Vacationing in Hawaii

We arrived in Honolulu Saturday around 11:30am. Had a nice day. Staying at Ritz Carlton Residences Waikiki until Monday. Then going to Maui for 7 days. Seeing the Pearl Harbor Memorial today. It’s really pretty here.



Here’s a view from our 25th floor room.

Nice, I’ve never been

Plus #1.

Nice. We will be there in February for 3 days and then to the big island for 12

The movie they show you before the trip to the memorial is overwhelmingly emotional

Looks beautiful!

Don't believe anybody that tells you the walk/hike to the top of Diamondhead is easy to moderate!

Go visit the Punchbowl, and don't forget The USS Missouri while you are in Pearl Harbor.

If you have time, and a car, drive up to the North Shore. The surf is awesome there and gets even better by the first of December when they have the World Championships.

Very nice! What area of Maui will you be staying? The Lahaina, Kaanapali, Kapalua stretch is awesome, got to enjoy a month there as a young man, didn't want to leave. Enjoy your vacation

pics of the beach and kinis?

Lived there for 12 years.

If you can find guava chiffon cake....oh my.

nice

Your doing the perfect trip. Pearl Harbor is a must see and the north shore ain’t to bad. Then get to Maui. Whatever they say, DON’T drive to HANA. That drive is brutal.

Their idea of an easy to moderate hike is a lot harder than what I consider easy and I’m in shape. Just an FYI if you have any hikes scheduled.
Enjoy and if you go to pipelines get you some shrimp while you’re up there.

I really enjoyed the drive to Hana.

Just a quick word about seafood in Hawaii.

Fresh fish in the islands comes from pelagic or open ocean fish. Those fish common to shallow water don’t live there. The Hawaiian islands are volcanic peaks sticking out of deep ocean. There is little shallow water.

Tuna, orange roughy etc , are what you find fresh. Even most of the mahi comes from South America.

So did I

I took a Cessna out there. Met Jim Nabors at the little airport.

Awesome. I was there when I was five. Don’t remember much about that trip. Would love to go again.

Sounds awesome!!

40 miles at 10mph one way. Lots of people like it but I wished I had never done it. Pretty sure I’m in the minority so I’m probably not the best source.

My memory has slipped. I looked it up. 74 miles one way 2 hours 36 minutes.

Some beautiful rainbows on that drive

And waterfalls. And all kinds of beaches - red beach, black beach, etc. Colored "sand" based on the volcanic rocks in the water there.

We just got back yesterday after 8 days there. We had a corner room at the Hilton. Be sure and eat at Dukes.

Went to Kauai a few years ago and i cant wait to go back. Try the moonfish its the best fish ive ever had

I did a private charter in 2011 with Deep Sea Fishing Kauai and landed a 980lb marlin. In the top 2 or 3 surreal experiences of my lifetime.

We're headed to Kauai for a week in December. Can't wait! Is moonfish the specialty at any particular restaurant?

Get the Kauai Revealed app and then thank me

What ever you do, don't eat the poi. And I agree that Pearl Harbor is a must do. Punchbowl was another sobering place to visit. We enjoyed the luau and hula dancing along with a dinner cruise of Pear Harbor. If we ever go back we will do the bigger islands.

We did Pearl Harbor today. It was moving. Then we hiked up Diamond Head. Pretty good hump. I thought it was great, but my wife moaned a bit on the way up. I kept telling her- remember those soldiers and sailors that did it carrying ammo, weapons and supplies in the 40s. She did good.

I was going to mention the climbing DIamond Head, that was always a cool trip.

I used to take the bus to Sandy Beach, I always enjoyed the waves there and the views. Great place to body surf and watch huge waves crash on the beach.

I too think the Road To Hanna is about the most beautiful drive you can take.. It does take a while.. Take your wallet and eat at the restaurant at the end of the road..
And definitely rent a convertible while you are there... A Mustang GT is a good choice..

