Visiting the Rainbow State: Cool Stuff to Do

One of the great things about Hawaii is that you can see
amazing rainbows pretty much every day. 

As Mars and I were on our way to Michigan to see my Moms for Christmas anyway, we decided to take a break from the frigid cold and get a 4 day layover in Hawaii on the way. Surprisingly, flying in on Delta, this only cost us an additional $50 each, and using Mom's Hilton Grand Vacation membership, the hotel only cost us $15 a night, so we were able to concentrate our funds on the things we actually wanted to do. Originally, I really wanted to swing out to Maui to see a friend who was living out there, but given the fact that it would have involved another flight and cost an additional $150, my friend out there advised that our time would best be spent simply enjoying all that Oahu had to offer. As such, we decided to save the trip to Maui as a separate vacation. The following is a list of the things that Mari and I got to do in Oahu that we enjoyed the most.

Amazing stuff at Ono's Hawaiian Food

A sinful little slice of heaven from Bubbies ice cream. 

Ono's Hawaiian Food & Bubbies Ice Cream
Ono's Hawaiian Food is known on Oahu as being the best place to enjoy authentic Hawaiian quisine, and Mars and I were not disappointment in the least. Despite its relatively unassuming exterior, and even the look of some of the foods themselves, pretty much everything we ate there was incredibly good. After that, the only possible way we could top it was to finish off our meal with a trip to the world-reknown Bubbies ice cream. Mars went with the Mochi Ice Cream while I went with a slice of the most sinfully good cake (pie?) Ive had in a very long time. We both thoroughly enjoyed our selections to the fullest.

Hitting the North Shore
As I've never surfed before (and didn't plan on trying it on this vacation, I wasn't sure if a trip to the North Shore would be worth our time, but in the end it turned out to be one of the best days for a myriad of reasons. For starters, the drive out there was absolutely beautiful. In addition to driving along the coast in some areas, you are also going around mountains and valleys, and it gives you a chance to see what the whole of the island is really like outside of the hustle and bustle of Waikiki in Honolulu. Aside from that, unexpectedly, it was also well worth the time simply for the eats.

Located near the North Shore are two super famous spots among Japanese tourists: Macky's, (a trailer that sells shrimp out of a parking lot) and the Matsumoto Shaved Ice which is famous for its hyper-wide assortments of shaved ice flavors. Mars and I hit both of them on our way to the North Shore, and despite the fact that Matsumoto's had a line going out the front door and around the corner, we found it to be completely worth the wait. (Not to mention the drive out there!) Such was also the case with Macky's (albeit without the long line!)

Amazing garlic shrimp at Macky's

A massive selection from Matsumoto's shaved ice

The North shore itself was none to special for us, except for the fact that the beach was beautiful, and at least in that spot, quiet and peaceful. A very definite switch from Waikiki. Perhaps we just didn't drive far enough to find the spot that all the surfers go to.

Sea Life Park
Another fun thing that was also a great way to see other areas of the island was the Sea Life Park. Much like the North Shore, it was a bit of a drive to get out there, but as beautiful of a drive as it was, we enjoyed that as much at the actual attraction. Pulling coupons from This Week Oahu, we were able to get free feed for Sea Turtles and as I'd never seen a sea turtle that close (let alone fed one) that was a pretty cool and fun thing to do. The park also had sea lion and dolphin shows as well, and while they were relatively par for the course, they did make for some nice entertainment while we were there.

Up close and personal with Sea Turtles at Sea Life Park

Hiking the Diamond Head
On the last day of Mari and I's Hawaiian adventure, we decided to get some exercise, and hike the Diamond Head. Having a car, getting there was as easy as putting Diamond Head into the navi and then just going there. Once we took the road up the Diamond Head, it did take us a minute to find the entrance into the park that offers the hiking trail (we actually found it by driving into a residential neighborhood that was on the peak, and then just asking some guy who was walking his dog). Once there, it was actually really crowded that day, so we had to get in line and wait for a parking spot to open before we could go in. The hike itself was really nice. It only took about 30 minutes, and although I wouldn't want to do it in flip-flops it was totally fine in regular casual clothes. At the top it was high enough to offer some really nice views of Honolulu, but not high enough that we needed to have extra layers of clothes on to feel comfortable. Coming down only took about 15-20 minutes, so we got the whole thing done in the morning, we still enough time and energy left to go to a nice lunch after.

The view of Honolulu from the top of the Diamond Head Crater

If you are thinking about making a trip to Hawaii, it might be tempting to try and hit more than one island at a time, but I would actually recommend just sticking with Oahu first. There is plenty to see and do there, and if your vacation is just a few days like ours was, then it will provide more than enough to keep you happy and entertained... And not worried about the stress of having to book transportation or "fit everything in" that might come with trying to hit more than one island at a time. For our next trip, Mars and I are planning on doing Maui, but we plan to do just that island, OR if we have at least 4 extra days to take our time there. As for where you can stay, we had an amazing time at the Hilton Grand Vacations Hawaiian Village, but we also stayed in the Hyatt Place in Waikiki for a night and had a great time there. (It's pool was a bit of a disappointment, but Waikiki Beach is only a 3 minute walk away anyway).

Our room and the view at the Hilton Grand Vacations Hawaiian Village

Our room and view at the Hyatt Place hotel in Waikiki