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The adults in our party received discounted tickets to ride the train. All opinions are my own.
Since we were staying in one place for two weeks on this trip, we wanted to find some unique activities to do here and there, in addition to lots of beach days. Riding the Hawaiian Railway Society train was one of the highlights of our trip!
The Hawaiian Railway Society is technically in the town of Ewa Beach, but it’s right over the border from Kapolei. You might even think of it as the Ewa train ride or Kapolei train ride! Since we were last on Oahu (2013), Kapolei has really been built up. There is a lot of new housing, shopping centers, and a lovely State of Hawaii Judiciary Complex (if you’re into that kind of thing!).
After we checked in at the Hawaiian Railway Society (Pro Tip: Check in early to make sure you have a spot on the train & have time to look around.), we drove about a mile to the Ka Makana Ali’i shopping center. We ordered empanadas to-go from Limon Rotisserie and went back to the Hawaiian Railway Society to enjoy our lunch in the picnic area.
We tried the Carne, Pollo, and Queso empanadas, and they were all delicious. The dipping sauce is amazingly indescribable! You’ll have to try it for yourself!
We rode the train on a Sunday afternoon at 1:00 p.m. There are also 3:00 p.m. train times that make a stop at Two Scoops Ice Cream Parlor in Ko Olina. Since we were staying in Ko Olina, we opted for the train ride without the ice cream stop.
As the train makes its way through Kapolei, there is still vacant land with wild horses to be seen, though maybe not for long. There was a small section of track that had been detoured temporarily so that a drainage reservoir could be built for a future development.
While the train moves along at a leisurely pace, and the ocean breezes gently blow, the Hawaiian Railway Society train rides provide narrators for the 90-minute round trip. The young lady who narrated the first half of our Oahu train ride was both humorous and informative.
The train tracks go right through the heart of Ko Olina, actually crossing over the golf cart path a couple times.
On the north end of Ko Olina sits this giant banyan tree and easy public access for a great sunset view over the ocean.
At the halfway point, the train stops, and everyone switches sides in their train car. That way, all passengers get a chance at having an ocean view. On the way back, we had this Ko Olina Golf Club course view. The golf cart path goes right through the cave that is to the right of the waterfall. If you’re fans of Disneyland’s Jungle Cruise, that means they’re seeing the “backside of water!”
Me (Nic), my sun protective gear, and our train car!
Upon returning to the Hawaiian Railway Society grounds in Ewa Beach, we headed to their Toy Train Museum.
Our kids enjoyed watching all the different model trains for over 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, I found a lovely relaxing spot in the shade in the most serene parking lot (yes, I did say serene parking lot!).
We are so glad we discovered the Hawaiian Railway Society. We loved our Oahu train ride and look forward to our next visit!
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I’m biased because I love trains! What an awesome activity to do. Beautiful views.
When traveling, I used to go to the zoo of every city that had one. Growing up, my country didn’t have a zoo. So, I was fascinated with them. Love seeing the animals. Now, living here in the US and having the blessing of a zoo near us, it doesn’t seem as a must when traveling.
Love the Golf Club photo even Pinned It 🙂
What a great activity to do in Hawaii. I haven’t been there yet but hope to go in the near future. Everything looks so beautiful!
I love riding trains. I had no idea there was a train on oahu!
Lucky you can visit the beautiful place at this time around, love the ocean view!
that bench looks quite cozy and shady! nothing wrong with that! the train looks like a fun way to explore. i think we took some kind of island tour bus to see the views in Waikiki during our own trip. =)
I love trains and hope to get to Oahu soon. Thanks for sharing this info!