I didn't hear anyone say anything about driving up Haleakala.. Incredible views from up there and the sunrise from the top is something to behold.. Sea level to over 10,000 feet in about thirty minutes of twists and turns and four different eco-systems.. You'd swear you were on Mars when you get to the top.. Take a jacket..

Also a great place to drive that Mustang..

Great snorkeling on Maui as well.. Boulders beach.. If you can get there..



On Oahu all of the aforementioned sites are a must.. But the concrete has taken over most of the island..


The Big Island is highly agricultural.. But it has Mauna Loa volcano, active for years and some and it is neat to see where the lava has taken over parts of the island and covered roads.. Giant black beaches..

Molokai is basically undeveloped for tourism.. And accommodations there are sparse, but you can find a place to stay if you are looking.. Of course there is not a lot to do there.. But it is pretty and unspoiled for the most part.. Six mile beach is pretty deserted, and.. well basically there are few tourists there..


Kauai is the prettiest of the islands in my view, but it is being heavily developed in some areas.. Princeville is the high end area.. And if they still have the buffet there at the hotel it is a must do.. If it comes from the ocean, they have it..


Great snorkeling.. Tunnels beach is good but it is a beast for big waves sometimes and not for the timid. Anini beach is on the north side of the island and is awesome for snorkeling or laying nekid in the sun..

All the islands are beautiful..

You really can't go wrong.. But you can go broke.. Stuff over there is a bit pricy compared to Zapata..

Man what a great thread for vacation tips. Wife and I have been talking about going.

Is there an affordable way to visit? We would be fine not staying in a super-nice hotel or eating at high-end restaurants, but we would like to go.

We’ve hired a private driver for the road to Hana. I didn’t want to drive it myself because then I wouldn’t be able to see all the scenery from being too focused on the road. I hear it can be dangerous.

I happily remember flying into there from the Orient a couple times, the 2nd most beautiful water site I have ever seen, looks like the water changes color 10 times headed in.

note: gotta admit, flying into the Greek Islands of the Mediterranean is the greatest.

I did to.

I had a burger and fries at that restaurant. It was $25.

Not for the budget conscience, but on Kauai, the helicopter tour is a once in a lifetime experience. I highly recommend it.

If you have a Costco membership it’s a great way to cut your meal expenses

If you plan on going to the big island the Wendy’s has one of the most beautiful vistas you will find

Me too. We rented a jeep and made the complete loop. It was a great drive. A little hairy when you ran into an oncoming car on the dirt portion but fun.

Our pilot said he flew in Nam.. I figured as long as he didn't have flash back we'd be fine.. Truly incredible ride and you will see things you just can't see otherwise..



First time we drove the dirt road back on the dry side in a Cadillac or a Lincoln or some big car.. The rental company said not to take the car around there.. I should have listened but we made it OK.. I recommend the Jeep..

If your physical condition allows, I strongly recommend doing a hike. You can Google for recommended hikes and get multiple options relative to location, difficulty, length...etc. In Kaua’i we did the Hanakapiai Falls hike and it was amazingly spectacular! As an added bonus...it was free.

The only way to see HI is in a Jeep. Take the tops off and enjoy the sun and scenery.

We had a jeep on the Big Island, then switched to a Chevrolet Trax in Maui. The Trax is a small bubble shaped SUV. It was perfect for the drive to Hana. Much more maneuverable on that road than a jeep. Having a small vehicle on islands is a plus.

Nice view this morning in Maui!

Beats the hell out of my view.

It is awesome!

smoke some of the local stuff
before you go

Did the pineapple plantation tour today with an extra tour of the pineapple vodka distillery. Very interesting. I bought a bottle of their vodka (Pau Vodka). Gonna make some drinks poos.

A little beach time this afternoon.

You should have let her take that selfie, and you should have been in the background … way in the background!

Pretty dark up there huh

Lol

Another scenic drive is around the "head" of the island, it's a lot shorter and great views of Molokai.
Not as many waterfalls, but not as much traffic. Mama's fish house is great, Paia town is an old plantation town that was saved by the hippies and surfers, now it's got shops and restaurants.