Oahu, HI

Hawaii is amazing, it’s an escape, a place like nowhere else. These are all things that I was told when planning a trip to Hawaii, everyone around me was excited and maybe even a little bit jealous. I quickly found out that it really IS as sensational as everyone mentioned but it was my top priority to make this a one of a kind trip with my own findings and local hot spots. Devon and I went for ten full days, and while it’s amazing there, I think 7 days is plenty especially if you’re staying at a resort!

+PR Tip: Keep in mind that these days don’t have to be done in this order BUT they are based on island location so pick what you want to do and follow the plan!

FIRST

First stop, Dole Plantation because who doesn’t want to dive into some Dole Whip the first real day in Hawaii?! This is a must do. We walked around the free garden, explored the gift shop and ate some Teriyaki Chicken with Dole Whip for dessert. Fun fact, you know if a pineapple is ready to eat based on the size of it “eyes” they should all be the same!

+PR Tip: the train doesn’t have time tickets, it’s a waiting game, so decide if it’s worth it when you get there!

From here we were off to the Botanical Gardens where we got to swim in a waterfall and see absolutely stunning flowers, but that was after it poured rain on us! What a surprise. We were not ready so this totally drained us especially because we were still exhausted from the time difference, lack of sleep and coming straight from work the day before. After this we were ready to head home, we grabbed some poke and went to eat on the couch. Much needed! That night we went to Whiskey Dix, yes that’s right a country bar in Hawaii. Even though we had some fun I highly recommend only coming here if you’re early and patient, it took 40 minutes to find parking.

SECOND

Labor day. A day for lessons. I cried. Let’s just get to it, Monday was not my day! We went to Electric Beach and I got beyond overwhelmed snorkeling, panicked, pretty much doggy paddled all the way back to shore, almost got taken out by two boogie borders, stumbled onto the sand and finally just let the tears pour out. PSA: Do not snorkel for the first time at a busy beach, it is not fun and you will feel like you are not going to make it out of there alive. The rocks, the fish, the waves, seeing what’s under you in deep waters, it just all became too much to handle. Never having used a snorkel to breathe didn’t help either. Next we headed to the lagoons in Ko’olina, I would recommend starting here. Fun Fact: private beaches are not allowed in Hawaii so if you can get to it you are allowed on it! These resort spots were stunning and the waters were calm so I jumped right in.

Next stop, Monkeypod. Their happy hour is to die for and the overall experience made me want to go back again, which we did! I ordered their Mai Tai and we went all out with the food, from chicken wings, to garlic fries, deviled eggs with crab and of course their pizza we couldn’t get enough. Oh and dessert, yeah don’t skip that everything is made in house!

THIRD

One of the best days! Devon and I had a gold Volkswagen convertible Beetle and a day to explore. We left the house at 4am (yeah you read that right, imagine dating me), but trust me it’s worth it. Driving through Oahu at this time feels extremely mysterious, it’s almost pitch black and no one is out and about, slightly feels like you’re in Jurassic Park, ironic. First stop, Lanikai Beach to watch the sunset, absolutely breathtaking. We sat on the sand staring at the water and just watched as the sun slowly began to sparkle on top of the waves. Next stop, Lanikai Pillbox Hike! One of the most beautiful hikes I have ever done, and I’ve done a lot of hikes. The beginning can be extremely muddy so hold on to something but don’t stop, it’s worth it. Really enjoy the view from up top before heading down.

Alright, its 9am and it’s already been a long day, you feel me? Time to head to Kailua for breakfast at Over Easy. This place was SO GOOD. Take the time to sit, talk and just enjoy. In case you’re looking for a pit stop afterwards, there’s also a Whole Foods right across the street so fill up on draft kombucha and wellness shots.

Finally time to hit the road but not without some road breaks. First stop, Makapu’u Point, there were beautiful black rocks, crabs and plenty of photo opportunities but the rain got the best of us here. Next up, Sandy Beach, turned out to be our favorite but be careful in the water, the waves are known for wipe outs and broken bones, so enjoy the sound of the waves from afar. We bought a fresh coconut and sipped on it while laying on the sand for hours. In case you don’t believe that the waves really are no joke, we decided to get in at the shore and enjoy the water a bit, a wave pulled us in so hard that Devon lost his Oakley sunglasses, we both couldn’t find our hats afterwards and the current pulled the hair tie out of my hair, seriously!

