The island of Oahu is the third largest island in the Hawaiian chain.  It does have two-thirds of Hawaiian population, over a million people.

We agree with what this article has to say:

The capital of Oahu and all of Hawaii is in the city of Honolulu.

The beach area of Honolulu is the famous Waikiki.

 

Oahu does have other famous features such as Diamond Head, Pearl Harbor, Hanauma and the North Shore to name a few favorite areas.

We have had five sojourns to Oahu totaling eight weeks.  We have a plethora of pictures and stories.  For the sake of brevity, we have compressed everything down to our favorite things to do in Oahu.  With that said, we have made a separate expose on Pearl Harbor.

 

Our first visit in 1998 was a culture shock.  We found Waikiki to be much like Miami Beach, but on steroids.  Kathie did not like this big metropolis at all.  Subsequently, on other visits we have come to appreciate all of Oahu.  It has become Kathie’s favorite island; Oahu is a close second with Maui being my first choice. 

 

There is no question that surfing is a major activity in all of Hawaii.  One can actually store their boards on Waikiki Beach.

 

Renting a car at the Honolulu airport is an easy process. Driving into Honolulu demands patience and can be nerve racking.  Some people decide to take a taxi or even a comfortable limo.

There are Interstates in Hawaii—like Highway “H1”—and it goes right through Honolulu. Many times, there are traffic jams galore.  We are still wondering where Interstate HI connects to make it an Interstate.

I remember a joke about “A man who was walking a Florida beach and stumbled across an old lamp.  He picked it up and rubbed it, and out popped a genie.  The genie said, “I have but one wish to give”. The man always wanted to go to Hawaii, but was too scared to fly and got very seasick on a boat.  He asked the genie to build a bridge to Hawaii. So, he could drive over for a visit.  The genie said it was “impossible!”  The logistics of all the cement, steel and the deep Pacific Ocean to boot. The man thought of another wish.  Finally, he said, “I’ve been married and divorced four times.  My wives always said that I don’t care and that I’m insensitive.”  The man wanted to understand women, to know how they feel inside, know what they really wanted and how to make them truly happy.  The genie said, “Do you want that bridge to be two lanes or four?”

We have stayed in and recommend the Waikiki Banyan condos. We get off HI at the Zoo exit which makes the going easy.  We like these condos as you can obtain a condo with views of either Waikiki Beach, Diamond Head and downtown Honolulu at a reasonable cost of $145 and up.  Waikiki is just one block over.  We use VRBO to make the arrangements with the owners. 

The condos are large one bedroom condo.  Many of these condos are updated.  We also like the AC from the window.  The balconies are a real joy to observe Hawaiian life.

 

 

Mid-day Waikiki can get crowded.  There is always room for everyone though.  On the our first four visits to Waikiki, I failed to take a swim along this iconic beach.  I finally got my nerve up and did it in 2015.  What an exhilarating experience.  I can’t wait to go back.

Walking north along Waikiki beach is the statue Duke Kahanamoku. He was a four-time Olympian and medaled in swimming.  He also popularized the ancient sport of surfing.

Close by is the restaurant “Dukes,” which has a number of pictures of Hawaii’s famous athlete. 

We find the food at Dukes to be quite good—particularly the buffet. If you get at Dukes early, you can get a seat along the railing and be right in the action of Waikiki Beach.

On one trip, we spotted Jimmy Buffet eating at Dukes.  We had an excellent source as our server was, Clint Walker, who was once a student at the school we taught at: Martin County H.S.

There are plenty of stores, cafés, restaurants and shops along the main avenue of Kalakaua. 

For many years, we enjoyed visiting the International Market.  It was a hodge-podge of vendors, kiosks and most everything else. 

On our last visit, the International Market was being redeveloped into a dazzling development with a modern twist. Notice they are keeping the large tree. 

We still like the old market.

One of our favorite places is “The Pink Palace.”  It is the only pink place on Waikiki Beach.  It has been there for years.  A neighbor of ours said he carved his initials into the dance floor years ago. 

There is a small but very expensive hat store we came across at the Royal Hawaiian.

We have enjoyed the bar area along the beach.  Everything is pricy, but we did watch a Luau one night for free from our seats. 

