hawaii anyone?

[tlcprn]

I am wondering if anyone on the site is from Oahu? MY dh and I are going there on the 7th, and I'm just wondering about any sites you'd recommend. Also, could bring you a few things from the main land if you need...LMK!
Becky

[Stampin'_Kiwi]

Aloha!!

First things first - don't spend all your time downtown in "touristville" Waikiki, take the time to get out and about and see the real island.

You have to do some of the tourist things like:
- Arizona Memorial
- Dole Pineapple plantation (biggest maze in the world)
- North Shore for the beaches (stop in at Matsumoto's for the best shaved ice on the island!)

If you don't mind the exercise (it's a real hike), the best view on the island is from the top of Diamond Head - it's really amazing. Do it early in the morning before it gets too hot because it's quite a workout ...

Otherwise, Pali Lookout is really beautiful view, just no hiking involved, you can drive right up to the lookout and see for miles from there.

If you have a vechile, take a drive round the coast to Haunama Bay area - just beautiful ...

As for bringing something from the mainland, we could really do with a Target here, think you could fit one in your bags???

[Happy Heart]

My husband was born on Oahu, and he, our youngest son, and I visited there a few years ago. We spent our first week on the Big Island (too wonderful for words!) then a week on Oahu. We're going back and bringing our whole family (12 of us!) in February!
The Pali Lookout is phenomenal, but sooo windy! I thought I was going to be blown away....and I'm a BIG girl!
I also loved the flea market at the Aloha Bowl. We couldn't believe the great prices!
We went to the Bishop Museum and saw all the artifacts and an exhibition of ancient hula. They have a wonderful museum shop.
We did the Polynesian Cultural Center also. Educational and entertaining, but the luau left much to be desired , and it's a bit too commercialized.
We got a kick out of the ABC Stores. We could stand in one spot on Waikiki and see three of them! One Hawaiian told us it meant "All Blocks Covered"!
We visited relatives in Wai'naie (sp.?) and visited a local beach...the surf was ferocious!
Can you tell I'm in love with the Islands?! I can't wait to get back!

[photocropper]

LOVE LOVE LOVE Hawaii!!!

Spent 4 years there - there will be more to see than you have time for so make sure you have a good plan before you go.... do not spend all your time downtown - get out and go see some things....If you have a car take a drive around remember the streets are narrow and windy - my Mom came out and she is one of those "I can do for myself" types and she rented a car and drove it 4 blocks to my house and that was it!!! She said she was glad that I was doing the driving! ANYWAY just be aware that who ever is driving will not be able to sight see as much and you should really stop and get out to see more!

OK - sights to see
Downtown - CHINATOWN it is a very interesting area - we went there for the best leis to take home to our families...it is like a little city and kinda neat to visit...
ALOHA STADIUM open on Sat, Sun, and Wed from 6am-3pm and that is where you will find tons of bargains for all your Island memoriabilla got there and not the downtown stores!
PUNCHBOWL CRATER - NATIONAL MEMORIAL CEMETARY OF THE PACIFIC - there is a ton of history there
PALI LOOKOUT - as mentioned before - AWESOME view but very windy - make sure you do not wear a hat!!
ARIZONA MEMORIAL - not sure what the best time of the day is when you will be there but be prepared to be there a while as it tends to get busy. A MUST SEE tho... Go on out to the USS Missouri if you have time but you can see ships at other places so if you want to pass it up maybe you'll have another chance somewhere else;)
DOLE PLANTATION - Neat place to see -
HISTORIC HALEIWA - on the way to the north shore - neat shops - MATSUMOTO'S for your shaved ice YUM YUM!
NORTH SHORE - popular beachs there - forget which one but there is a great spot to go out on the rocks and take pictures...
WAIMEA FALLS - Very beautiful - see the falls and learn a little hula!
HANAUMA BAY - a MUST SEE! Beautiful from the top and bottom!
BLOWHOLE - very neat to see and that is where we saw whales for the first time!
DIAMOND HEAD - of course!
SUBMARINE - if you have time you should go out on one of the subs and see the underwater life - it is so cool!
There is a Sea Life Park, the Waikiki Aquarium and the Zoo too - these are must hits for us as we have children and they love this stuff (they are all small and don't really take up much time but they are fun for the kids)

I dont recall which days or when they do it but there are artist that display their art work at the Zoo (along the fence line) and you can find BEAUTIFUL artwork for decent prices there....If you are looking for something like that - my friend has an Awesome Painting of Hanauma Bay above her fire place that I would LOVE to have!! you should be able to call the zoo or ask at your hotel and they can probably help you find this out...

My most Favorite beach was at the Ko'Olina resort... you go in and pass the hotel and there are different coves to go to - I forget which one it was but not the first one! ANYWAY we took the most awesome pictures of our kids there... it is a Cove so the waves dont beat you up and the kids can really get down there and play without many worries.

