Oahu, Hawaii: Completing Bucket List Items Amidst A Sea Of Tourists

As our plane dipped below the clouds, we caught of glimpse of the famous harbor. Sprawling resorts and long sandy beaches lined the coast. We were finally arriving in Oahu, Hawaii where we planned to check off a couple of ''travel bucket list'' items as we joined the sea of tourists who flock to this tropical paradise each year. 

Since neither one of us is a fan of long air flights, it has taken us a while to reach our 50th state. Our plan is to spend five weeks exploring four of the eight main islands that make up the state of Hawaii while enjoying the ''Aloha'' spirit that these islands are famous for. Oahu is our first destination, followed by Kauai, the Big Island of Hawaii, and Maui. Before we planned our Hawaii trip a month ago, we knew very little about any of these islands. But as we are quickly finding out, each has its own unique ''personality''.

Oahu may not be the largest of the Hawaiian islands, but it is the most populated with nearly one million residents ... the majority who live in its largest city of Honolulu. Add to that four million tourists who visit each year, and one can appreciate its vibrant metropolitan personality. Known as ''The Gathering Place'', tourists from around the world and locals intermingle on Oahu to create a multi-cultural vacation experience.

Oahu's Famous Sites and Activities.

The world-famous Waikiki Beach boasts of world-class resorts, restaurants, and entertainment. During the day the beach is packed with sun-worshippers and surfers, and after sunset, it buzzes with music and entertainment. Our Airbnb condo was located just two blocks from this famous strip, so it was very convenient to take a stroll along the beach to find our next meal or Mai Tai ... or just enjoy its beauty. 

Waikiki Beach is also a great spot to learn to surf and enjoy all types of water sports, and to savor a sunset at the end of an active day.

Diamond Head Crater is a prominent landmark visible from Waikiki Beach. It also is a hugely popular destination for all who visit this area, so ... make your reservations a few weeks ahead of time if you want to hike to the top. I was thinking ahead (for once) and secured our admission time slot reservation for $5 each. Doug figured out the Honolulu bus system, and it was another $6 per person fare for the round trip ride from our condo.  Because we started our walk at 11 am, it was already quite hot when we began the ascent up the crater. And there was a sea of people to weave through despite the ticketed entry system. I can't imagine how massive the crowds would be if reservations weren't required.

The views from the top were nice, but we wouldn't put this hike high on our all-time favorites list as it was really just too ''touristy'' for our liking.

Pearl Harbor Historic Sites is one of the ''must-visit'' destinations when in Oahu. Once again, advance reservations are required, but it only costs $1 per person to reserve your spot through the National Park Service website. Once again, we were able to take a bus there and back. Because the historic site is still a part of an active naval base, no bags or purses are allowed in (unless they are clear plastic). There is a place to check bags just outside the entrance (for a $7 fee). Once inside, there were a number of educational displays to wander through and a movie to watch while waiting for your scheduled boat ride out to the Arizona Memorial.

A short trip across the harbor brought us to the famous floating memorial that lies over the sunken remains of the USS Arizona. It is also the final resting place for over 900 brave soldiers who paid the ultimate price for our freedom when their battleship went down during the surprise attack on December 7, 1941. 

Iolani Palace, the only royal palace in the United States, was the home of the last ruler of the Kingdom of Hawaii, Queen Lilioukalani. With the overthrow of her monarchy in 1893, it also became her prison until her death in 1917. Once again, advance reservations are required for a guided tour of the palace, so I just enjoyed walking around the beautiful grounds and seeing it from the outside.

With all the dramatic cliffs, beautiful beaches, and tropical rain forests, it's no wonder that Oahu is the perfect location for many famous movie and television scenes. Jurassic Park, Hawaii Five-0, Lost, and Magnum PI have all used the Oahu landscape in their production. 

We got to look down on this beach where the ''the most famous beach kiss'' scene took place in the movie, ''From Here to Eternity''.

Plenty of rainfall and abundant sunshine make Oahu an ideal location for growing tropical fruits and nuts.

But by far the most plentiful and popular are macadamia nuts and pineapples. During our island tour with a local tour company, we ate our way around Oahu ... enjoying garlic butter shrimp for lunch, a ''turon'' (deep fried banana) for dessert, free samples at a macadamia nut farm,

... and a heavenly Dole Whip pineapple sundae during our visit to the sprawling Dole Pineapple Plantation located about an hour outside of Waikiki.

Of course, our main reason to visit Hawaii, and Oahu in particular, was to complete some ''travel bucket list'' items. I was welcomed by Fr Damien, the patron saint of Hawaii, in front of my 5oth state capitol building in Honolulu. A helpful security guard congratulated me on my momentous feat and told us a few fun facts about the Hawaii state capitol building's structure and design. Its open-air atrium (instead of the traditional central dome) was constructed to give the feeling of being inside a volcano. The pillars that surround the building are in the shape of Hawaii's beloved King Palms. 

She encouraged us to check out the offices and enjoy the view of the city and ocean from the top floor.

