By: Scott Maynor
October 12, 2026
Get ready, get set, go! A few years ago I had the wonderful pleasure to fly solo to Hawaii and visit with my daughter, Kailyn & son-in-law Aaron. At the time, Aaron was serving our wonderful country in the United States Air Force. They were so fortunate to be stationed in Ohau, Hawaii of all places and they were living on Ford Island, Pearl Harbor when I visited them. Unfortunately, Stephanie is scared to fly that far over the ocean which is why I made the trek by myself. I couldn’t turn down the opportunity to go down and have one of the best times in my life and quite possibly the best trip I’ll ever take. I’ve had some great ones but this trip was amazing. Special thanks to my travel advisor, Kailyn, for setting such an awesome itinerary. It really helped that Kailyn & Aaron had lived there for a few years before I visited because they really knew their way around the island by that time.
Kailyn & Aaron picked me up at the airport when I finally arrived safe and sound in Hawaii. They told me that they had a surprise for me and then drove me straight to the Koko Head Crater Trail, which is a very tough, steep uphill trail up 1,048 railway ties but whose counting. I had no clue how difficult it was when Kailyn had told us about the time she walked up the trail with her friend, Victoria, to watch the sunrise one morning. Basically, it's walking up a gradual incline at the beginning and then at a certain point, transitioning to a much steeper incline in which you can practically touch the railroad ties just by reaching out your hands without bending over as you walk up. For me it felt like climbing a really tall ladder while working out on a stair climber at the same time. You get the picture - it’s very tough. However, it’s perfect medicine for someone like me that’s a little cocky, overweight, out of shape and still thinks he’s 21 years old. I think Kailyn must have been getting me back for something. By the time we were heading back down, I was encouraging others just as the others before me had encouraged me. I felt such a sense of accomplishment and even though it seems like such a relatively small blip on the radar, it had such an enormous impact on my life.
Aaron, Kailyn & Scott at the Koko Head Crater Trail (October 2021)
Aaron, Kailyn & Scott at the Koko Head Crater Trail (October 2021)
During our hike up the trail, I was encouraged by others that had already made it to the top and were heading back down the trail. This encouragement was a little thing to them but it meant so much to me. Their encouragement, along with Kailyn & Aaron’s encouragement during the entire climb, really kept me motivated, moving forward, always climbing upward to the top and never once deciding to turn around to head back down to the car until we had made it to the top. I found out many years ago while working in the shipyard that I’m scared of heights - not a little but alot! My comfortable limit is around 50’ and did I mention that this trail has an elevation gain of 885 feet over the 1.6 miles on train tracks up the side of the crater? Well, it does. That may not seem like much until you’re the one climbing it!
As you can see in all of the pics, we’re all smiles because it was a great start to a great day that became a great week! We did so many fun things and I felt like the energizer bunny because we kept going and going and going. We made the climb up and back down safely which was just the beginning. We toured Pearl Harbor and the Battleship Missouri Memorial which is a must if you go to Hawaii. Thank you for your service to all of the brave men and women that are serving or have served our great county at one time or another.
Scott & Aaron at the Beginning of the Koko Head Crater Trail (October 2021)
During this one week trip, Kailyn, Aaron and I toured Pearl Harbor & the USS Missouri, went to the North Shore to watch the surfers hang ten, ate at some of the famous food trucks between Haleiwa and Kahuku, went with North Shore Adventures on a shark tour in a cage & watched the most graceful Galopegous sharks swim by within an arms reach of us, hiked the Oahu Botanical Gardens & saw the most beautiful flowers & plants as well as the Waimea Falls waterfall, hiked & snorkeled in the Haunauma Bay Park & saw the most beautiful fish including the humuhumunukunukuāpua, hiked the Makapu’u Lighthouse Trail, hiked the Diamond Head State Monument Trail, swam in the Ulua Lagoon in Ko Olina, went to the beach at the Makapuʻu Beach & saw the Makapuʻu Point Lighthouse, ate some really good chicken wings at Maui Bar & Grill in Waikiki and took a nap or two to rest up for the next adventure! We even stayed home for dinner one evening and Kailyn made the best steak fajitas I’ve ever had in my life. Wow, that's a lot of fun & adventures and I know I’m missing a few things but you get the picture - it was a once-in-a-lifetime exceptional adventure!
Please take a moment to encourage or just listen to others when you can. You never know what impact you may have on their day, their week or even their life. Be an example to others because you never know who’s looking. Remember to always enjoy the little things because that is what really matters. As always, if this blog isn’t for you, share it with someone else. It might just connect with them and lift them up from the deep. Enjoy your life each and every day as we are not promised tomorrow but as long as we have breath we have hope!
Scott on Top of the Koko Head Crater Trail Overlooking Oahu (October 2021)
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