Gosh there are botanical gardens that are Awesome, A Palace you can tour, tons of historic things to see, churches, buildings, statues.....even the hotels have some cool things! One has penguins and ducks and such...forget which one but it is right off the beach

OK I think I have hit the highlights - Just do not stay downtown the whole time and get out and play some!!!
ENJOY!!

[kalela]

If you have a car, I highly recommend this cd to use as an audio tour. It's available on-line at http://www.tourtalkhawaii.com/ or at retailers locally.

I was raised in Hawaii and I've traveled extensively to all of the islands and each island is unique to itself. I've lived on Oahu for 17 years now and both my husband's family and my family hosts a lot of visitors. This audio tour is excellent. It covers so much things that I can't remember when we take our guests around. It's a great souvenir also.

Enjoy your stay here! It's raining today but the weather has been gorgeous lately. The days are getting longer, too, so those sunsets are definitely one you want to savor when you get here--have a picnic on the beach and watch the sunset, you won't regret it! I recommend doing this at one of Koolina's Lagoons (on the west side of the island on the grounds of the Marriott Ihilani Resort & spa.)

[cj nalley]

Lucky you, I was in Oahu January 23 & spent the day before flying back to midwest snow. Ready to go back. I went on the North Shore tour. Drove thru Ko'ola Mountians arrived at Valley of the Temple, Byodo Temple. Kahana Bay stopped at Laie Point. Stopped Kahuku. Sunset Beach & Banzai Pipeline. Turtle Beach- the size of those turtles... Haleiwa. Dole Plantation.
If you are interested I can snail mail you an Entertainment Book 2005 that I bought and only used one coupon out of in Maui. PM your mailing address if you would like it & I'll put in the mail. Enjoy CJ

[Katie*B]

We are heading to Hawaii (Big Island/Kona) in May also!!! WOO HOO!!! We are sooo excited!!! Thanks for the tourist info everyone! We are going to "island hop" and spend a day in Honolulu visiting the Dole Plantation and the USS Arizona and a few other sites. There are a couple of scrapbook stores in Honolulu and I am hoping to be able to talk DH into finding at least one of them, but I don't know if he will go for it since we are only there for one day...we'll see...

I have a question for you guys: since we are only going to be in Honolulu for one day, do you think it would be better to rent a car and drive to the sites ourself or just pay for a sight seeing tour and not have to worry about the directions and traffic and everything? I have a friend who visited Hawaii a few years ago and she said that the tour was the only way to go due to the traffic. Any input would be GREAT!!! Thanks!

[AMYCL]

You are so lucky! We went to Hawii on our honeymoon three years ago. It was soooo amazing. We had to go on tours buses whenever we wanted to go anywhere and take taxi's, my husband was only 20 and I was only 19 so we were unable to rent a car. I would recommend taking tour buses just because there was no way for us to get lost. We stayed on Waikiki Beach and we took the submarine ride, we snorkeled in Hanauma Bay (sp), we went to see pearl harbor, the dole plantation and went to a luau and I am sure I am forgetting a few things. Didn't care for the food at the luau and we were to young to drink the mai tis. They cooked the pig in the sand which was awesome to watch.

ABC stores, Wish we would have realized they were there before out last day.

I would love to go back to Hawii, maybe you can just pack me in your luggage.

Have a good trip! Think about me at home in Kansas while you in Hawii having a ball!

Amy

[Tortuga]

Aloha!
I'm sure you are going to have a great time here on Oahu. I think that everyone has given you great advice. If you do go to a Luau go to the Paridise Cove one. It's really good.

Make sure you get over to the windward side of the Island and drive around to see Chinaman's hat. Of couse you have to get all your souvenirs at the Aloha Stadium market. It's open on Wednesday's, Saturday's and Sunday's. You can also get some neat Hawaiian rubber stamps while you are here.

Have a great time.
*�*

[kelly.sutterfield]

We've got WalMart, KMart, and the ABC stores. So you shouldn't have any problems finding anything if you need it.

Agree with everyone who said to visit the Swap Meet at Aloha Stadium. Just bring your walking shoes, sunscreen & water. It gets hot! From the stadium, you'll be super close to the Arizona Memorial & the Missouri. My son LOVED getting to spend the night on the Mighty Mo with his Boy Scout troop.

Go downtown & see the Palace & the Mission Houses. Full of history! Bishop Museum is great too. They offer such wonderful programs (this Sunday is Military Appreciation Day, so all military gets in FREE!) and it's pretty cheap.

Make sure that you pick up the travel brochures at your hotel or even in the airport. They usually have 2for1 coupons for things like the Dole Plantation.

Kelly

[StampinAFWife]

I totally second the motion on...."CAN YOU BRING A TARGET WITH YOU" I miss target and so many other things but you will love your time here and remember ANYTHING you see you like in touristville(waikiki) you will find a bit cheaper off the tourist path...hence the Aloha stadium is one of the best places to "buy hawaiian things"

[photocropper]

Ok last bit of info from me!! When you get back and you are ready to complete your scrapbook pages check out this website. They used to live on Oahu and I shopped with them in their home years ago...They have beautiful die cuts! Great for all those tropical pics!

http://www.scrappersfriend.com/


OH and for those of you who asked - it is probably easier to take the bus tours they go everywhere and often - I can not ride on a bus without drugs so I have not done it myself....

