Koko Crater Botanical Garden/Taco'ako: Trail, Tacos, and Triumph

Fifty Days of Gray...that's how I describe life without hiking.  It's been awhile...fifty days to be exact...since I last officially hiked.  I finally got back to it this past Monday.  Since my last hiking excursion (in August), I have been busy traveling (yay Denver!), visiting with out of town guests (Mother-in-law, Uncle, and Grandma), and the true reason for the lack of hikes...recovery.  After an intense Yoga session, an uphill hike on Hanauma Bay Ridge, and a full day of work back at the end of August, this old, tired body decided to go kaput.  Shooting pains, tingly foot, and extreme muscle soreness lasting for weeks led me to taking some time off from hiking (and any activities really) and seeking pain relief/explanation for my ailing left leg and foot.

Almost two months have passed since I first rendered myself out of hiking commission, and I am finally feeling almost back to my normal self...with the exception of now that I am walking without pain and a limp, I have fallen out of hiking shape.  Here I was finally able to hike, but feeling less than sure of my hiking capabilities.  And that's where Koko Crater Botanical Garden comes in.

Since it had been sometime since I'd been on any trail, I thought I better ease myself back into a hike. Monday was the perfect opportunity to reestablish my hiking routine, my youngest son was off from school (teacher work day) and the recent rains had drifted away.  The last time I took my youngest on this trail, he was five.  Now, he is seven with many more hikes under his belt, so I knew that tackling the Garden wouldn't be an issue.  We started the trail in the morning before the heat of mid-day could deter us.  With snacks, waters, and hats in hand (or on head), we began the short 1.9 mile loop that makes up Koko Crater Botanical Garden.

I'm so glad I chose this trail instead of attempting to be overly ambitious.  It was the perfect length and difficulty (it's not difficult) for my return to hiking.  There were a few other hikers along the path ahead of us, but other than that, we pretty much had the inside of the crater to ourselves.

The weather cooperated with us for the duration of our hike.  We were able to stop and investigate all of the areas inside the garden, paying particularly close attention to the Cactus section---Zach's new favorite area.  About halfway through the loop we sat at a picnic table in the Hawaiiana Section for a mid-morning snack and water break.

Along the rest of the trail we saw flowers, giant spiders, the Sausage Tree (got lots of giggles from Zach about that one), and four mongoose scurrying into the bushes on the trail ahead of us.

One or two selfies, reading about the plant life on the signs provided, and a discussion on how happy we were that we weren't doing the Koko Crater Stairs (a.k.a. Koko Head Railway Trail) we found ourselves back to the beginning of the loop and headed towards the exit and our car.

It wasn't a challenging trail or even all that exciting, especially since we have done this trail on several different occasions, but it was a landmark occasion for me to be back on my feet and hiking at a somewhat normal and steady pace.  It's the little things.

Triumph is what I felt after reaching the end of the trail. Triumph and gratitude.  I'm grateful to be back on my feet again, grateful for this hike this week, grateful to be able to share in the return to the trail with my kiddo...and of course grateful for our after hike super yummy lunch at new to me Taco'ako in Kaka'ako.

We ended our day off together on a delicious note.  Taco'ako is a small taco and burrito lunch spot that I've been wanting to try since hearing their clever name a couple of months ago.  Zach was boring and ordered the kids cheese quesadilla.  We shared chips and a flavorful (but not spicy) salsa.  And I devoured two street style tacos: the avocado (tempura battered avo) and the tako taco (grilled octopus).

As far as tacos go, they have hit a home run.  Or to use hiking terms, they have reached the summit.  These tacos were small but packed a lot of punch.  The flavors were exciting and new and were the perfect congratulatory treat to myself for getting back to hiking.  There are seven other taco flavors to try.  I can't wait to get back there for more...kinda how I feel about hiking another trail.  I'll be sure to fill you in on how yummy it is.

Until my next hiking/eating adventure...
Happy Trails and Happy Tacos