This is the first of my 50 state capitol buildings that I have actually stepped foot into. Do you think that I should convince Doug that we need to revisit the other 49 and do the same?? Probably not going to happen ...

but I sure would welcome some suggestions for a new ''travel bucket list'' item.

Doug also completed his ''travel bucket list'' item of visiting a craft brewery in every state when we dropped by Waikiki Brewing for an IPA. I opted for the local favorite, the Hawaiian Mai Tai.

Other Oahu Highlights

While in Oahu, we certainly did many of the popular tourist activities, but we were also able to spend time doing some of the normal everyday activities that we have come to enjoy when visiting a new part of our country

... like taking a peaceful walk through one

of the many garden-like city parks.

Oahu Island Circle Tour

Since we didn't want to rent a car and try to make our way through the throngs of Honolulu traffic, we decided to take an eight hour tour with Go Tours Hawaii to see the sights on the less populated north side of the island. 

During our circle around Oahu,

... we visited a Buddhist temple and garden,

... saw the colorful Rainbow Eucalyptus tree, 

... enjoyed a delicious garlic butter shrimp lunch

at an oceanside cafe,

... and searched for surfers who were

nowhere to be seen on the unusually calm seas.

The green sea turtle, however, seemed

to enjoy its quiet day at the beach.

A Magnificent Hawaiian Concert Along With Mass

Beautiful cultural experiences abound when we worship in the local churches. The beautiful Hawaiian music performed by this church choir reminded us once again that we all belong to one spiritual family. 

Our Impressions of Oahu

Lots of Traffic ... Expensive Uber Rides ... Let's Take the Bus

Seventy percent of Hawaii's population live in Honolulu County and many, many more visit every year. Because of that, there is a lot of traffic. Parking is also difficult and expensive. When we arrived during rush hour and saw that it took our Uber driver over an hour to go eleven miles, we're glad that we didn't rent a car. It was easy and fun to use public transportation and our feet to explore the island. The Honolulu bus is a simple and inexpensive way to get to many of the popular spots in the city. At the end of our Oahu visit, our one way bus fare back to the airport was $6 compared to the $60 fare that Uber charged us when we arrived. 

Expensive Resort or AirBnB Condo?

There are plenty of high end resorts in Waikiki, but we were happy that we stayed in a studio apartment that we rented through Airbnb. It was close to beach and near to everywhere that we wanted to be. It had a comfortable bed, full bath, and a small kitchen which was adequate enough to prepare simple meals. The only downside was that the view from our two patios looked out at the other high rises. But, for less than $150/night, we were ok to forego our ocean view.  A quick two block walk led us to some beautiful sunset views on Waikiki Beach. 

Affordable Food Options

Waikiki Beach was surrounded by all sorts of food options that made it easy for us to ''live off the land.'' We enjoyed a few tasty and affordable meals by finding a nearby  McDonald's and downloading their online app to take advantage of their ''deals''. 

Doug became very good at

''making'' breakfast!

We learned that many restaurants offer great ''happy hour'' specials which included good deals on food and drinks. My favorite was the refreshing $6 pina colada that we found at a garden-like food court. The menu selections at most restaurants were often large enough for us to share.

Our coconut shrimp with rice was

very tasty and the perfect amount for two.

We ventured a little off the beaten path to find a neighborhood cafe that served up authentic Hawaiian Poke (raw ahi tuna marinated in garlic, oil, and soy sauce) with rice at more reasonable prices than restaurants on the Waikiki strip.

Yes, I was a good sport and tried the Poke,

but I think that I'll stick to the cooked coconut shrimp!

If all else fails, we just looked for an ABC Store. This popular Hawaiian mini food mart has a store on just about every street corner. Each store carries an array of Hawaiian souvenirs and various ''grab 'n go'' food items. Our new favorite is Spam Musubi.  Yes, that is the same Spam that is manufactured near our hometown in southern Minnesota. Layer it on top of sushi rice and wrap it in seaweed, and you're in ''Midwest Sushi Heaven''! I now understand why more Spam is eaten in Hawaii than in any other state.

 I think Spam has just added two more fans!

Can We Afford to Visit Hawaii?

When we found quite reasonably priced airline tickets from San Diego to Honolulu ($225 round trip), we soon realized that getting to Hawaii was the only thing that was going to be reasonably priced. Lodging, transportation, entertainment, and food costs are higher than on the mainland, but there are ways to make it more affordable while still having fun. What one chooses is up to each individual. 

We found that we could ...

Enjoy our Journey in Oahu

by savoring the everyday beauty that surrounded us.

While we didn't find a lot of nature trails for hiking while we were in Waikiki, the city provided many opportunities to enjoy ''urban walks''. Some of the treasures that we found along the way included:

... colorful views under the sea when our

stroll took us to the Waikiki Aquarium,

... a tasty free treat when Doug led us to

a BBQ rib competition in a local park,

... and plenty of colorful flowers 

to get us excited of what's in store for us

when we travel to our next Hawaiian island of Kauai!

