Today, I mailed my FINAL payment on my Taco.  I have been a very, VERY good boy; it was supposed to take me about 5 years, but I did it in just over two.  My monthly payment was supposed to be around $415; I think only onct did I pay less than $1000, a few times $2000, and onct even $3000 (thank you, Trump stimulus!).  I did not jump on the many good gun deals that came my way (unless the deal was really smokin').  I think I have more than earned a goodie.

At first, I was just gonna buy myself something like a Marlin lever in .45-70 or some such.  But, the moar I thot about it, the moar I was like, no, I'mma do something REALLY special.  Like everyone else, I've heard how kool Hawaii is my entire life, and I have never been.  There are many places in the world I have always wanted to see, and Hawaii is certainly one of them.  And, I suren'thail ain't getting' any younger!  My mother is in her mid-90's now, and she can no longer travel; I want to see these places while I'm still young enough to hike and explore and enjoy them.

I have plenty of vacay time at work, so I figure I'll spend a week there.  Figure to do it around the first of February; that will give me time to save up some shekels (and certainly going to Hawaii in July would be kind of pointless).  Looking at Expedia, it looks like package hotel/airline deals are around $2000, tho I may have read that wrong.  Certainly want to get the (refundable) tickets now, as they'll be alot cheaper 4 months out.

SO!  There are already several things I already know I very much want to see.  For one, I have never seen an active volcano, with flowing lava and such; that is certainly at the top of the list.

Then, if I am in Hawaii, there is no way in Hades I would miss seeing the USS Arizona memorial.

I was also pretty determined to do some scuba diving; whist you can certainly scuba here in Pennsyltucky, that's only if you like brown water, 5 foot visibility, and looking at mud. But, going thru the Hawaii brochure I got from AAA, it seems like there's no mention of scuba diving, but plenty of snorkel tours.  Well, I suppose I'd see most of what I wanted to see, and I wouldn't need to get any kind of dive certifications.  Snorkeling be good enough, you think?  Surn'thail will be alot cheaper.

Then, my mother was out there, b/c her sister (my aunt) used to live out that way, and she said there is a species of white pineapple that is too delicate to be imported to the mainland.  That is something else I want to track down.

And, on the subject of food, I damn well better have pineapple & coconut in my dinner every fucking night.  Young feller at work was there, passing thru to somewhere else... and he ate fast food. Christ, that's like going to Paris & eating at McDonalds'.

Any point to a car rental?  Not like you can drive from one island to another.  Might go to the big island & rent a car for the day; otherwise, looks like you can get around the islands on foot or bicycle.

So what should I do?  What are the must-see highlights?  Suggestions for funky little restaurants on back streets?  Cool bars?  Give me the benefit of your globe-trotting wisdom, o hivemind!

I was stationed there 3 years. Bishop museum is excellent. Hop a day flight to the big island for volcano fun. North shore for big waves     Hilton head for the national cemetery. Puchbowl.

Spend the last 2 days of your trip on Maui.
If you're going in Feb the humpback whales should be thick. Cheap flight from Oahu.  Then fly home from there.
Also 10 days total stay minimum.  7 days is really 5 .

There is a lot to do. What do you want to see or do the most?

Well, I do have moar vacay time @ work; you-all think I should do two weeks?

I dunno, really; like I said, I've never been, & that's why I axt the hivemind.  As they say, "I don't know what I don't know".  What are the "If you're in Hawaii you MUST see this!!!" kind of things?  Like I said, active volcano, USS Arizona memorial; those are the only "must-see" things on my list right now.  Going hiking thru some of that incredible tropical forest w/ the parrots & such would sure be another.

On Maui, try a bike ride down the Haleakala volcano. Minimum effort, gravity is your friend -- unless you let it get the upper hand.
HINT: The brake discs on some of those bikes are big enough for a motorcycle.

If you are thinking about going to Maui, feel free to PM me.

Waipio and the end of  the world were fun if you are cruising around big island.

We stayed on Maui for five days and felt like I could have stayed another five to do and see stuff. Whale watching , snorkeling , horse back riding , hike the old volcano , cruise the beaches , go to a Luau , hit some spots around the island. There are a ton of things to do depending on what island you are on and how much you want to spend.