There are a number of well-known restaurants along Waikiki like Cheesecake, PF Chang’s, Roy’s, Hula’s and Yard House.  In our 2012 sojourn, we came across this cheesecake.

We have come to appreciate Waikiki’s Yard House.  There are over 100 beers on tap and the food is not bad.

The service is very friendly at the Yard House.

We did have lunch one day at the popular Hawaiian restaurant known as “Roy’s.”  Kathie loved their “Butterfish” entree.

One of my favorite resorts to visit is Halekulani. There is a neat statue in front of the resort.

The pool has a magnificent hibiscus flower.

At night during Happy Hour is authentic Hawaiian music.

On one of our visits, we met the mom of the lead singer.  Mom made her living by selling “grave spots” on the island of Kauai.  She loved her job.

There is a military museum in Waikiki that we have failed to see on our five trips.  I love taking a picture (1998) along the Japanese tank though.  In 2015, the Japanese Light Tank was painted.

There are plenty of activities throughout the year on Waikiki.  

 

 

My favorite picture with the point-and-shoot camera was the motorcycle rider on the main avenue.  I had just a second to take the picture.

At one end of Waikiki Beach, there are sand volleyball courts.  You have to love a culture that places an emphasis on volleyball.

One of the landmarks on Waikiki is the Hilton Hawaiian Village.  You can’t miss the colorful design on the building.

At the Hilton, I did take this picture of what appears to be a duck in the pond.

On Friday nights, Hilton has fireworks for us tourists.  We have seen the fireworks both from a boat and on-shore.  It is awesome.

 

At the pond close by was the food-truck used in the Hawaii 5-0 show.

By the Hilton is a port.  All these boats had to cross the Pacific—not a little feat.

 If you keep on walking, you will eventually walk into the Ala Moana Mall.  It is actually an outdoor upscale four-story mall with all the shops you ever want to see. One of the many sights at this mall is this fountain in an alcove.

 

The food court is quite large. Macy’s is also big in Hawaii.

We came across this tee-shirt.  Pono means “righteousness.”

Across the road by the beach is the Ala Moana Park.  Every Memorial Day there is the traditional Lantern Floating ceremony.  At dusk, lanterns are lite to honor those that have passed on.  Over 50,000 people crowd along the beach area to witness this magnificent event.

We did notice that one lantern was lite for a dog.  We completely understand as dogs have played an integral part in our lives.

A longer walk will take you to the famous Aloha Tower—once the most recognizable place in Oahu.  In 2007, this was a thriving place.  But, by 2015, it has fallen on hard times. 

 

At the tip of the Aloha Tower peninsula was the restaurant Gordon Biersch.  We met a fine couple—Dave and Linda Roesler.  Linda just loves the Kansas City Chief’s as she is from that area. We are still in contact with them today.  Unfortunately, this fine establishment has since closed.

What looks like an interesting Maritime Museum is close by.  We have never paid the price of admission.

There are native Hawaiians. Most of them want their country back as it was annexed into the USA in 1898 and became our 50^th State in 1959.  Most people are not Hawaiian and are referred to as “Haoles.”

At one time, you could take the free Hilo-Hattie’s bus to their factory.  They have the largest Hawaiian shirt ever recognized by Guinness World Records. The factory has since closed, but Hilo Hattie’s is still thriving.  You can find the over-sized Hawaiian shirt in their Ala Mona store.

Downtown Honolulu is a mixture of many types of buildings.  It is here where there is an actual “China Town.”

The most recognizable place is the statue of King Kamehameha the Great in front of the Iolani Palace.  It is always pictured as the police station for Hawaii Five-0 series.

If you walk south of the Duke statue, there is a zoo.  We have never gone.  You can turn either left to Diamond Head State Park or walk along the coast.

If you go on Saturday to Diamond Head there is a neat KCC Farmers Market by the Community College.  It does get crowded.

Kathie always enjoyed the roasted corn. 

I liked the sausage in a bun.

 

One can actually drive into the crater for five dollars in 2015.  Or, you can walk through the tunnel and pay a dollar. 

The walk from the crater’s floor to the rim will take you about 45 minutes. There is no water and less shade on this famous trail. There are plenty of stairs too.

