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Things to do in Hawaii....


ltljohn

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We are taking a family vacation to Hawaii next year. We will be going to Oahu and I could use some ideas on what to do. We will be there for a week. Pearl Harbor and the Arizona/Missouri are a given. What else is there to do for 2 college age adults a high schooler and a 10yr old. We have a place to stay. What else is there to keep this crowd entertained. Is there a good beach other than Waikiki that isn't a big tourist trap? Thanks in advance for the help.

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Thanks. I just spit my coffee all over my computer.

 

What is there to do on Oahu... HA!

 

We lived on the big island for 2 years, and didn't see it all. Don't worry, you'll find something.

 

 

Edited by elkroeger
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Danny caddyshack Noonan

First, find a local radio station that plays Hawaiian music and leave it there.

Go over to the east side and chill. The Polynesian Cultural Center is a must. Learn how to talk local ya?

Go North Shore for beaches and to find food trucks. Dole Plantation is on the way. Leave no valuables in the car.

Give the college age kids bail money and send them out the door.

There are probably still free hula shows in front of the Duke statue on the beach.

When all done and ready to relax, then go to Maui or Big Island. Honolulu is more like New York City than Hawaii.

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Thanks. I just spit my coffee all over my computer.

 

What is there to do on Oahu... HA!

 

We lived on the big island for 2 years, and didn't see it all. Don't worry, you'll find something.

 

I know there is lots to do, I am looking for suggestions to cut down the list.

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First of all order the book "Oahu Revealed" from Amazon or wherever. It's the best guide to the island.

 

If you have to get anywhere in Honolulu or go through Honolulu to get anywhere (say Hanauma Bay) give yourself hours (that's right, I said hours).

 

Our kids & plus 1's spent a full day at Pearl Harbor (Valor in the Pacific NM) and then asked to go back another day to finish it!!!! These are Canadians in their late 20s & early 30s!!

 

Find the best malasadas in Honolulu (i.e. try them all).

 

Find the best North Shore shrimp truck. Or shaved ice. (try them all)

 

Look over to Moloka'i from the Kuliouou Ridge Trail.

 

Go to Punchbowl Crater (National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific).

 

Iolani Palace.

 

Sit on your lanai drinking mai tai's. Nap. Read a book. Repeat.

 

Mike Cassidy

 

 

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One of my best memories I had when we were there was a day of snorkeling at Hanauma Bay. You can swim out over the reef and down into some of the coral formations. It might have just been a good day, but there was constant action all over the reef. Even spent a good hour swimming with some dolphins and sea turtles out where the mouth of the bay meets the ocean.

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Yes Waikiki is a bit touristy, but is an excellent place for surf lessons; the kids will love it. It is also a great place to people-watch (dark shades may be necessary).

 

Johnny J

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When are you going to be on Oahu? Where will you be staying?
It will be next July. We will be staying in Kailua. Friends are letting us use their house cheap.
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July is our busiest month for visitors so things will be busy. You're lucky though, Kailua is a beautiful town. It's where the Obama's stayed during their annual vacations here. It's on the windward side of the island, which I think is the most attractive part of Oahu. Always green with rugged mountains to the west. And not too developed. Lanakai, a beach in Kailua, is consistently recognized as one of the world's most beautiful beaches. Of course, everyone coming to Hawaii knows that, and it can get crowded. There's not a lot of parking, so hopefully you'll be staying within walking distance. Or get there early. It's certainly worth the effort. It's not a tourist trap in that there is nothing for sale. There are no bathrooms or showers either. There are facilities at Kailua Beach Park, about a mile up the road.

 

My only other recommendation about what to do is taking a day or two and driving around the island. (You'll notice on a map that you can't drive the circumference of the island. The roads end at the northwest tip of the island.)