Must rent U-Haul

"looks like you can get around the islands on foot or bicycle."   hahaha.....no.  You sound like you want to get around and explore and you'll want a car.  You can take the bus around the island but then you're at the mercy of their schedule.  Another thing to consider is that if you want to dine indoors or go to a bar, movie theater, gym, etc.  You have to show proof of full covid vaccination or a negative test result within 48 hrs.....  Fuck Ige and Green.

I was in Oahu a few years ago and I loved the hiking. Lots of mountains. You can park right at the base so there's no two hour road trip or 30 mile approach. Just drive 20 minutes, park and hike.

+1 on the big waves on the north shore. Pretty neat to look out there and see hundreds of dots. (surfers.)

I tend to stay away from touristy stuff. Don't forget the Arizona is a memorial and not a museum so it's not too exciting. Some folks go in expecting quite a bit.

My favorite part was finding a secluded beach on the eastern part of the island. Had the whole thing to myself.

I think renting a car is a good idea. I drove around the island three times when I was there. Just really neat to get out of Honolulu.

Next time I go I sort of want to go to Molokai sea cliffs. I guess they are the biggest in the world. They also have a leper colony there you can visit.



There's the leper colony. Not accessible by car.



And they got shooting ranges in Waikiki if you've never shot a real gun before. The ammo shortage really hit Waikiki hard.

No way are you gonna bicycle around the islands, ain't THAT small.
Since you are saving up bucks, maybe get a personal tour guide.  More better than touring by yourself and end up in a locals only place.
There's a few folks in ARF that hate Hawaii because they found out what reverse racism feels like.

OMG..............

Will look at the whole thread later.   It really depends on what you want.

As a general note, given that you said you wanted to a) see the volcano b) dive c) go to Oahu I'd get these:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0996131868?tag=arfcom00-20


https://www.amazon.com/dp/1949678008?tag=arfcom00-20




I wouldn't bother with package deals at all.  





Volcano national park is one of the awesomest places in America.   It's a good 2-3 hour drive from the nearest airport though.  I'd get a car and spend a few days in the area.    [ETA: relooked at Google maps, only 1 hour from Hilo/ITO and 2.5 hours from Kona/KOA.   Recommend you stay on the Kona side and then drive the saddle, visit Mauna Kea if it's open, and then go to the Volcano park.  Again, if the latter is open......)



This is nice but Oahu otherwise is just another big American city, with more Asians and Asian stuff than most.   If you do this, definitely visit the Missouri nearby.  

Most tourists stay in Waikiki which is nice if you like boring shit that you can get anywhere like nightclubs and bars.   I'd stay in Kaneohe or the North Shore.  I'd budget at least 2-3 days on Oahu if you go.  If you like scuba/snorkeling/boating and hiking Kaneohe/Kailua/Lanikai beach is probably the best part of Hawaii, especially in the winter.   (North shore is great for surfing in the winter, but IMO for pros only....... )




SCUBA is big in Hawaii and the brochure is misleading you because they don't get money from the scuba shops.

I'd get my dive certification in Kona in Hawaii (don't bother with Oahu diving).  





You can get pineapple and coconuts anywhere if you really want it every day.



Absolutely.   Even on Oahu; walking and biking and taking public transportation as your primary means of transport is only for the biking/walking/public transporation enthusiasts, especially if you want to see the Arizona.  



Look at the books.  They will have a lot of options for you, and you can choose as you like.


If I were you, I'd stay in Kona for at least a week to dive, and then drive the saddle road to Mauna Kea (they recommend 4X4; lots of people rent Jeep Wranglers for this; I saw someone do it in a Mustang but wouldn't recommend it) and spend 2-3 days IVO Volcano national park.  (if you're a veteran check out Kilauea military camp).    

Buy the gun!!
You will definitely enjoy it more.

Attached File

Manta ray night dive in Kona

Went Maui.  I wanted to go to the Arizona, but would require an island hop flight and was told good luck getting tickets to get in. It’s kind of hit and miss.
On Maui we did the road to Hana, took a catamaran dinner cruise, drove around to some of the local restaurants and toured the outskirts of the island. Went to a few parks.

