Aloha Tower (Scenic Lookout, Honolulu) This tower used to be the tallest building on the island, but with the influx of skyscrapers that come with an international tag, it feels so small (1 Aloha Tower Drive, Honolulu, HI 96813). We went on a rainy day and scurried from our metered […]
honolulu
Honolulu Zoo (Educational, Honolulu) The weather wasn’t perfect for the beach one day so we decided to go to the zoo (151 Kapahulu Ave, Honolulu). This was our biggest ‘splurge’ attraction on the whole trip at $14 a ticket, but it was worth it because we ended up having a […]
Iolani Palace & King Kamehameha Statue (History, Honolulu) The only royal palace on American soil is in Oahu, smack in the middle of Honolulu (364 South King Street, Honolulu, HI 96813). There is metered parked all around the palace, we popped a couple of quarters in and went to observe. […]
Top Picks: Mount Tantalus Round Top Drive (Scenic Lookout, Honolulu) One of our most special evenings were spent star gazing and looking at the city lights atop Mount Tantalus after the Round Top Drive. It is so romantic and the views are breathtaking here, it is the perfect place to […]
Top Picks: Pearl Harbor Memorial (Historical, Leeward) If you ask me, no trip to Oahu is complete without a visit to the Pearl Harbor and the USS Arizona Memorial site (1 Arizona Memorial Place Honolulu, HI 96818). The National Park Service has done a beautiful job on this memorial; it […]
The Arch (Natural Attraction, Windward) If you park at the Halona Blowhole parking lot (Kalanianaole Highway heading east in Honolulu) and walk across the highway, head west past where the rail ends, you’ll be heading in the right direction. You can pick a comfortable spot to scale the rocks and […]
Spitting Caves (Natural Attraction, Windward) This was a little tricky to find, but I love a good natural attraction (Intersection of Popipu and Lumahai in Honolulu. Take Lumahai down to the end and park, nice residential area). We followed the directions, found the block, parked the car, and I started […]
Chinatown Cultural Plaza (Cheap Eats, Culture, Honolulu) On the first day we visited this place seemed so mysterious (100 North Beretania Street, Honolulu, HI 96817). It was drizzling and foggy, the scent of incense cloaked the air. Few people, none who could answer our questions in English were wandering around, […]
Top Picks: Moanalua Gardens (Koi Pond, Wildlife Sightings, Honolulu) This park is on the smaller side but it happened to be one of our favorites! It is right off the highway, I mean right off…make sure you take the exit slow or you’ll miss it (2850 Moanalua Road, Honolulu, HI […]
Diamond Head (Lighthouse, Military Remnants, Tunnels, Waikiki) This is the quintessential Oahu hike located right in Waikiki, everyone does it and the trail is packed accordingly. There are many things that make this hike very interesting and unique, but it is really hard to look past the throngs of people […]
Manoa Falls & Lyon Arboretum (Waterfall, Educational, Honolulu) A waterfall hike has a great draw, what a beautiful payoff for your labors. There was work being done on the road to the trailhead so the only free place to park was down the road a bit. We didn’t mind walking […]
Makapu’u Point Lighthouse Trail (Paved, Lighthouse, Military Remnants, Windward) This would make a really great sunrise hike because it’s paved and therefore easy to navigate, and on the windward side where the sun rises most visibly. The park that contains the trail is called Kaiwi State Scenic Shoreline (8751-9057 Kalanianaole […]
Top Picks: Koko Head (Workout, Military Remnants, Windward) This hike is a serious workout even if you are in good shape. As you drive towards the park you can see the cone looming in the distance, and you can make out the steep trail that lies ahead of you. There […]
Yama’s Fish Market (Hawaiian, Cheap Eats, Lunch/Dinner, Takeout, Honolulu) With all of the different cultures present in Oahu, you can almost forget that Hawaiians alone originally inhabited the island. They have such a great culture and a unique cuisine; I had to seek out some traditional Hawaiian grub on my […]
Rainbow Drive-In (Cheap Eats, Lunch/Dinner, Honolulu) A quick, cheap, casual dinner turned out to be pretty tasty at this drive-in. The loco-moco is a keystone in Hawaiian cuisine. It’s not exactly my type of dish, so I was happy when Jeff decided to try it out. It consists of a […]