eddie. While Winter is the time of the massive waves and surf competitions, the water was calm when we saw it. Wouldn't it be so exhilarating to watch the surf competition in person?!

Waimea Bay in Oahu
Waimea Bay, Home to Surf Competitions
Waimea Bay in Oahu
View of the Ocean Past Waimea Bay

Refreshing Matsumoto Shave Ice

As you may know, facing and overcoming a fear can be quite draining. All that swimming while the ocean waves were shoving me directly into sea urchin-infested rocks took all the energy out of me that the coffee had provided earlier in the day. And you can't truly appreciate the food in Hawaii without enjoying shave ice!

We went to Matsumoto Shave Ice, which I think is the most popular shave ice on North Shore. Shave ice is sort of like a snow cone, but the ice is so fine that it melts in your mouth like cotton candy! It's the best.

Matsumoto Shave Ice, red, blue and yellow colored
Matsumoto Shave Ice - Yum!

Mokule'ia Beach Park

In the late afternoon, we drove to Mokule'ia Beach Park and watched impressive kite surfers ride the wind and the waves. It was a really interesting beach because it went from sand to slippery algae-covered rock that lead at least 10 feet into the water. We watched in amazement at the kite surfers way out in the ocean.

Kite surfer at Mokule'ia Beach Park
Kite Surfer at Mokule'ia Beach Park

Sunset at Barber's Point Lighthouse

To end the day, we followed the sun to watch it set with all its glorious colors. We drove out to Barber's Point Lighthouse and walked along the sharp and jagged rocks to find the perfect spot to watch the sun fall behind the ocean.

If you've ever watched the sun set over the horizon, it's pretty amazing how fast it seems to set. Even though the sun travels at the same speed the entire day, during the last 10 minutes as the sun makes its way down, it seems to move so fast that you can actually watch it fall.

Barber's Point Lighthouse
Barber's Point Lighthouse
Sunset at Barber's Point
Where There is Ocean Access Here, There are Fishermen
Heart Shaped Tide Pool
Heart Shaped Tide Pool <3
Sunset at Barber's Point
The Reflection of the Sun on the Water is Amazing
Sunset at Barber's Point
Look. At. Those. Colors.
Wave crashing between sharp jagged rocks at the beach
SPLASH! The Waves Constantly Pummel These Rocks
Sunset at Barber's Point
Sunset is so Peaceful
Sunset at Barber's Point
Sunset at Barber's Point
Sunset at Barber's Point
Sunset at Barber's Point
After the Sun Dips Behind the Horizon, the Colors are Brilliant Shades of the Pink, Gold, Purple & Orange
Moon behind palm trees
As the Sun Sets, the Moon Rises

We saw these glorious plumeria flowers on our walk back to the car from the light house. These flowers smell absolutely incredible! They make all kinds of lotions, candles, etc. with plumeria scent. And it's so gorgeous when ladies wear them in their hair. <3

plumeria flowers
Fragrant and Beautiful Plumeria Flowers

More Travel Posts about Hawaii

  • Holiday in Hawaii Part 1
  • Holiday in Hawaii Part 3
  • Holiday in Hawaii Part 4
  • Holiday in Hawaii Part 5
  • Holiday in Hawaii Part 6
  • Best Food on Oahu
  • 10 Best Hikes on Oahu
  • 6 Best Places for Sunset on Oahu
  • Visit Sweet Land Farm on Oahu

More Travel Guides

  • Visit Sweet Land Farm on Oahu
  • 6 Best Places for Sunset on Oahu
  • 10 Best Hikes on Oahu
  • 7 Best Outdoor Places to Visit in Qatar

About Carissa Erzen

Growing up in Germany, I fell head-over-heels in love with ALL the German baked goods, from Lebkuchen to pretzels. Now I'm the founder, recipe developer, and food photographer behind Humbly Homemade, where I test and share German sweets lovingly created from scratch. So pull up a chair, and stay a while!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. infinitelyadaydreamer

    December 24, 2020 at 3:00 am

    What a brilliant holiday! The vibrancy of these photos is astounding. Seriously, they deserve to be framed! Green World Coffee Farm sounds like a real treat for a coffee lover! I'm more of a basic iced latte kinda gal but I can appreciate the hot coffee process. Black coffee does wake you up, that's for sure! Turmeric lattes have brilliant antibacterial and immune boosting properties so you chose well. Just as good as a green smoothie! x