Mahalo (thanks)  for following along!

California Dreamin' ... of Friends, Vineyards, Mountains, Beaches, And (hopefully) a Van Repair

There is no problem in the world that a sunny beach, a glass of wine, or time with friends can't cure. And that was especially true as we headed towards California with Doug's temporary coolant fix still holding.

Before we crossed into California, the view the Red Mountains of southern Utah caught our eye. But something even better made us stop and enjoy the views for a few days. We met up with some of our favorite travel buddies, Joanne and Gary. While we recharged our van's batteries, our own internal batteries were recharged also as we enjoyed a few days of hiking, biking, and laughing together. 

As they headed towards their winter hangout in Arizona, we continued west to California. 

We headed through the magnificent canyons that lead from Las Vegas into the Mojave Desert of California. From there we traveled alongside the vast fields of agriculture that cover the central valley of the state. Miles and miles of fruit and nut trees, vegetable patches, olive groves, grape vines, and flower gardens fill this desert area with lush greenery.

Our lunch stop was in the midst of a lavender flower farm. Just imagine a purple blanket of flowers stretching on for miles in mid summer. Their gift shop tempted the visitor with lavender soaps and aroma-therapies, and for hot and thirsty travelers like us, lavender-flavored ice cream and lemonade hit the spot. But we best not tardy, as we headed to the Morro Bay Rock in search of ...

the Hymer-Heads!

A couple of times a year some of the owners of vans like ours gather in different parts of the country to share travel stories and a lot of laughs, while also ...

... holding ''fix-it'' sessions to try and figure out the complexities of Hymer's battery systems,

... sharing campfire cooking skills with a dutch oven cooking demonstrations,

... and learning about and enjoying the beautiful outdoors as one member took us on a guided bird hike.

During this weekend meet-up, Doug and I not only saw some great ideas for sprucing up Baby Beest, but more importantly, we formed new friendships with people who share our travel passion.

After our fun weekend, we headed north right through ... 

California Wine Country!

We enjoyed a few overnights boondocking in the lovely gardens of wineries that participate in the Harvest Host program. It's a win-win situation when vineyard owners allow us to spend the night after enjoying some of their fine wines in the serene surroundings.

While I would have loved more pampering at this lovely poolside winery, it was Baby Beest's turn for pampering in Livermore, California. That is where Edge VanWorks, a shop that specializes in camper van modifications and repairs, is located. The owner, Gordon, is highly revered in the Hymer community for his knowledge of inner workings of our particular type of Class B van. After Doug talked with him, we felt confident that Gordon could install a simpler type of generator to keep our house batteries charged while getting our coolant system working reliably once again. (That's the simplified version of what we needed to have done. If you are interested in the specific details, talk to Doug.) So while he worked on her in order to get the coolant system and under-hood generator back in working order, we hung out at a few local businesses including a delightful French pastry and coffee shop.

How does one choose?

Hopeful that Gordon resolved our coolant issues, we started back towards southern California with a few stops along the way to visit two more national parks.

Pinnacles National Park

The California conger has been successfully re-introduced and today soars high above the mountain peaks at Pinnacles National Park in north-central California. 

The park has miles of trails that brought us up to great heights as we climbed to see a mountain reservoir, 

.. as well as down on our knees as we made our way through a few boulder-sculpted caves.

Channel Islands National Park

Our travels went from mountains to beaches as we made our way towards San Diego. Along the way, we stopped to check out the Channel Islands which is nicknamed the ''the Galapagos of North America'' because of the unique animals and plants that are only found on these islands located about 20 miles off shore of Ventura, California. While it's possible to stop at the Visitor's Center on the mainland, the only way to ''officially'' visit the national park is to take a boat tour. So glad that this time we ''sort of'' planned ahead and got tickets to visit one of the islands, Santa Cruz.

Some highlights included:

... a spectacular dolphin show from the boat on the way to and from the island,

... and an information nature hike with one of the park volunteers during which we learned how the islands are slowly returning to their natural state after years of abuse by ranchers.

The island scrub jay, found only on Santa Cruz Island, is enjoying the re-emergence of native plants.

The Channel Island fox, who was near extinction, is once again enjoying his island playground as a result of conservation efforts.

After a few days camping at a California State Beach along the Pacific Ocean and enjoying spectacular sunset views,

... it was on to Los Angeles, where my skillful driver successfully avoided the dreaded rush hour snarls, and we got to spend some time with dear friends who recently moved out there. They don't miss the cold and snow, and we made sure that they don't miss sharing laughs with old friends.

While there, we had a moment of panic, when Doug a detected small coolant leak. He was able to replace a loose clamp that he suspects was the culprit, and with fingers crossed,

... we headed to San Diego where we visited with more sunshine-loving friends.

Here is also were we will leave Baby Beest for a few weeks as we board a plane in order to visit our 50th state of

Hawaii

We're trading our California dreamin' in for dreams of (bird of) Paradise!