Hawai’i, The Aloha State

Honolulu, O`ahu

O’ahu, known as the “Gathering Place.” A fitting description for an island considered by most as the melting pot of the Pacific due to its rich ethnic diversity. Almost one million people populate this Island paradise. Tourism dominates the economy, but efforts are being made to diversify into science and technology, film and television production, sports, ocean research and development, and diversified agriculture and floral and specialty food products.

Honolulu covers most of the Island of O’ahu from the financial center in Downtown to the scenic sights of Waikiki. Wandering around, you can soak up the sun and the spirit of aloha that is all around.

Waikiki

Enjoy the sights and sounds of Waikiki as you stroll along Kalakaua Avenue. Currently, some of the free entertainment to be enjoyed by all are a Hawaiian music and hula show near the Duke Kahanamoku statue from Thursday to Sunday evenings, a concert at the Kapiolani Bandstand on Friday evenings, a movie on the beach on Saturdays and Sundays, and a historical walking tour of Waikiki.

Waikiki is a happening place from morning to night. If you are into sports, you can enjoy watching soccer matches or flying kites at Kapiolani Park, learn to surf, canoe or parasail at Waikiki Beach or go hiking up Diamond Head crater. During the day you can take in the Waikiki Aquarium, the third oldest public aquarium in the United States designated as the Coastal Ecosystem Learning Center for the Pacific Island Region; the Honolulu Zoo with its main attraction the Komodo Dragons; or the International Marketplace with its flurry of kiosks and shops. At night, take in the sounds of the pounding surf during a moonlit walk or take in one of many shows and nightclubs that the hotels have to offer.

For a calendar of events, go to the following website: http://calendar.gohawaii.com.

Other Attractions

Honolulu is home to ‘Iolani Palace, the only state residence of royalty in the U.S. Just across the street from the Palace is the statue of King Kamehameha, who united all of the Hawaiian Islands.

Outside of Honolulu is Pearl Harbor, home to the USS Arizona Memorial and the USS Missouri. To the north, is the Polynesian Cultural Center featuring seven different Polynesian island nation cultures including Samoa, Tonga, and Tahiti. The Center was founded by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Also to the north are Sunset Beach and Waimea Bay, known for their high surf during the winter months. Waves have reached as high as 30 feet or 9.144 meters.

Dining Out

Asian-Pacific cuisine probably best describes the type of food served at most restaurants in Honolulu. If you are interested in trying Hawaiian delicacies, there are several restaurants and luaus that offer the more popular dishes such as pork or chicken laulau (pork or chicken wrapped in taro leaves with a small chunk of black cod fish), poi (a taro paste), lomilomi salmon (bits of salmon, diced tomatoes and sweet onions, and green onions), and chicken long rice. For good Chinese food, head out to Downtown Honolulu to Chinatown for delicious dim sum, roast pork and roast duck.

A visit to Hawai`i is not complete without trying “shaved ice” from the Waiola Store on Kapahulu Avenue in Waikiki or the famous Matsumoto Store in old Haleiwa Town on the North Shore.

Entertainment and the Arts

Honolulu has many cinemas, a concert hall, and several theaters. For information on what’s playing during your visit, check out the following websites:

For symphony concerts (classical or pop): http://www.honolulusymphony.com.
For theater offerings at the historical Hawai`i Theatre: http://www.hawaiitheatre.com.
For activities being held at the Neal S. Blaisdell Arena, Concert Hall, Exhibition Hall and the Waikiki Shell, go to: http://www.co.honolulu.hi.us/des/blaisd/events.htm.

Honolulu also has many museums of interest. The Bishop Museum tells the full story of Hawai`i in relationship to its place in the Pacific and the world. The Honolulu Academy of Arts houses a fine collection of Western and Asian art. The Contemporary Museum occupies a historic home in residential Honolulu and is the only museum to display only contemporary art.

Local Handicrafts and Gifts

Chocolate covered macadamia nuts are not the only things Hawai`i has to offer. Other local gift ideas are Hawaiian heirloom jewelry, lauhala weaved bags, ornamental hat decorations, various types of coffees, unique cookies such as the macadamia with seaweed cookies from Big Aloha Cookies and the pineapple shaped cookies from the Honolulu Cookie Company, koa wood items such as jewelry boxes, clocks, name card holders, and many, many more gift ideas.

Hiking

If you are an avid hiker, Hawai`i offers many wonderful and scenic hiking trails. For more information on hiking opportunities, you may want to log on to the following websites:

http://www.hejoly.demon.nl/countries/hawaii.html.
http://www.geocities.com/Yosemite/Trails/3660/htmhgoah.html.

One hike you won’t want to miss is the Makapuu Trail Hike. Along the path of this trail, you may see humpbacked whales swimming in the distance. The view at the top is spectacular. For more information on this hike, check out the following website:

http://hotspotshawaii.com/melpages/Around_Oahu/makapuu1.html.