Hawaii is the southernmost state of the United States and the second westernmost state after Alaska. Only Hawaii and Alaska are outside the contiguous United States and do not share a border with any other U.S. state.

Hawaii Trip

May 2001

OAHU

If you start your trip in Honolulu, a must see in addition to Waikiki Beach is Pearl Harbor. Rent a car and take the boat to the USS Arizona Memorial, and a ranger will brief you on the history. Then drive to the Punch Bowl (military cemetery of the Pacific) where veterans of WWII, Korea and Viet Nam are recognized. It is located in an old volcanic crater high above Honolulu. From here you will have a great view of Honolulu and Waikiki and the Pacific Ocean.

Dole Pineapple Plantation is worth a visit, and do try the pineapple ice cream or buy some pineapple wine.. Drive along the North Shore of Oahu and see some of the largest waves in the world (a prime surfing area). Be sure to stop at beautiful tropical Waimea Valley Botanical Park. Here you will see the cliff divers perform, in addition to a dance performance and botanical species from around the tropical world.

From Honolulu, drive up the Pali Highway for scenic views and spend the day at the Polynesian Cultural Center. You will visit replicas of the villages of Samoa, Tonga, Tahiti, Fiji, New Zealand, Las Marquesas and Hawaii with demonstrations. Not only will entertainment be provided by the villages, but there is also a canoe parade of floats on the water…in native dress and dance. You may also see an I-Max film about early Polynesian life. The visit here will probably take all day, but it is a cultural experience with great entertainment. If returning to Honolulu, try the Crouching Lion Inn Restaurant in Kaaawa on the East side of the island (south of the Polynesian center); the chicken with macadamia nut sauce is superb!

Back in Honolulu, drive to Diamond Head Volcano. This is the crater of a volcano inactive for 150,000 years. You can climb this (and we did); however, take bottled water for it is a hot, sunny uphill walk. After you get through the tunnel, (a flash light will help), climb 99 steps, do another tunnel, and you are there with a 365 degree view of the shoreline and mountains.

Another place in Honolulu to walk to or drive is the state capital and Iolani Palace (former home of Hawaiian rulers). Kapulani Park is also worth a walk; usually there is an interesting outside art show.

THE BIG ISLAND - HILO

Fly to Hilo (less than an hour flight). Rent a car in Hilo and drive to Volcano National Park. Walk through Thurston Lava Tube and Devastation Trail. Drive through Kilauea Caldera and down the Chain of Craters' Road to the point where lava flows into the ocean. It's quite amazing! In Hilo, we stayed at Lokahi Lodge and we loved it (home-made breakfast included).

Hilo is a charming town nestled beneath the slopes of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa. Do not miss the Tsunami Museum in Hilo. See films of the 1946 and 1960 tsunamis in Hilo. The tsunamis wiped out much of the waterfront town, killing many of the natives. It has been rebuilt, but the people do live in fear that it could happen again. On Banyan Drive, you will see huge trees planted by famous people (Babe Ruth, Amelia Earhart, FDR).

Visit the Macadamia Nut Co., and Hilo Hattie's store on the main road. The macadamia samples are delicious and plentiful!

Drive up the Eastern side for scenic views of Akaka Falls and at Kahuna Falls, you can take a beautiful hike. Keep North on the island, and you will come to Parker Ranch (second largest cattle ranch in the world). There is a restaurant there and you may be able to lunch with the Parker ranch cowboys.

Continue North for great water fun to Flumin Da Ditch where we rode a kayak through tunnels and flumes in the irrigation ditches that were used for farming. Lots of fun; you will get wet! Make your reservation a month or two in advance.

KAUAI

Fly to Honolulu, then transfer for a flight to Lihue, Kauai; it is a very short flight. Then rent another car and drive to Waimea Canyon, called the Grand Canyon of the Pacific, for more spectacular views.

An absolute must: drive to Wailua, and take the boat to famous Fern Grotto up the Wailua River, the only navigable river in Hawaii. This is a beautiful tropical jungle setting where nature has formed a natural amphitheatre. Marriages take place here weekly because it is such a magnificent natural setting. It's stunning! The Wailua River was featured at the beginning of the Indiana Jones movie Raiders of the Lost Ark

If you can, go to Poipu Beach to see the Spouting Horn!

MAUI

Fly to Maui (short flight from Kauai), drive to Lahaina, an old whaling town. This is a fun town! Visit an art show in the park area with the huge Banyan trees. Sometimes there is a childrens' hula show. Lunch at Cheeseburger in Paradise, if you like; just walk around this quaint little town. Maui is just a magnificently beautiful island, as is Kauai, so walk around and enjoy nature at its best.

A most interesting and gorgeous drive is to take the Road to Hana, an all day event. There are 54 one-lane bridges; many hairpin curves; scenic overlooks against a cobtitle blue ocean; rugged mountain wilderness with waterfalls and streams. There are the Seven Sacred Pools at the road's end where you can stop to swim, and each one has a waterfall. Don't miss the Road to Hana!

Catch the sunrise at the summit of Haleakula Volcano. You can arrange to ride to the top in a van very early in the morning to catch the sunrise and then bike down.

Fly to Honolulu and home. All in all, we took ten different flights for entire trip; however, they are all short flights and not costly. We did the entire trip in fifteen days in 2001; approximate cost was $4000-5000, but we did use points for some hotels.

Hawaii Photo Gallery

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