Uniquely Local Stuff

Aloha,

We've made up a list of things to do on Oahu that costs little or selected to give you a flavor of Hawaii local style. They are in no particular order.

• Drive up the Nuuanu Pali Road to enjoy the canopy of trees and vines. This road parallels the Pali Highway for about one mile.
• Stop at the Pali Lookout and enjoy the panoramic view of the windward side.
• Visit the Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor. It's operated by National Parks Service, is free (?), has a great museum and boat ride to the memorial itself.
• Visit Punchbowl National Memorial Cemetery, enjoy the view from the lookout and admire the fabulous mosaic panels at the memorial hall dedicated to WWII, Korean and Vietnam Wars.
• Drive H3 highway, especially in the morning, both ways. It cuts through the lush Halawa Valley and comes out through Haiku Valley. Very scenic.
• Eat a Vietnamese sandwich at any of the Bale Sandwich Shops. Freshly baked French bread with pate and Vietnamese veggies. ($4).
• Have Pho (Vietnamese soup) at A Little Bit of Saigon or Hale Vietnam for a different experience. ($6).
• Go for a scenic drive up the Windward coast to the North Shore. Check out the little towns and big surf at Banzai Pipeline, Tables, and all the surf spots you see in the movies for free,
• Stop in Haleiwa at Matsumoto's for shave ice, the quintessential local treat ($2). Haleiwa is a small North shore town with shops, etc.
• Enjoys a Kalbi Plate Lunch at Yummy's or any of the many plate lunch stands. Good local Korean food. ($6).
• Get a saimin at Zippy's or Shiro's Saimin Haven. Get the special ($7). Not the usual Chinese sui mein or Japanese ramen. Local grinds.
• Drive the southeast coast and stop at Hanauma Bay. Very crowded nowadays, but the view is great. $6.
• A bit further is Halona Blowhole Lookout. On a clear day you can see Molokai and Lanai
• Past Makapuu Lookout about 6 miles is the town of Kailua and Kailua Beach, voted the Number One beach in the U.S.
• Take a drive up Roundtop Drive and come down Tantalus Drive. Stop off partway up at Ualakaa State Park for a view of Honolulu spread below your feet. Enjoy the cool forested drive.
• Visit Ko Olina Resort on the Leeward Coast. Stroll along the beaches and hotel fronts. Hotel's too expensive, but the grounds are exquisite.
• Visit the restored Iolani Palace. ($) Docents provide tours for a small fee. The only royal palace in the U.S.
• Enjoy the nearby Mission Houses Museum ($) or historic Kawaiahao Church.
• Find a Bon Dance and join in or just watch. These Japanese community dances, frequently in costume, commemorate the dearly departed. Some also have lighted lanterns floating off the shore, represent the spirits. Everyone is welcomed. Check the community section of the newspapers.
• Grab a drink (or Coke) at Hilton Hawaiian Village Hotel on Friday nights at the side lounge where Jerry Santos sings local songs by guitar. It's free and Jerry is real mellow.
• Find a Ki Alo (Slack Key Guitar) session somewhere. It's uniquely Hawaiian. We have CDs for you to sample.
• Find the Brothers Cazimero show somewhere. Robert and Roland are special to our local music. Very polished, they played at Lincoln Center several years ago.
• For culture, visit Bishop Museum ($15) and / or the Honolulu Academy of Art ($5), both world renown for Polynesian collection and art respectively.

This just touches what makes Hawaii special. We haven't included the usual big name attractions as you can pick the out yourselves, (Polynesian Cultural Center ($40), Sea Life Park, Waimea Park, all the Waikiki shows, etc.

Two things will help you make friends in the Islands.

• Try not to say "at home, we have ….." , "back in the states…." , "this is just like…..". It's very easy to compare, but the reality is that each place is unique and should be enjoyed for what it is, not what it resembles.
• Don't say "Stateside"; say "Mainland" instead. It's insulting to forget that Hawaii is one of the fifty states in the United States of America.

Meet the people. They truly are what makes Hawaii special. The scenery and places are great, but the people reflect why we choose to live here.

 
Hopefully, you can find time to sample some of the above list.

Holler if you need more info.

last update March 2006