Hawaiian Travel Guide

It recently came to my attention that my friend Amanda was not only getting married, but heading to Hawaii for her honeymoon!  Now, as it turns out, I have a lot of experience with finding things to do in Hawaii, so I figured I'd list out a few suggestions!  Anyway, without further ado!

The USS Arizona and Pearl Harbor Memorial - open 7am to 5pm daily, free
A really cool memorial to the ships and seamen that were lost during the Pearl Harbor attack in 1941.  The memorial includes a museum about the era (including the use of very primitive radar warning of the attack), a short film about the attack, and then a shuttle boat ride over to the Arizona Memorial where you get to hang out for fifteen or so minutes.  If the ship I work on is in the right place, you can catch a glimpse of it on the ride over!  It's got two deckhouses and has a big "70" on the side, can't miss it!

The Valley of the Temples - open 8:30am to 4:30pm daily, small parking/entry fee
Probably some of the most ridiculously beautiful views on the island of O'ahu, the Valley of the Temples is a large, multi-religion cemetery situated on the side of a mountain.  It features all kinds of monuments to the dead, from beautiful stained glass to breathtaking views of the ocean to an absolutely incredible Buddhist temple at the center, completely with koi fish and a gong.

Diamond Head - open 6am to 6pm daily, $1 entry for walkers, $5 for parking
One of the easiest hikes on the island, but a really great one.  Generally I'll spend a few hours walking to the base of the dead volcano from Waikiki and walk up to the top for my daily workout, though this is indeed quite a jaunt.  The views from the top are excellent - one side shows you Waikiki and greater Honolulu, while the other offers a great view from on high of the ocean surrounding O'ahu.  Again, the hike up to the top isn't too bad; I see plenty of tiny Japanese ladies walking up it in chucks.  The worst part is the 99-stair stairway near the top.

Opal Thai - open 12n to 9pm
The best Thai food I've ever eaten.  Opel runs the place in a fashion very similar to how he ran his food truck a year or so ago.  He goes around, takes your order (or rather, asks you what you like and don't like and orders what he thinks you'll like!), and brings out fantastic dishes.  He has employees, but he runs around like a madman trying to talk to everybody while you're there.  It's about an hour drive away from Waikiki, but it's more than worth the drive.  I make sure to visit at least once ever time I'm in Hawaii.

Ted's Bakery - open 7am to 8pm daily
Pies!  Ted's is great for their cream pies, and offers burgers, fries, and a few other fairly average fair.  But the pies are excellent, especially the exotic haupia cream pie, which features coconut pudding.  It's up on the North Shore, near some great beaches, including...

Sunset Beach - open dawn to dusk
As one would probably think, Sunset Beach is a great setting to watch the sun sink below the horizon.  The beach is well known for its surfing activity in the winter time, though in the summers it's still as a lake.  I've spent a couple evenings just hanging out and it's one of the best places to see sunsets on the island.  Waikiki is generally pretty terrible just because everyone's so busy snapping pictures and cooing at how beautiful it is.

Waikiki Booze Cruise - various opportunities
I'd recommend one of these toward the end of the day.  Usually one of the catamarans sets sail forty-five or so minutes before sunset, and for $30 a head you can hitch a ride and get all you can drink while you watch the sun go down.  Last time I went there was a bachelorette party where one of my coworkers danced with the bride to be.  Oh, drunk people.

Furusato's Sushi - 11:30am to 11pm
Probably the best sushi I've ever had the pleasure of eating.  Since this place is in the middle of Waikiki, it makes it easy to eat here 4-5 times every time I visit the area.  If you're feeling extremely hungry, go for one of the sushi ships they sell; I can usually get by with a Diamond Head or Dragon roll!