While locals complain that Diamond Head's silhouette was ruined by the condo construction in the 1960's, -- it's still the dominant profile of Hawaii. Hawaiians sensibly called it 'le'ahi' or brow. Diamond Head's name might come from chemically enhanced British sailors who wandered up the crater and confused its calcite crystals with diamonds.
For such an obvious geological feature, -- it's clearly an extinct volcanic cone, it's surprising that so much of Diamond Head is concealed. To start, it's full of tunnels built by the Army to take advantage of the 360-degree views. With suitable cannons below at Fort Ruger and in Battery Randolph at Fort De Russy -- now a state park with an extremely interesting free U.S. Military Museum -- at the other end of Waikiki Beach no invader was going to land within 10 miles up and down the coast. You could make a case that the code breakers in the Fort Ruger tunnels did more than their share to win WW II starting with the Battle of Midway, by breaking most Japanese codes.
So it seems rather odd that if you one stop at the Japanese-owned New Otani Kaimana Beach Hotel to get a hiker's kit --water and a flashlight are musts -- and return, afterward, you get a certificate of survival. Then it's off to Diamond Head Road and the trail that, while only a mile long, rises 760 feet from the ocean. Some run the hot slope to the first curving tunnel, dash up about 100 steps, another tunnel, more steps and with a quick view dash back down. Smart hikers take water and about 45 minutes to stroll up and at least as long a time to enjoy the view from Pearl Harbor around to Koko Head.
If that's not enough, head around the mauka side, or mountain side of Diamond Head as opposed to the makai, or water side where the film studios might interest Hawaii-Five O' or Magnum, P.I fans. Note: Mauka and Makai are the choices when one asks Hawaiians of hapa-haole's for directions.
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Hilton Casino Atlantic City Hotel compares well with the 39 hotels in the city.
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