Aloha Scott,
Just to whet your appetite, attached is a photo of Kailua Beach from about 2:00 PM local time today. As I am in the middle of a 2 week trip to the Aloha State, allow me to share some observations.
First off, jet lag. I don't know your experience crossing time zones, going to Hawai'i crosses 5 time zones and it can mess you up. Some things that I do that seem to help. Go easy on the alcohol and heavy on the water. Being hydrated helps. When you arrive here it will probably be mid to late afternoon local time and some where between 8 and midnight body time. Our routine is to get settled into our room, get something light to eat, and then crash for the night. Here is what I think is the key, once you get to sleep stay asleep or at least in bed until the sun comes up (around 6:30 AM). Resist the temptation of the opening night party or waking up and staying up in the middle of the night. What you want to do is reset your body clock to the sun, staying in bed until sunrise helps to do this. By the end of the first full day, you'll be a little more tired than usual, but not that much. By the end of the second day, you won't even notice.
Waikiki and Honolulu are not nearly as exotic as they once were. If you like high rise hotels and condos, shopping in stores that sell nothing you can afford, and crowded beaches, you'll love Waikiki. So the advice as others have given is to get out of town and see the really beautiful spots. Some suggestions:
Kailua Beach. This is across the mountains from Waikiki and is a true gem. Very few tourists and during the week it is not crowded. The sand is soft, the water warm, and waves and currents are not a big issue. The town has some nice shopping and good restaurants.
The north shore. This is where the big waves are. The beaches tend to be close to the road and if there are waves not that safe to swim in
Kaena Point. This is a very remote area. Most of it is now a nature preserve. It is primitive and beautiful.
The south shore out towards the blow hole and Hanauma Bay. Gorgeous views, rugged terrain.
Pali Lookout. A great view of Kailua and Kaneohe Bay.
Pearl Harbor/Arizona Memorial. Tomorrow is the 75th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. The memorials and the museums are worth the visit. Very moving. Get your ticket directly from the parks service (someone had a link earlier). For $7.50 you get a narrated tour of the site and transportation to the memorial. Reserve and pay online, the memorial has been very busy because of the Anniversary.
The Bishop Museum has a good collection of Hawai'ian and Polynesian artifacts. Good choice for a rainy morning. Buy tickets on line for a discount.
In Honolulu, be sure to eat at
Nico's Pier 38 | Honolulu, HI. Great seafood, great service, very affordable. Sunday we had salads, Ahi (tuna), and several beers (Kona Longboard) and were out of there for about $60. Happy hour is 4-6 and that helped on the drink prices. There was also a local band playing a variety of contemporary and Hawaiian music.
My wife has been very happy with the
Oahu Revealed guide book and highly recommends it. Since I grew up here, it wasn't quite as useful.
Some things to be prepared for.
It is Christmas in Hawaii just as it is in NJ. Except it is 75-80 degrees, sunny, and humid. Not at all Christmas weather. Lots of inflatable snowmen lawn ornaments, windows decorated with spray on snow, plastic pine roping, all things that are completely incongruous with your experience.
Close to a million people live on O'ahu. I don't think any one ever stays at home and all seem to be on the road all the time. Last night we were on a 12 lane (6 each way) Interstate that was bumper to bumper at 50 MPH both ways. Being from NJ you'll find this very familiar driving, except the Hawai'ians are considerably more courteous than the Metro NY drivers are.
We're headed to the Big Island and Maui on Friday, otherwise I suggest we meet up.
Enjoy your trip!
Let me know if you have any more questions.
Dave