This is funny, we're going to Maui in February. My parents met in Hawaii for their first anniversary (dad was stationed in Thailand during Vietnam as a medic in the Airforce). They decided they wanted to go back for their 50th anniversary but to also take all of us kids and our families. The main thing I'm interested in seeing it Pearl Harbor, and I'm scheduling a full day tour there to see the Missouri, Arizona, Sub, Air Museum, etc. The family will also be doing the snorkel with turtles, helicopter tours, swim with dolphins, and we will have three rented cars to explore the islands. So this thread interests me a lot as I am always looking for other things to do while there.

Fly into Oahu and do a lot of your activities there. I use Mokulele airlines to fly between the islands. Price is not bad and you don't have to go through the TSA line just to get into the airport. They have their own little office terminal separate from the main airport.

Fly to the big island for lots of stuff + the volcano. Great fishing.

Maui has a lot of good snorkeling/diving spots too.

The covid stuff is a pain and many places ask for you vaccine card/negative test.

They are Kung-Flu crazy in HI.  Everywhere you go you’ll be reminded to wear your fear muzzle, & be bombarded with constant signs and announcements to let you know that the Xi Virus is all you should be thinking about.  Those islands would all line up & beg to fellate Fauxi.  Average IQ is much < 87.

Fuck Hawaii

Where go? PI

What do? whatever you want

Kauai, north shore. Low key and stunningly beautiful.

Well, if seeing the Arizona memorial is a must, at least some time on Oahu/Honolulu.  Not my favorite island and traffic in Honolulu sucks these days being channeled through all the chokepoints common on any of the Hawaiian islands.  But all of the islands are beautiful and something you’ll remember for a lifetime.

I’d agree you’ll want more than a week especially if you start exploring other islands; but 10 days minimum for one island I’d say.  Around 15 days having to drive around the whole damn island for hours on a 2-lane road to get to a point  10 miles away starts to get on my nerves and I’m ready to leave.

before I worked there I extended every trip to 2 or 3 weeks

Big Island you need a car, Maui also. Oahu use public trans, Uber etc.

Maui is the best of those 3 but I like the touristy stuff too. Pearl Harbor & Punchbowl, snorkel in Hanauma bay. Stay out of the water on any North shore unless you are an expert swimmer or better, research beaches or stick to tourist areas, Locals don't really like tourists so watch your ass, don't buy weed.

Food, look for smaller joints on outer Islands. Waikiki go to Dukes Canoe Club, I did the stone floor in 91. Paia Fish Market on Maui north shore, I did the floor in the Minit Stop across the corner and we ate at the Fish Market often. Makawao Steak House uphill from there. Cheesburger in Paradise in Lahaina town or Kimos iirc, same owners as Dukes back then

I would not go now, the covidiocy is strong there. I will not spend thousands of dollars to go somewhere for vacation and be treated like a leper.

No shit.  I looked at going this coming March when my kids have spring break.  3 or 4 of the big name car rentals at the main airport in Maui had no vehicles available to reserve.  We've decided to postpone our trip until 2023 in hopes that things get a little back to normal.

Asked a friend who lives there.

To paraphrase: Sticker shock regarding the cost of living there, especially finding a house or apartment. In the past, there were plenty of opportunities on scuba diving, but that might be iffy (IMO, pin that down beforehand if you wanna be sure), you'll be on the wrong island for the "white pineapple thing" (need kauai for that- flight between islands, half hour min, double that if you get the flight in airport)  ... and lastly good luck finding a rental car. Things are just gonna cost more than you expect them to, plan for that.

And for sanity's sake, don't be the dumb haole driving around in a mustang, especially a convertible mustang. That *screams* TOURIST!

ETA: he added ... have your vaccination, or be second class, you're gonna get carded for restaurants and some other places. Yes, expect to have to use masks indoors. The records are stored electronically, and it's a news thing when they catch people trying to fake their way in.

There's a shooting range in waikiki. But than you have to go to waikiki.

Tour Hawaiian Punch factory.

Go fishing out of Lahaina in Maui.

Go to the Pearl Harbor and Pacific Aviation museums, then get the hell off Oahu and go to Maui or the Big Island (my favorite).

Helicopter ride over the volcano and night swim with the manta rays.

