When Emily and I first got together back in early 2006, I was already a huge fan of the ABC series LOST, which was then in its second season. I think Emily had watched a few episodes of the show and had enjoyed it. So, I put the entire first season on her iPod so she could catch up at the gym. Before long, she was hooked, just like me... and watching it together has always been part of our life together.
When we planned this recent trip to Hawaii, I was determined to book us some kind of LOST tour of filming locations. I absolutely love visiting film studios and famous locations from TV and movies, and nearly the entire series of LOST was filmed in Oahu. Here are the things we saw (Warning: If you haven't seen the show, there are some minor spoilers... but nothing that should ruin the entire show for you, should you decide to watch it. And you really SHOULD watch it, as it's one of the best shows in TV history. Seriously, says a guy who has watched A LOT of TV in his lifetime.):
The Island's rocky coast!
One of the first locations we saw was this rocky patch of land on the south side of Oahu, not far from Honolulu. It was used for a number of scenes, including the spot where Miles parachutes onto the island and where Desmond and Kelvin have a wee bit of a scuffle (see clip below). One cool thing about LOST is how it made easily accessible locations seem REALLY remote. This place was literally next to the highway!
THE LIGHTHOUSE!
Next, we made our way to the southeastern tip of Oahu along the Makapuu Lighthouse Trail.
It was a bit of a hike, but we made it just fine. At least Em was smiling... always a good sign!
This was the location of several scenes in LOST, including Jacob's Lighthouse from Season 6 (seen in the clip below), the cliff where Hurley's "friend" Dave took him to explain the meaning of the island... and, the place where Ben showed Sawyer the island Losties know as Hydra Island.
In this photo, Ben and Sawyer look out at Hydra Island...
One of the first locations we saw was this rocky patch of land on the south side of Oahu, not far from Honolulu. It was used for a number of scenes, including the spot where Miles parachutes onto the island and where Desmond and Kelvin have a wee bit of a scuffle (see clip below). One cool thing about LOST is how it made easily accessible locations seem REALLY remote. This place was literally next to the highway!
THE LIGHTHOUSE!
Next, we made our way to the southeastern tip of Oahu along the Makapuu Lighthouse Trail.
It was a bit of a hike, but we made it just fine. At least Em was smiling... always a good sign!
This was the location of several scenes in LOST, including Jacob's Lighthouse from Season 6 (seen in the clip below), the cliff where Hurley's "friend" Dave took him to explain the meaning of the island... and, the place where Ben showed Sawyer the island Losties know as Hydra Island.
... but when we stood at the very same spot, all we saw was ocean... and more ocean (notice the jagged pointed rock in the middle, as you can see it in both photos and the video clip below).
Here I am about where Jack was sitting when Jacob tells Hurley, in the clip below, that sometimes you just have to let some people look out at the ocean. This was an amazing location!!
After you watch this clip, click HERE for some cool shots of the lighthouse facade that was used during filming, right where we were standing!
THAILAND!
This beach, on the east shore of Oahu, was used to represent Thailand in the third-season episode "Stranger in a Strange Land." It was chosen for its gorgeous turquoise waters and visible mini-islands in the background (more were added via CGI in post-production). Judging from this clip, the producers of LOST didn't really have to change much to make this a suitable faux-Thai beach.
KOREA!
Here I am about where Jack was sitting when Jacob tells Hurley, in the clip below, that sometimes you just have to let some people look out at the ocean. This was an amazing location!!
After you watch this clip, click HERE for some cool shots of the lighthouse facade that was used during filming, right where we were standing!
THAILAND!
This beach, on the east shore of Oahu, was used to represent Thailand in the third-season episode "Stranger in a Strange Land." It was chosen for its gorgeous turquoise waters and visible mini-islands in the background (more were added via CGI in post-production). Judging from this clip, the producers of LOST didn't really have to change much to make this a suitable faux-Thai beach.
KOREA!
The Byodo-In Buddhist Temple was used as the home of Sun's father and the location for Sun and Jin's wedding. It is absolutely gorgeous and very picturesque. It's tucked behind a cemetery and was a very serene place.
Just behind the temple is this gazebo. In the show, Sun and Jin got engaged here.
THE PLANE CRASH BEACH!
Here we are where it all begin. This is where Oceanic 815 (well, part of it) crashed during the pilot episode of LOST. It's not a very big beach, but it's certainly remote, located on the North Shore of Oahu. The cliffs behind us are very noticeable in the opening scenes of the show.
In the episode, the beach looks huge... but, it's right next to the road.
Emily shows us this little opening in the mountains, where we first hear the Smoke Monster! Check out this clip from the pilot of LOST:
THE DHARMA BARRACKS!!
(aka NEW OTHERTON or DHARMAVILLE)
Before we went on the tour, I told Emily that I might get a *bit* overly excited when we got to the Dharma Initiative barracks (also known by Losties as "New Otherton" or "DharmaVille.") In reality, it's just a YMCA camp on the North Shore of Oahu (and, unlike in the show, it's right next to the highway, not tucked away in a valley). We were first introduced to this little cluster of now-famous brownish-yellow buildings in the opening of season 3, seen in this slightly spoilerish clip:
The interior of this assembly hall, across the street from "Dharmaville" (but in a building that looks just like those little brownish-yellow bunks) was used in Season 5 for several scenes, including this scene, which ultimately proved that some LOST fans have sharper eyes than are actually necessary to enjoy the show (long story short: a LOST crewmember accidentally makes a cameo appearance, but only if you REALLY turn up the contrast on your HDTV):
LUNCH AT A SHRIMP TRUCK, MATE!