At one time, people used to sell flashlights to go through the six-foot-high tunnel. In 2015, there are now lights on this popular trail. 

As you are walking, you will notice hundreds of Japanese tourists. 

Many Japanese come to Oahu to get married.

Many of the signs in Oahu are both in English and Japanese.

 

Knowing there is a big gap between our languages, the tourist companies provide transportation for the Japanese tourists.

We recommend getting to Diamond Head early to even think of beating the crowds.  

The views on-top of the 761-foot Diamond Head are magnificent.  Great pictures can be had of Honolulu.

In 1998, there was a company that provided a tee-shirt and a certificate of proof that we climbed Diamond Head.  The company is no longer there.

If you walk along the coastal road, you will come across the Diamond Head Lighthouse. 

Along this route are unpretentious homes that date back to the 1920’s and 1930’s. 

These homes were once reasonable. Not now. Property and living expenses are one the highest in the USA. We were able to tour one “open” house.

 

One house had a beautiful Dolphin gate.

As you stroll further, you will come across more homes and a few turn-outs for views of the coast. We thought this group was too close to the edge. 

Within driving distance in Honolulu is the Bishop Museum. 

This place has the world’s largest collection of Polynesian cultural artifacts.

The museum was built in 1889 by Charles Reed Bishop, a banker and philanthropist.  The real reason Charles built it was to honor his Hawaiian wife, Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop.  They needed a place to store all the heirlooms of the Kamehameha Dynasty. There was also a display about hats.

 

The main hall is a place not to be missed. 

There is an excellent exhibit about the “Duke.”

There is a good collection of Hawaiian art. 

The next building over is a hands-on science museum.  One could actually spend a day here. 

We enjoyed the small Foster’s Botanical Garden in Honolulu. It is one of those places easily missed. 

We had the pleasure of meeting the artist Roger Whitlock. He was a teacher turned artist. Since our 2015 meeting, Roger has moved to a small-town north of Seattle. He does have an interesting web site.

A definite place not to be missed is the Punchbowl Crater. It is the location of the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.  The area was once the “Hill of Sacrifice,” as human sacrifices were once done here.

We attended the Memorial Day Services in 2015.  We were going to stay for maybe 15 minutes, but the ceremony was so moving we stayed for two hours.  The following pictures  are of that memorable day.

On another day, we found the gravestones of the famous WWII reporter, Ernie Pyle.

We also came across the grave stone of Ellison Shopji Onizuka.  He was the Hawaiian who died in the tragic explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger over Florida on January 28^th, 1986.

 I remember that day vividly, January 28th 1986, as my Principal Wanda Yarboro came to my classroom and asked if I could turn-on “my” TV.  The class was playing a simulated game of “Grand Strategy” at the time.   It was but a few seconds that the entire class became quiet looking at the TV of an event that literally occurred above them.

If you can’t make the trek up Diamond Head, you can get great views from the Punchbowl. 

In another valley close by is the Harold L. Lyon Arboretum.  A beautiful trail takes you through the gardens. 

On another trail close by is Manoa Falls. From what we understand, this area was used to film a Jurassic Park movie. Our daughter, Pamela, joined us for a week in Oahu. Remember, there are “NO” snakes in Hawaii. 

If you drive south on route 72, you will come across Hanauma Bay.  This is a popular area to lay on the beach, and most definitely snorkel. 

This park is the only one where you have to pay.  Also, if you want to be on the beach, you will need to watch a 20-minute movie about this unique eco system. Luckily, there is no test at the end.

You can walk down the hill, or for a round trip for two dollars take the tram.

I liked the right-side of the bay. I did cut myself on the coral reef. Those rocks are indeed sharp. I did not read this sign.

I did take this picture of Hawaii’s State Fish. If you want to be Hawaiian, you will need to pronounce the name: Humuhumunukunukuapua.

In that direction, we uncovered the Koko Crater Botanical Garden.  It was rather desert like. 

 

The area is known for the Koko Trailhead that ascends 1200 feet on a 1.8-mile trail.  Using an old railhead, beautiful views can be had. We have not done this difficult trail. We have to leave something for a sixth sojourn to this great state. 

There are a number of road pull-offs and lookouts. 

On a good day, you can see wind and the oceans waters coming out of the Halona Blowhole.

