Lost in O’ahu

photo: abc

On a Tuesday just like today, a little over a year ago, I fell head over hills in love with a television show. I had quite enjoyed Lost during its tenure… I shoved notes into its locker vent, it asked me to prom, you get the idea. But it wasn’t until the finale that I thought it could be The One. It was then that Lostmoved onto my list of Top Five Favorite TV Shows of All Time.

Now I know that Lost was very polarizing (no arctic animal reference intended); no real middle-of-the-road fans for this one. Either it was the best thing you ever saw, or you despised it with a fiery passion. And the finale, obviously hated by non-fans, actually divided the die-hard fans as well. They either loved it or were enraged that they had wasted six years of their life.

For me, gentle reader, the finale was an almost religious experience (Don’t believe me? Read my blog post from a year ago.). So when I was presented with the opportunity of a Hawai’ian adventure this summer, I got an idea. I started to do some Lost research online and found, much to my delight, that I could visit several filming locations (some for free!)… if I could actually find said locations.

Challenge accepted.

So for your reading pleasure (and future vacation planning), here is my list (complete with screen captures on the left and my own photos on the right) of five places die-hard Lost fans must visit if ever on The Island.

Hurley’s Golf Course
[Kualoa Ranch]

I love Hurley. He was so sweet and kind and considerate and fun. An all-around good guy, if you ask me. So when things got a little tense on the Island, what did he do? Did he contribute to the angst and stress? Did he retreat and get all closed off? Nope. He mapped out a golf course for all to enjoy. Classic Hurley.

The golf course (along with many others significant sites including Dharma bunkers, the Security Fence, and the hill where the survivors first heard Rousseau’s transmission) is located on the property of Kualoa Ranch. Kualoa Ranch’s Ka’a’awa Valley, the most filmed location in all of Hawai’i, was the one splurge I made on my trip. You can tour the area via ATV, Hummer, or horseback (I chose the latter), but the cost was well worth it ($15-$95, depending on which tour you pick). Not only is it absolutely gorgeous, it is historically significant to film and television buffs (Jurassic Park, anyone? Hawai’i Five-O or Magnum PI? Yes, indeed.).

The Swimming Hole
[Waimea Falls]

While swimming here just a few days after the crash of Oceanic Flight 815, Kate and Sawyer found a briefcase full of guns (along with a couple of gross corpses). Hurley and Kate woke up here after the ‘crash’ of Ajira Flight 316. Good times.

Waimea Falls is just a small part of the huge Waimea Valley Park. For only $13, I was able to hike through the lush botanical gardens (it was approximately one mile) to the beautiful falls at the trail’s end. Then, in a strange Mecca-like moment, I went swimming in the pool at the base of the falls where Sawyer went swimming (yes, that’s my little noggin in pool in the photo to the right). It was great fun, although I kept thinking about that corpse strapped into the airplane chair far below my feet…)

The Banyan Grove
[Turtle Bay]

Many uncool things happened in the Banyan Grove: Claire got kidnapped, Charlie got hung, Sayid tortured Sawyer while Jack watched (see photo at left), Kate got chased by old Smokey, Walt lost his dog, I could go on.

Because it is located on the property of the Turtle Bay Resort (where Forgetting Sarah Marshall was filmed, if you’re interested), most people would shy away from visiting the grove of fascinating Banyan trees (seriously, those are some weird trees). But here’s a little thought: all beaches in Hawai’i are public. All of them. This means that there are public access points to every beach, even some that take you onto private property. The access point to Kawela Bay Beach just so happens to go right through the Banyan Grove. See… aren’t you glad you read this post? The access point itself is about one mile west of the entrance to Turtle Bay, at the end of a chain-link fence, across from a pineapple stand. For reals.

Othersville
[Camp Erdman]

Remember when we thought The Others were savages living in caves with no running water? Well, they were actually living a pretty good life in a cute little complex of yellow houses, complete with swing set and gazebo. Quite plush.

Those cute little yellow houses are actually YMCA camp cabins at a Camp Erdman. Not only did the Lost powers-that-be film many, many scenes at the camp, but they also gave back, donating funds and supplies  to the camp, and leaving structural improvements they made while filming. Visitors must check in at the main office across the street and make a $5 donation to walk the grounds (Unless you go on a Sunday when the place is closed like I did. Don’t worry. I slipped a fiver under the office door.) On a side note, the beach used to film the crash site is just across the street and to the west.

The Beach Camp
[Papa’iloa Beach]

Practically every episode of Lost has a scene at the survivor’s camp. From Claire’s little shelter with the crib to the kitchen area with all the Dharma-stamped food, the Beach Camp is one of the most recognizable settings in the show.

Also known as Police Beach, Papa’iloa Beach is a little tricky to find. Coming east from the town of Hale’iwa, take the first marked public street on the left (Papa’iloa Rd). About half-way down the road, there is a dirt parking lot on the left and a public access beach trail to the right marked with a sign reading “Public Right of Way To Beach.” Once on the beach, walk to the west for about two football fields. There you’ll see the remnants of the Beach Camp. But be warned: while all beaches are public in Hawai’i, the tree line designates private property. So don’t go wandering off into the forest. Either the Smoke Monster or local police could pick you up!

As you can tell, I loved Lost and I loved my trip to O’ahu. Maybe a few of you out there can benefit from this post and get your own Lost Geek on. Now if I can just figure where in the world Battlestar Gallactica was filmed, I’ll be set. And maybe a trip to Vancouver to visit Massive Dynamic…

If you want to visit even more Lost filming locations, let me know in the comments section below and I’ll tell you where they are. Or, you can visit the websites I used in my own research. A big THANK YOU to them all! [www.abc.com, www.lostlocations.com, www.lostvirtualtour.com]

Rachel – Senior Managing Editor
rachel@thetwocentscorp.com
You can now follow Rachel on Twitter @RachParkBishTTC