After visiting the Dharma barracks, we took a lunch break at this lovely shrimp truck. LOST fans will know that the tour company did this because in one episode, Sawyer gets some shrimp from a shrimp truck in the Australia. Of course, since all but a handful of scenes of LOST were all filmed on Oahu, that shrimp truck scene was filmed in Hawaii.
THE WATERFALL!
I was super excited to come to this waterfall in Waimea Valley, located on the west shore of Oahu. In the first season, Kate and Sawyer come here and take a dip in the water. Later, in the fifth season, Jack, Kate and Hurley end up here, but under slightly stranger circumstances!
In real life, it's such a popular place that a lifeguard stands by to make sure people don't drown in the 30-foot-deep water, offering free use of water noodles and boogie boards to those who are crazy enough to swim around in it...
... like me!
Emily did get in the water for a few minutes, but once she saw tadpoles, she had enough. I swam out to the waterfall and had a blast. It was a gorgeous place and reminded me of the summers I spent in Hawaii as a kid when my grandparents lived on Oahu and Kauai. Check out this scene to see the waterfall as it first appeared on LOST:
THE NIGERIAN PLANE CRASH SITE!
Driving toward the Waimea Valley center (which then leads to the waterfall), there is this seemingly normal patch of trees on the side of the road. Normal... except that it was used as the setting for the Nigerian plane that had crashed on the island, which Boone and Locke later discovered in this clip from the first season of LOST:
THE SITE OF LOCKE'S MIGHTY FALL!
Emily summoning her inner Jacob. Notice the absence of the bench and planter that was there during the actual scene. We literally walked past her a few days before, and I would have NEVER known that it was used for this scene.
Josh, lying exactly where John Locke fell, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down. Check out this mash-up of scenes depicting Locke's fall:
THE CHURCH USED
FOR CHRISTIAN SHEPHARD'S FUNERAL
St. Patrick's Catholic Church was used during season 4 for interior shots during the belated funeral of Christian Shephard. In real life, it is literally across the street from Sacred Hearts Academy (aka Eloise's Church), which was used in the final scenes of LOST.
ELOISE HAWKING'S CHURCH
(aka THE LAMP POST!)
This statue of Christ at Sacred Hearts Academy (aka Eloise's Church above the Lamp Post station) can be seen in the series finale of LOST. The parking lot behind me is where Kate brings Jack in one of the last scenes of the show.
THE COURTYARD AT ELOISE HAWKING'S CHURCH!
If you're a Lostie, you know where I'm standing. This is where Ben had conversations with both Hurley and Locke minutes before the show ended. It was pretty awesome to be here, even though this is an all-girls Catholic school. I figured if I was quick and quiet, I'd be OK, since people in Hawaii are so nice and laid-back. As it turned out, nobody even paid any attention to me, even though limos with extravagantly dressed girls kept pulling up to the curb. I even peeked my head into the chapel (which was used for the very last scene of the show), but there were people gathered there for an event. Nobody seemed to mind the LOST geek, totally nerding out from outside the door!
Here is a clip from the final minutes of the show, right in this church courtyard.
And, that was our LOST tour. I'm still sad that LOST is over and I can't wait to watch the complete series again on Blu-ray. I didn't get to see every location I wanted to see... so I guess we'll have to go back to Hawaii sometime so we can once again get...
L O S T
Emily summoning her inner Jacob. Notice the absence of the bench and planter that was there during the actual scene. We literally walked past her a few days before, and I would have NEVER known that it was used for this scene.
Josh, lying exactly where John Locke fell, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down. Check out this mash-up of scenes depicting Locke's fall:
THE CHURCH USED
FOR CHRISTIAN SHEPHARD'S FUNERAL
St. Patrick's Catholic Church was used during season 4 for interior shots during the belated funeral of Christian Shephard. In real life, it is literally across the street from Sacred Hearts Academy (aka Eloise's Church), which was used in the final scenes of LOST.
ELOISE HAWKING'S CHURCH
(aka THE LAMP POST!)
THE COURTYARD AT ELOISE HAWKING'S CHURCH!
If you're a Lostie, you know where I'm standing. This is where Ben had conversations with both Hurley and Locke minutes before the show ended. It was pretty awesome to be here, even though this is an all-girls Catholic school. I figured if I was quick and quiet, I'd be OK, since people in Hawaii are so nice and laid-back. As it turned out, nobody even paid any attention to me, even though limos with extravagantly dressed girls kept pulling up to the curb. I even peeked my head into the chapel (which was used for the very last scene of the show), but there were people gathered there for an event. Nobody seemed to mind the LOST geek, totally nerding out from outside the door!
Here is a clip from the final minutes of the show, right in this church courtyard.
And, that was our LOST tour. I'm still sad that LOST is over and I can't wait to watch the complete series again on Blu-ray. I didn't get to see every location I wanted to see... so I guess we'll have to go back to Hawaii sometime so we can once again get...
L O S T
