He' Eia Kea Pier Fishing Dock

View from the indoor lunch counter at the General Store on the dock.

The four Cooper girls went on a fishing expedition yesterday. Well, we went to He' Eia Kea Pier fishing dock looking to find something to sketch.

At the general store, we had Kuahiwi Ranch hamburgers, meatloaf style patties cooked like you would at home with toasted bread instead of buns. My granddaughter, Leila, wanted fish and chips. Bryan, the cook of the day, said he would make some for her even though it wasn't on the menu.....and piled on the fries, too.

We watched tour groups come in and go out on huge double catamarans while we ate outdoors on picnic tables under the shade of the patio roof. A grandfather and his two grandchildren took a table, too, parking their child size fishnets and bucket. He said they never catch anything, but it's fun for the children to try fishing anyway and gives them a day out together.

I would come sketching here multiple times of the year if I lived on Oahu. There are so many views from which to choose; mountains, shorelines with volcanic cliffs, a marina busy with all types and sizes of serious fishing boats, tropical forests across the bay dotted with homes and hotels, people fishing off the dock, kayakers launching from the beach, and the lunch trade, too.

My 5-year old granddaughter and I sat inside (remember this for rainy days) and shared the lunch counter with a massive pair of binoculars, a half full ketchup squirter and a cork board with two photos of proud anglers. One picture was of a fellow who had a crab the size of a truck hubcap and the other some sort of giant eel-like thing which displayed two prominently sharp teeth.

Note: You may have seen the store and kitchen on Guy Fieri's show Diners, Drive-ins and Dives on the Food Network.