 

From Kailua I would head north on Kamehameha Highway and just stay on that. It will swing left on the North Shore, and will take you past more beaches than you can visit. You'll pass Pipeline, probably the world's best surf spot, but because it will be summer there won't be any waves of consequence there or anywhere along the North Shore. If you're interested in stopping, look for Ehukai Beach Park. Another small parking lot. Further on is Haleiwa, a tourist town. You could drive around it, but I think it's worth seeing. Lot's of visitors have shave ice from Matsumoto's. It's in all the tourist books. I don't think theirs is better than other shave ice places, but they're much more famous.

 

Keep going along the coast through Waialua and past Mokuleia Beach Park. You can stop at Dillingham Airfield and take a glider flight, and across the road at the beach park are kitesurfers. Go to the end of the road.

 

You'll have to backtrack to Haleiwa/Waialua, then head south on Kam Highway until you get to H2 Freeway. If you're still feeling energetic you might want to head east on H1, and take that past Waianae and Makaha to the end. There's some spectacular scenery near the end of the road, and it's not unusual for swimmers at the beach there to see dolphins swimming nearby.

 

Backtrack again to H1. I imagine that will be a pretty long day by then, but you really should drive the rest of the island, either that day or another.

 

If it's another, from Kailua take H3 to H1 and head east. That will take you towards Honolulu. Get on Ala Moana Boulevard and take that east. You'll pass Ala Moana Beach Park, across the street from Ala Moana Shopping Center, the largest open air shopping center in the world. That road will take you into Waikiki. Turn right onto Kalakaua Avenue which will take you through Waikiki and past Waikiki Beach, among other beaches. Take Kalakaua to Diamond Head Road and take that to Kahala Avenue to Kalanianaole Hwy.

 

From around the start of Diamond Head Road through to Koko Marina is the gold coast. If you wander off the main road you'll see some truly magnificent homes. Black Point and Portlock are probably the most incredible neighborhoods in the area. Except for those owned by the military and a few others, all beaches in Hawaii are public, and homeowners must provide access. As you drive around the side streets you'll notice right-of-way signs, showing foot paths between the homes to the beaches. You'll get much better views of the homes from the beach.

 

There are some nice lookouts along the south and east shores, and on a clear day you can see Maui, Molokai and Lanai from them.

 

Take Kalanianaole Hwy all the way to Kailua.

 

You will not be disappointed.

 

 

 

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It will be next July. We will be staying in Kailua. Friends are letting us use their house cheap.

 

OK, as Chris mentioned there won't be the wild winter surf. But the advantage is there is more sand on the beaches. No whales at that time of year, either.

 

You are on the correct side of Honolulu to get a parking spot at Hanauma Bay. The lot is usually full by 8am, and the (free) street parking is full before then.

 

Remember Burt Lancaster and Deborah Kerr on the beach in "From Here to Eternity"? Find the beach - it's on your way from Kailua to Honolulu ;)

 

Sea kayak or sail in Kaneohe Bay. I think they sea kayak out to the sandbar and then snorkel there.

 

BTW, July is high season because of all the Americans from Arizona/Nevada/California escaping the heat.

 

Mike Cassidy

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Remember Burt Lancaster and Deborah Kerr on the beach in "From Here to Eternity"? Find the beach - it's on your way from Kailua to Honolulu ;)

 

This used to be a favorite location of mine when I was stationed out there. Although now it seems they don't want the public to visit this cove for safety reasons.

 

http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/31451640/safety-concerns-grow-over-eternity-beach

 

 

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If I ever go back, I'ma climb the

 

WOW that looks awesome! :thumbsup: Your last job would greatly assist you detecting and in detection avoidance while finding the trailhead. ;)

 

 

Pat

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If I ever go back, I'ma climb the

 

WOW that looks awesome! :thumbsup: Your last job would greatly assist you detecting and in detection avoidance while finding the trailhead. ;)

 

 

Pat

 

Ya, gotta dust off the skill set. Another off limits place would be Sacred Falls but Sacred Falls may be out of my violation spending limit of $2500-10k (doubles every hit).

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