Chronicle News Editor Rose Cisneros traveled O’ahu, Hawaii recently. She spent 10 days soaking up the experiences the island has to offer. This is part of her series.

Iarrived at 1:30 pm Hawaiian time. By 2:30 I was standing at the foot of a waterfall.

So began my adventures on the island of O’ahu.

My cousins Jamie and Joel Bauer have been stationed in Honolulu with the Air Force since 2016. They’re big adventurers, so they know all the best hikes and hidden trails.

I asked them to take it easy on me since I’m not a big hiker.

Our first hike brought us through a bamboo forest to Lulumahu Falls.

It was a steep but easy climb, even for a beginner like me. It took about 20 minutes to reach the falls once we started climbing.

The light rain that had started falling on us midway up stopped as soon as we reached the top. The sun came out right as I caught my first glimpse of the 50 ft. waterfall.

After the workout getting to the top and with the sun beaming down on us, the rushing water looked too inviting.

I was shocked by how cold that mountain water was. My feet went numb after just a few minutes standing in the shallow pool. It was definitely enough to cool me down.

After committing the sight of the falls to my memory, we climbed back down. It was a little tougher going down since the trails were wet from the rain. Locals caution against climbing the trails if it has rained for good reason.

We headed back to my cousins’ home in Ewa Beach. There I saw my first Hawaiian sunset. Sorry, South Carolina, I think Hawaii has you beat.

The next day we traveled up the west side of the island to Kaneana Cave. Water long-ago eroded the volcanic rock to form the cave, which reaches back over 400 feet.

Local people believe mankind was born in the cave. They called the cave Kaneana, after the god of creation, Kane. Many people still leave offerings to Kane in the cave. I saw flowers, teddy bears, bottles of water and even candy left as offerings.

A short drive from the cave is Yokohama Bay Beach in Ka’ena Point. There I saw my first views of the cerulean-colored Pacific.

We had the whole beach to ourselves.

Since it was still technically winter in early April, the water was pretty cold. The waves on this side of the island were calm. Not at all like the North Shore where the world’s best surfers travel during the winter months.

It was a truly peaceful and beautiful day spent in paradise.

Next: Snorkling in Hanauma Bay