We did Maui a couple years ago.  It’s a good blend of nice accommodations and great site-seeing.  It’s a little pricy, but look into an open door helicopter tour.  They’ll fly you right up to some of those 1000’ waterfalls.  The road to Hana is fun also.  Get up really early one morning, and drive up to the top of Haleakala to watch the sun come up (dress warm). We finished off the week staying at the Grand Wailea resort (expensive, so don’t blow your wad staying there more than 2-3 days).

Fify

Kauai is the best

When we went about 7 years ago , we went to Oahu, stayed at the Outrigger on Waikiki beach, the hotel had a menu of activities you could sign up for. we signed up for the Pearl Harbor tour [guaranteed tickets] a dinner cruise, that turned out to be more fun than we thought it would be, a Luau...kinda cheezy, but still fun. and best of all a helicopter tour of  the island in a helicopter identical to the Magnum PI chopper....with the doors off, what a blast, and the pilot would twist and turn the bird to get us the best positions for pictures.  

The rest of the time we spent exploring the island on our own,  including a visit to the Punchbowl, and Ft. DeRussey [pretty good firearms collection]  Dinner at the Top of Waikiki was amazing.   It's all a tourist trap with ABC stores more prevalent than Starbucks...but you're a tourist have fun.

Well, thousands  of Polynesians did die due to diseases brought in when the white man discovered the islands.  So there is that built in fear thing. Something like  the population cut in half.

Go in winter. Lay on the beach. Call all your friends back home and laugh at them for wrapping up in three layers.

There's a ton of tourist stuff to do, but the thing I miss most is the beach.

Take a helicopter to see the volcano.

I was on the Big Island, working, for a few weeks once. Hardly any touristy things, but got to see a side of the island and culture that you’re probably not going to get at the resorts.

Every time you turn a corner there’s a postcard staring you in the face.

Job site:
Mauna Kea Observatory by FredMan, on Flickr

D2B Top Pano by FredMan, on Flickr

Spray Ops by FredMan, on Flickr

Around the island.
Mauna Kea Mauna Loa by FredMan, on Flickr

Sunset 20170220 by FredMan, on Flickr

Mauna Kea Cloud Cap by FredMan, on Flickr

Sunset 20170221 by FredMan, on Flickr

Sunset 20170221 Humpback Breach by FredMan, on Flickr

Hamakua South Pano by FredMan, on Flickr

Hamakua Road That Time Forgot by FredMan, on Flickr

Waikoloa Highlands Sunbeams by FredMan, on Flickr

Mauna Kea Observatories by FredMan, on Flickr

Mauna Kea Sunrise FS by FredMan, on Flickr

FS Kilauea Caldera by FredMan, on Flickr

Attached File
The Hawaiians hate the mainlanders but they rely on the tourist dollar so they are stuck with them.  If they could afford to secede from the union they would but they would then whither and die because of a lack of resources.
The universal greeting there is “Aloha” I’m sure it has a second meaning of Fuck the Mainlanders, rape them of their money and kick them out.
It is not as obvious with the personnel working in industries directly interacting with the tourists but once you get away from the tourist areas your interactions with locals goes downhill quickly.
Go to the Caribbean for a better warm weather with beaches experience!

You know, the only negative interaction I’ve ever had with a “local” in years of visiting/being stationed at the different islands was some ginger motherfucker on the north shore of Kauai.  At least, I assumed he was a local from the shitty truck he was driving and the surfboard.  Could have been a visitor just as easily though - and to be fair, driving in a giant circle on a two-lane road to get anywhere on Kauai will raise your steam temperature a bit once you become accustomed to the stunning views everywhere you go.

I’m kind of swarthy though, so maybe that helps.

Where go? What do?
Find beach, drink beer.

Was thinking of sticking my head in the door of a fun shop there, see how the other half lives.

Great stuff!  This is why I posted.  Will definitely order those two books, looks like just what I need.

Meh, guns I buy all the time.  There's only one Hawaii.

Yeah, got the jab, will make sure to take my little card with me.

Yeah, my brother spent some time out there, he told me they don't like haoles, so don't get too far off the touristy areas.  Good advice on the places to eat, will have to print some of this stuff out.

Yep, gonna get some of those touristy post cards & send them to friends back home.  Ha ha suckers, see where I am!  What's the point of going to Hawaii if you can't be an asshole?

Hot damn, those are beautiful.  Great photog skillz.