    Reply
    • strawberryandcream

      December 26, 2020 at 12:07 pm

      Thank you!!! 🥰 I printed a bunch to put in a photo album! Sometimes holding the photos in a book seems a little more special than swiping through them on my phone ☺️

      I'm not a huge coffee fan but when it's fresh and local, I can't refuse! 😉 Wow I didn't know turmeric lattes were that healthy!
      I had a CBD oil latte here in Portland one time, I think it also had a bunch of health benefits ☕️ Have you ever tried it before!
      Yes, smoothies are my go-to 😋
      I hope you are having a wonderful and joyful holiday season! ❤️

      Reply
  2. jimerzen

    December 22, 2020 at 3:22 pm

    So much in just one day! Amazing. 😊

    Reply
    • strawberryandcream

      December 23, 2020 at 6:56 pm

      I know, right! No stopping my mom when she's on a mission to pack the day with adventures! 🤗

      Reply
  3. Lani

    December 21, 2020 at 3:06 am

    Gorgeous lush shots ~ you've hit my part of the island The North Shore! Waimea Bay, Shark's Cove, Matsumoto's shaved ice <3 Glad you did it justice and happy you liked it! xo

    Reply
    • strawberryandcream

      December 21, 2020 at 10:14 am

      Thank you, that means a lot!! Hawaii has a very complex history and it was interesting to learn a bit about it while being there.
      Is there anything that you wish people who visit Oahu knew about the island?

      Reply
      • Lani

        December 21, 2020 at 9:40 pm

        Hmmm. Good question. We're diverse but we also fight too, but at the end of the day, we live together mostly in harmony. I think these days with multiculturalism such a hot topic many seem to believe it's all rainbows and sparkles, but realistically it's a mixed bag.

        This reminds me of my reaction to a NYT's article: https://lanivcox.com/2019/07/29/my-reaction-to-want-to-be-less-racist-move-to-hawaii/

        I almost want to ask my friends about your question!

        Reply
        • strawberryandcream

          December 22, 2020 at 10:20 am

          That makes sense, a lot of different people from different parts of the world and from different cultures call Hawaii their home.
          Thank you for sharing that article, I look forward to reading it!
          ❤️

          Reply
          • Lani

            December 22, 2020 at 8:26 pm

            No pressure, it just reminded me of the answer to your question. 😛

            Reply
  4. 3rdofthe3rd

    December 20, 2020 at 3:00 pm

    Such an amazing adventure! love it!

    Reply
    • strawberryandcream

      December 20, 2020 at 10:08 pm

      Thank you!! An unforgettable time with family ❤️

      Reply
  5. Markus + Micah

    December 18, 2020 at 11:18 pm

    Lovely! Really envy you right now. Enjoy your holiday!

    Reply
    • strawberryandcream

      December 20, 2020 at 10:08 pm

      Thank you!! Can't wait to travel more once things open up again ☺️ Happy holidays to you too! ❤️

      Reply
  6. boundlessblessingsblog

    December 18, 2020 at 8:15 pm

    Superb post thank you so much for the virtual tour.👍👍👍👍👍

    Reply
    • strawberryandcream

      December 20, 2020 at 10:07 pm

      Thank you!! I'm glad you enjoyed reading it 😁 I had fun writing it and reminiscing the memories ❤️
      I've been watching virtual tours of museums like the Louvre that they put up at the beginning of the pandemic!

      Reply
  7. CarolCooks2

    December 18, 2020 at 6:15 pm

    Awesome images Hawaii looks so beautiful...Loved the coffee place 🙂

    Reply
    • strawberryandcream

      December 20, 2020 at 10:05 pm

      Thank you!! The coffee farm was a really neat place, especially with the chickens 🐓

      Reply
  8. Rachel

    December 18, 2020 at 12:02 pm

    Looks stunning. 😀

    Reply
    • strawberryandcream

      December 18, 2020 at 1:22 pm

      Thank you!! 🥰

      Reply
  9. Yum-number1

    December 18, 2020 at 10:08 am

    Umm, when you go again can you take me with you? ☀️🌴🏖

    Reply
    • strawberryandcream

      December 18, 2020 at 10:18 am

      Lol! Wouldn't that be fun!? ☀️☀️☀️

      Reply
  10. popsiclesociety

    December 17, 2020 at 10:50 pm

    An incredible adventure indeed! Oh, I miss traveling 🧳

    Reply
    • strawberryandcream

      December 18, 2020 at 9:47 am

      Thank you!! 🥰 I hope we all get to travel more easily and safely soon! ❤️

      Reply

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