About 10 minutes away along route 72 is the Makapu’u Point Lighthouse Trailhead.  In 1942, a plane crashed along the ridge killing 9 naval aviators.

We came across Navy personnel having a work-out. 

To circle Oahu by car is about four hours. You can actually take busses around the island, but you are limited on your stops. Renting a car is the best practical way.

 

The Waianae range and Koolau range—once shield volcanoes—separate the island.  Honolulu is not the only place where people live in Oahu.  If you take H3, route 63 and or route 61 you can see a different side of Oahu. 

On Route 61 is the Nu’uanu Pali Lookout.  A great battle took place here in 1795.  King Kamehameha’s forces were able to push over 800 enemy over a 1000-foot cliff. 

One of our favorite beaches is located on this side known as Lanikai Beach.

On this side of the island is Byodo Budist Temple.  The place is absolutely stunning and peaceful.

I wonder if the cat nearby is Buddhist also?

Most of the area is reserved for a cemetery.  We don’t think it is cheap, but for eternity your body can lay in these uplands overlooking the Pacific.  I rather have my ashes spread in the Pacific.

It is this side of the island where the Polynesian Cultural Center is located. It is a mixture of a theme park and cultural museum started in 1963 by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  Some people swear by this place, we have never gone. 

The history of Polynesia is revealed through simulated tropical villages.  The place does employ 1300 people.  At night there is a popular Luau.  Many people take a bus from Honolulu and not drive after drinking Mai-Tai’s.

We have come to love Tropical Farms Macadamia Nut Farm on Highway 83. We always enjoy the free samples.  The Honey-Roasted and Maui-Onion varieties of Macadamia nuts are our favorites.

 

Along the coast are a number of parks. A picture of “The Chinamans Hat” makes a good photo.

 

Not far from where we took the above picture, we saw the Hawaiian Company, “Crazy Shirts,” having a photo shoot.

From Honolulu to get to the North Shore of Oahu, we take Interstate H2. The road does fork.  If you go past the community Ewa on H1, you will come to the Disney Resort of Aulani.  This resort is a good 45 minutes away from Waikiki.

One can actually see Aulani when you fly into Oahu from Kauai. The building to the left is Four Seasons Resort.

Aulani is special.  For $35K you can get a piece of paradise for a week. 

We toured the place, received our free doll, but never purchased.  I read from Arthur Frommer many years ago that “Vacation-time-shares” are one of the worst investments one could ever make. The yearly maintenance cost alone would pay for a week in Oahu.

Haleiwa is the small village along North Shore that many people do visit. In winter, the waves are thirty feet plus for surfing nearby.

We enjoy going through the various boutique shops. There is a unique sign by the main road.

There are a number of restaurants.  Big here, though, are food trucks.

Our favorite stop is to have “Shave Ice” at Matsumoto’s store. Notice that I write “Shave,” and not “Shaved.”  Some people come all the way from Honolulu just to have this experience.

Matsumoto store is one of the original places that sells this delicious dessert. We actually met the son.

Down the road is a small beach called “Three Tables.”  We found snorkeling here to be superb. 

Not far is the beautiful Waimea Bay Beach.

Across the street is Waimea Valley, Gardens and Falls.  You do have to pay to enter here.  It is well worth the expense.

We did notice, by the falls, a number of people swimming in the inviting natural pool.  There is a sign warning people of “Leptospirosis”—a bacterial disease which is passed from animal to humans in the tropical areas like Hawaii.

Going back to Honolulu, don’t over-look Dole’s Plantation.  It is well worth a stop.  They have a number of activities to entertain you with.

Besides sugar cane, growing Pineapples is a major activity in Hawaii.  The 50th state is the only state which commercially still grows pineapples.

During the 19^thcentury, Japanese, Chinese, Pilipino and Portuguese workers were brought to Hawaii. Their cultural influences helped change Hawaii. 

Outside by the parking lot is a grove of Rainbow Eucalyptus trees. These trees originally came from Southeast Asia.  

 

On our last day in Waikiki, I made it a point to swim in the ocean.  The blue ocean waters are a bit cooler than the waters off of Florida.  With the mountains as a back-drop and Diamond Head to the side, you can see why Oahu would be a favorite for many.