Aloha from Hawaii!

Sunset Beach
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Waikiki, as we had been warned, is a bustling city and no island paradise.  Well, that may be true, but coming from Boston...what a great city it is!  High end boutiques to kitchy tourist stores, well known restaurant chains to cheap eateries, and all the modern conveniences you expect in a big city line the main street of Kalakaua Avenue.  Yet, if you turn your back to all of this you have in front of you !!Waikiki Beach!!  There are few cities in the world, I imagine, where it is perfectly normal to don swimwear and tote your surfboard down the streets.

Dawn on Waikiki, surfboards & boating
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Waikiki Beach, one of Oahu's busiest beaches, is lined with stands offering surfboard lessons, as well as high rise chain hotels.  Staying only a few blocks away, and with jet lag working to our advantage, Aaron & I were able to wake up early and walk down to experience a sunrise on the empty sands.  It was a beautiful sight to see the sky warm, and to look out to the ocean and its miles and miles of blue with no end.

We spent a few relaxing days exploring the Waikiki area.  We stumbled onto a local art festival being held at the park adjacent to Waikiki.  We learned it is only held once a month - a lucky find for us!!  In the evenings we strolled the tiki torch lined streets, one night stopping for the sunset hula performance on the beach.  It was a beautiful and soothing end to the day with the soft sounds of the Ukelele drifting by, the hula dancer's graceful hand motions seeming to mimic the sway of the palm trees, and the slowly darkening sky beyond.

Hanuama Bay, Oahu's most popular winter snorkeling spot
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Outside of Waikiki we worked our way up the windward coast: we hiked Diamond Head Crater and got great views of the city & surroundings, snorkeled Hanuama Bay, saw humpback whales breaching just offshore Sunset Beach, and bodysurfed at Makapuu Point.  At Kualoa ranch we admired the lush mountains which had starring roles in Jurassic Park and Godzilla!

The North Shore sees its largest waves this time of year, so we ventured up and hopped off the bus to check out the big waves at Sharks Cove, Pupukea Beach Park.

View of the snorkeling at Hanuama Bay
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Closer to Waikiki, we had a contemplative morning at Pearl Harbor.  A beautiful memorial rests over the sunken USS Arizona which lies on the floor of the Harbor.

Oahu may not be the island paradise which awaits you at Maui or Kauai, but moments of beauty can be found everywhere; both in Waikiki, and by venturing out of the city.  We enjoyed our taste of Hawaii and are looking forward to coming back again someday.