Diary of One Month in Honolulu/Day 9
Drove up Tantalus, which is a beautiful mountain near town, on the slopes of which are lovely homes and gardens. Motors are not allowed up there, so we took a carriage.
The view is wonderfully fine, and the road winds and twists fascinatingly through seven miles of forest. It would be a delightful place to live. Some of the houses are perched on the very edge of bluffs over-looking deep valleys and have to be anchored to keep the wind from blowing them away. The gorges are full of jungle growth of ferns and creepers and trees with straggling, mossy branches, and the air is cool and sweet and woodsy. The whole city and harbor and sea are spread out below you in colors that make your eyes doubt themselves.
We left the carriage and climbed the trail to the highest point. It was worth it.
Coming down we took in the Punch Bowl, a great crater close to the town which has a fine motor road clear to the top. It is 498 feet high, and grown up with giant cacti and algaroba trees. We stayed up there for the sunset.