"The Hawaiian Islands" Hawaii (State of) by starship

Hawaii (State of) Travel Guide: 10,309 reviews and 26,246 photos

Postcard of the Hawaiian Islands - Hawaii (State of)

I Never Thought I'd Ever Reach Hawaii

Growing up in a medium-sized, Virginia town in a lower-middle class family in the 1950's, I never dreamed that one day I would be able to travel to distant parts of the globe. In my hometown, few people could afford to travel and "traveling" almost always involved visiting relatives. If you traveled as far as North Carolina, that was a big deal!! Fact is, I actually got sick when I thought about going farther from home (especially without my parents) than the next town, I got physically sick! At this point in my life, it is funny to think back about this and to now realize that traveling really has become an such an important aspect of my life!

In 1998, my husband and I decided we'd like to travel to Hawaii in 2000 for our 25th anniversary so the planning began a good two years in advance. Not every thing turned out the way we planned it and we made several mistakes, but we saw a fair portion of what we intended to.

Hawaii is about a 6-hour flight from San Francisco plus the 4 to 5 hours from the East coast so, though everyone says don't try to see more than 2 islands in a visit, we went for 3 (Oahu, The Big Island, and Maui!) We felt that if we were going to spend that much to fly the four of us there, we might as well see as much as possible. We spent 3 days on Oahu, 4 days on Maui, and the most amount of time on the Big Island of Hawaii which was 5 days! I'm not sure if Hawaii is the paradise it was in the first 40's, 50's and 60's, but certain aspects of the islands are still quite spectacular!

Hawaii Is Not Only Waikiki, but .....

A postcard of Waikiki

A lot of people picture Waikiki Beach when they think of Hawaii, and you can't deny that maybe that is where everyone's dreams of Hawaii begin.

Pros and Cons

Pros:Fabulous beach, Diamond Head!!
Cons:Expensive hotels and food.
In a nutshell:You have to see it at least once in your life! !

Last visit to Hawaii (State of): Aug 2000
Intro Updated Apr 9, 2009
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Reviews (12)

Feeling like a million bucks! - Hawaii (State of)

Limo Anyone? Transportation (1)

When we arrived at the airport in Oahu, I couldn't believe how many limos waiting at the curb just outside of the... more travel advice

Pretend You're a Movie Star! - Hawaii (State of)

Pretend You're a Movie Star! Shopping (3)

Pretend you're a star in disguise while you're shopping. You'll get great service. more travel advice

Shopping at the Hilton Hawaiian Village - Hawaii (State of)

Shopping at the Hilton Hawaiian Village Shopping (3)

Right next to the Hilton Hawaiian Village was an attractive shopping area. Nice place to pick up Alohawear, souvenirs,... more travel advice

For Movie Theme-Lovers Restaurants (2)

For travelers with young children or for anyone who hasn't been to one before, you may enjoy "Planet Hollywood." I have... more travel advice

Hotels (1)
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Written Jun 24, 2003

3 photos

Hawaii, 2000

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Comments (22)

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balhannah Sep 8, 2012 at 4:00 PM

What a wonderful holiday you had here! You must have been just as fit as the children to climb "that" mountain, good on you! Love the view and other sights to see here. A really enjoyable page to read.
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  starship Sep 9, 2012 at 2:35 PM
  
  Hi Dee, thanks for the kind comments! To tell you the truth, I don't know how I climbed Diamond Head -- it was so hot & humid, and truthfully I was not in good shape. I was exhausted afterwards!! Hope all is well with you!
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volopolo Apr 21, 2009 at 6:39 AM

Excellent information
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Bwana_Brown Apr 9, 2009 at 5:06 PM

Sylvia, great tips and beaut pics of family time in Hawaii (esp. the view from Diamond Head)! Your limo tip made me laugh, I felt the same when a Mercedes picked me up in Hong Kong. As you say, everyone should visit Hawaii at least once in their lifetime!
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csordila Jul 19, 2008 at 4:09 PM

I have enjoyed your page. Brings me back nice memories. Laszlo
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VeronicaG Feb 8, 2008 at 10:08 AM

I can't wait to see Diamondhead and the Arizona Memorial--we'll be in Oahu in June. Your pictures and commentary have really stirred my excitement! Will I make it to the top of Diamondhead? You'll be my inspiration...
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LoriPori Sep 12, 2007 at 3:03 PM

Hans and I also stayed at the Hilton Hawaiian Village. What a fantastic place eh! Absolutely loved Waikiki Beach. Thanks for stopping by my Oia and Fira pages.
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Redlats Oct 1, 2004 at 4:13 PM

Great Hawaii page! We enjoyed Diamondhead, but never tried one of the limos.
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JetlagCity Sep 27, 2004 at 12:46 PM

Sounds like you made the most of your time here, well done! I was surprised at how common limos are here, too!
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Myndo Aug 25, 2004 at 4:47 AM

I am saving money for this trip. I think I need to have more than just 2 weeks there (Its far from switzerland, almost on the other side of that globe), but your tips confirm me that its worth the way!
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KaiM Jun 16, 2004 at 12:03 PM

Nice page! Hawaii is a dream destination for me. Would love to go there someday...