[photocropper]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Katie*B

We are heading to Hawaii (Big Island/Kona) in May also!!! WOO HOO!!! We are sooo excited!!! Thanks for the tourist info everyone! We are going to "island hop" and spend a day in Honolulu visiting the Dole Plantation and the USS Arizona and a few other sites. There are a couple of scrapbook stores in Honolulu and I am hoping to be able to talk DH into finding at least one of them, but I don't know if he will go for it since we are only there for one day...we'll see...

I have a question for you guys: since we are only going to be in Honolulu for one day, do you think it would be better to rent a car and drive to the sites ourself or just pay for a sight seeing tour and not have to worry about the directions and traffic and everything? I have a friend who visited Hawaii a few years ago and she said that the tour was the only way to go due to the traffic. Any input would be GREAT!!! Thanks!

Took this from the website I listed above: Just thought you would like to know! www.scrappersfriend.com
For scrappers visiting the Big Island of Hawaii, please stop by "Aloha Scrapbooking Albums" in Kona, located across Bank of Hawaii. The owner, Krysti Kurashige, a good friend of ours, carries some of our laser cuts and specializes in Hawaiian-themed scrapbook supplies and stamps that are rarely available outside Hawaii. If you are looking for a complete source of your Hawaiian vacation scrapbooks, a lot of Hawaiian page layout ideas, and a spirit of Aloha in the islands, a visit to the "Aloha Scrapbooking Albums" store is a must-do and will be an enjoyable part of your Hawaiian vacation. For complete directions, please call Krysti at (80 323-9872 or e-mail at[email protected]


The only scrapbook store I went to when I lived in Oahu was across from the Pearlridge Mall...forget the name of it right now...

[kalela]

Shelley's referring to the Scrapbook Clubhouse in the Pearl Kai Shopping Center. There is another store a few miles down the road called Stamps & Memories. That's a cute rubber stamp & scrapbook store. They are on-line also. There's actually quite a bit of rubber stamp stores but not necessarily easy to find. Let me know if you want more info on those. If you want Hawaiian rubber stamps as souvenirs, the Aloha Flea Market at the stadium has some on Wednesdays only. These are cheap because they've made mistakes on the wood imprint but the rubber images are perfectly fine. If you don't want those, Wal-Mart's craft section is probably the easiest & cheapest to get the Hawaiian rubber stamps. They have a pretty good selection. Long's Drug stores & our Ben Franklins also carry them.

[photocropper]

Thanks Kalela I keep drawing a blank ~ but as with everywhere I go I can drive you there but to tell you what the name of the street is or sometimes (like in this case) the name of the store even, I am oblivious!!


Gosh I miss Hawaii so much and sometimes wish my hubby had taken the job there that he was offered! Maybe another one will come along and we will get to live there again!! It is so awesome ~ I love being about to garden year round!!

[Katie*B]

Oh my goodness, I am soooo excited to see that there is a scrapbook store in Kona!!! I am so THERE and DH can just deal with it! LOL! Actually, he is very supportive of my "habit" and I know he will not mind if I buy some Hawaiian memorabilia because I have been collecting tropical paper and embellishments and other items for months in anticipation of our trip!

Thanks again for all the great advice everyone! I am so sad that we are island hopping on Tuesday and will miss the flea market at the stadium. :( I love bargains, especially authentic Hawaiian merchandise at discount prices. BTW, what is ABC store? Is it like Dollar Tree? Are there some on Kona or just on Oahu?

Quote:

Originally Posted by photocropper

Took this from the website I listed above: Just thought you would like to know! www.scrappersfriend.com
For scrappers visiting the Big Island of Hawaii, please stop by "Aloha Scrapbooking Albums" in Kona, located across Bank of Hawaii. The owner, Krysti Kurashige, a good friend of ours, carries some of our laser cuts and specializes in Hawaiian-themed scrapbook supplies and stamps that are rarely available outside Hawaii. If you are looking for a complete source of your Hawaiian vacation scrapbooks, a lot of Hawaiian page layout ideas, and a spirit of Aloha in the islands, a visit to the "Aloha Scrapbooking Albums" store is a must-do and will be an enjoyable part of your Hawaiian vacation. For complete directions, please call Krysti at (80 323-9872 or e-mail at[email protected]


The only scrapbook store I went to when I lived in Oahu was across from the Pearlridge Mall...forget the name of it right now...

[Happy Heart]

ABC stores sell a lot of touristy things; souvenirs, towels, sandals, sunscreen, etc. They also have some drugstore items and packaged snack foods and soda. They're like a convenience store. Yes, they are in Kona, too.