June 11-17, 2006After my second trip to hawaii I still feel that it is one of my favorite places that I have been too. And I still haven't made it to the island of Kauai, which from everything that I have read is supposed to be just beautifull.
This time around we returned to Oahu for a few days then moved on to the big island of Hawaii for my little sisters wedding.
Finding good prices on airfare to Hawaii from the midwest can be a little bit tricky. Like last time, the airport in Columbus, Ohio proved to be the most reasonable (the best prices came from going right to ATA), we were even able to find great rates for parking (less then $100 for over a week, including an overnight stay at a hotel on the airport grounds). Try calling the hotels located on airport grounds and see what they have to offer.
Flying into the major airport on Oahu and getting an inter-island flight is the most reasonable way to get around Hawaii, thanks to the rate wars brought on by the new airline Go! (run by mesa airlines out of Arizona). The inter-island rate at the time was $39 each way, and I have seen them as low as $29.
Once on Oahu, the north shore is a must see. But be aware that the town of Haleiwa closes early, usually before the sun sets, so make that your first stop if you are heading to that end of the island. After you see all of Haleiwa, cruise up the north shore and check out all of the great beaches. The three stops that I would say are "must sees" are waimea bay, sharks cove, and sunset beach.
Things to see and do in Haleiwa include going to kua aina burger for a great sandwich, dropping in the north shore surf shops, and getting some shave-ice. Try yours with the beans and lee hing powder for a little bit of local flavor.
Next up is waimea bay, a great beach for just hanging out or swimming, but be aware that there is a shore break here, meaning the waves curl of and crash down on themselves right at the waters edge, making the conditions dangerous during high surf times. If you are up for swimming, there is an awesome rock that is right in the middle of the bay that you can jump off of. Just watch the locals and do what they do. This is a very popular beach, so parking can get crowded, so you may have to park along the road just south of the beach entrance.
Heading north Sharks cove is the next stop. Sharks cove has some of the best snorkelling on the island, and it is right at the shoreline! No having to schedule time out of your day for a long boat ride, just show up, grab some gear and jump in. There are plenty of surf shops to rent gear from (roughly $20 a set), and like all major beaches, a changing/shower building is on site. The cove is protected by a natural wall, so the surf is calm and the fish are plentifull.
The northern most stop is sunset beach, and I hope you understand why it is important to make this your last stop of the day. If you really want to swim and the surf is too high at weimea, sunset beach may be a good alternative, but the surf can be high here as well. If that is the case, save your swimming for Waikiki (more on that later). Parking on sunset beach is limited, so you may want to get there a little early, or you could end up having to park down the street.
Stay tunes for more about Oahu and then the big island.
Sept 29, 30 and Oct 1 of 2006
Yeah, popcorn balls courtesy of Mike... why not?
Left to right: Dave, Ashley, Melanie, Ryan...
