Originally Posted By: 440Magnum
We were there for the first time in the summer of 2010. We had a great time at Pearl Harbor (I'm a huge WWII history freak). Do NOT skip a tour of the Missouri. Standing on the very spot where the instruments of surrender were signed, and looking at the (small) dent in the railing where a Kamakazi struck the ship... that was as humbling to me as standing above the Arizona.
The Missouri is at the top of the list too--the treaty was signed on my birthday (02 September) and I am also an avid buff of WWII history (especially the Pacific theater). The kids loved touring the USS Lexington, USS Cavalla, USS Stewart, and USS Texas; so I know they will love all of the history around Pearl Harbor.
Originally Posted By: 440Magnum
On Oahu, be sure to go up to the north shore. We liked Kailua beach, and the drive on the Pali Highway between Honolulu and Kailua is beautiful. If you like hiking, look up Manoa falls (
http://www.hawaiiweb.com/oahu/manoa-falls.html#detaileddescription) and take the hike from the parking spot up to the falls. Its "easy," but it is a hike, not a walk. There are rocks, huge roots and trees, mud puddles, etc. But amazing tropical forest. Diamond Head is odd- inside its like a desert, while everything else around it is tropical. The hike there is more of a walk (no rocks, obstacles, etc.) but its steep and pretty hot in places. It was interesting, lots of good views from the top, but expect a crowd. That was really my problem with Oahu- yes, there are gorgeous spots, but Honolulu itself is just another crowded city with a nice beach packed with people. I can get that in Galveston, Panama City, Fort Lauderdale, Santa Monica... you name it.
That's why our absolute favorite was the Big Island. We stayed at a tiny hotel in Hilo (Dolphin Bay Hotel
http://www.dolphinbayhotel.com/) where they put out fresh mangoes and bananas from their own garden for breakfast. Just sitting in that garden and chilling out was maybe the most relaxed I've been in 20 years. Funny story- when we checked in and went to our suite, our daughter said "why are there packages of earplugs in the medicine cabinet? We found out- there's no need for AC and its awesome sleeping with the windows open... but the little tree frogs chirp up quite a racket. I guess some people cant sleep thru it, but it put me out like a narcotic. Totally relaxing. We drove out to Volcanoes National park and other attractions from there. The active volcanoes are fascinating, and you won't find them on any of the other islands, Oahu's volcanoes have been dead for thousands of years. You can see the active crater of Kilauea and old eruption sites in the park, and also go down and (if you're lucky) see active lava flows near the beach at Kalpana. The black sand beach at Punaluu is... unearthly. Blue water, black sand, and sea turtles bobbing around or sunning on the sand. You can also drive up to the Mauna Kea observatory... sea level to 7000 feet in 40-odd miles of driving. The peaks of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa are both over 11,000 feet above sea level, and the observatory is perched on the "saddle" between them, off the highway that runs from Hilo to Kona. Very cool stuff.
I don't know about ferries, but check on flights between islands. Hawaiian Air is the one we flew, but its because they were partnered with the airline we flew from the mainland which made it cheaper. I think there are a number of island "commuter" airlines that might be cheaper for a spur-of-the-moment trip.
Many thanks--I will check on this and the flights!
