Steve:
Pearl Harbor is great. Be careful: there are advertised tours of Pearl Harbor by boat that take you past the memorial without being able to actually enter the memorial, which is an incredible experience. To reach the memorial, you must go to the Navy's museum and take one of the small boats that go from there to the memorial itself.
The best surfing is on the North Shore, quite a distance from Honolulu. When I was in Hawaii in August, the waves on the North Shore were non-existent. I don't know when the good surf season starts, but find out before you travel all that way. When the waves are tiny on the North Shore, they are better on Waikiki, and there are always surfers outrigger canoes on Waikiki, but it isn't the same.
The Punch Bowl, above Honolulu, is quite interesting. The National Military Cemetary of the Pacific is inside the crater, and the view is wonderful. Hanauma Bay, about 30-45 minutes east of Waikiki, is crowded in high season, but should be better this time of year. It is scenic, and a good spot for novice snorkelers. There is a large and lovely Buddhist temple between Honolulu and the Windward coast (Kanehoe, etc) that is worth visiting, but I forgot the name.
Honolulu is a multicultural city, more so than any mainland US city, even San Francisco. Visit Chinatown and the other ethnic enclaves. Don't miss the Bishop Museum, with great displays on Hawaiian history and culture. Don't spend too much time in Waikiki, but do visit the Royal Hawaiian Hotel (a/k/a the Pink Princess) and the Moana Hotel, which I think is run by Sheraton. Both have a nice Hawaiian feel to them, especially compared with the modern glass and steel skyscrapers that dominate Waikiki.
The Polynesian Cultural Center, run by the Mormon Church, is an interesting day trip, with good photo opportunities. Young people from all over the Pacific display the culture of their various islands, while many of them attend BYU Hawaii.
The best photo opportunities are on Maui and the Big Island, and there are frequent short and relatively inexpensive fly-drive packages for a day of two. Maui has a photogenic dormant volcano and Hawaii still has flowing lava. If you plan to go to either island, I can give you more detailed information.
Dan M
Steve Pearson wrote:
Hi Everyone,
I will be travelling to Honolulu for a week, leaving
this Saturday. I will be taking my istD and was
wondering if anyone had some suggestions for where to
go? I want to get out and explore the entire island. Hoping to get some shots of surfers, etc. I plan on
going to Pearl Harbor as well.
Thanks in advance for any suggestions!