FOURTH

Take it slow. That’s what the next two days were for, we needed a break. On Wednesday’s and Sunday’s the Aloha Stadium Swap Meet is open from 6:30am-3pm so we went for a couple hours! http://www.alohastadiumswapmeet.net/content/home.aspx. Parking is only $1 and there are some great gift options in there, so look at what the locals make, and eat. We picked up presents like hand carved wine stands, hair clips and handmade bracelets for family and friends back home and then it was time to go to the lagoons in Ko’Olina and just chill out. It’s so nice being here because there’s grass areas with trees so you don’t have to get all sandy if you don’t want to.

FIFTH

Pearl Harbor. I know sometimes the touristy activities aren’t a priority but how can you visit Oahu and not go to Pearl Harbor? You can’t.

+Ghost Tip: don’t buy the groupon. Their customer service is awful, they don’t let you maneuver anything, and if you buy onsite it actually comes out to be less for more experiences.

Overall Pearl Harbor was eye opening, getting on the boat and seeing the memorial was the part that really made me realize what happened here and what our soldiers fight for. Devon being the history lover he is, he read every sign walked through every museum and explored the entire area before we left, but honestly why not do that? Find what sparks your interests!

On the way home we stopped at Taniokas. This is a can’t miss spot. You don’t have to buy as much as we did… $47 later of spam musubi, poke and shrimp tempura… but definitely try as much as you can, just get a little of everything. Our favorite’s were the spam musubi and the garlic poke! The owners at this shop were so sweet too, they threw in some free blueberry dessert and chatted with us about Las Vegas.

SIXTH

North Shore. This is what everyone wants to hear about right? Trust me, we did this one right too, I had so many stops planned it was amazing! First stop? Hale’iwa Bowls. They look pretty, it’s a trendy spot, but definitely nothing special and in my opinion overpriced for what it is. We roamed around and found a spot across the street where there’s somewhat of a secret beach to eat. Just a bit down the road there are surf shops and a Bob Marley mural, makes for a good photo op. Next we drove all the way to the tip of the island (seriously look it up on a map) to Turtle Bay. Here’s the truth, all of the Pinterest posts might say there’s turtles here but we didn’t see any so don’t get your hopes up! It’s a beautiful beach regardless, would be an amazing spot to vacation but it was just a quick stop for us. On the way down to the Pipeline we pulled over at a fruit stand and got some star fruit and dragon fruit, we found that mangos in Hawaii are pretty pricey compared to everything else. I was definitely down with the dragon fruit but the star fruit was a no go for me. The pipeline was really interesting, if you park in the main lot and walk down the alley way you will see the “Pipeline Deaths” wooden sign which is a little piece of history. From there, walk towards the beach and on the right you can see the Volcom house! This house is the one they refer to in the Blue Crush movie, and I’m sure more but this is one of my favorites. This beach is not for laying down and tanning, it’s a great spot to watch talented surfers and also maybe get a laugh out of someone getting attacked by a wave!

Waimea Bay is just a bit down the way, it can be hard to find parking here so be patient. This is where you can cliff jump or just lay out, it’s a bigger beach with some spots to have a picnic as well. If you’ve looked into North Shore hot spots you’ve definitely heard of Giovanni’s Shrimp Truck and Matsumoto’s Shave Ice. Of course we did both on the way home but keep an eye out for good photo spots during this drive, there’s some beautiful murals and the rainbow bridge you won’t want to miss. Giovanni’s Shrimp Truck was yummy and super filling we got one portion to share along with a side of macaroni salad. While the food was great, there are many flies buzzing around so just get over it. Matsumoto’s on the other hand, do not miss it! Add the ice cream at the bottom, get your own, pick all the flavors and sit outside to eat. This place is seriously one of the best.

+PR Tip: Nice dinner spot? Roy’s in Ko’olina! Yes it’s a chain but the restaurant is beautiful, we sat outside and enjoyed the Hawaii air. They have dinner specials that include an appetizer, entree and dessert, this was a win win for me!

SEVENTH

Alright, this is a fun one but it requires your sneakers (is that what we still call them?), a desire to be wild and a good night's rest (okay the last part is optional but highly recommended). Two hikes in one day, say what?! First stop, Diamond Head. This one is only about one mile, the best part is it’s all downhill once you get to the top! This was by far one of the best views in almost all of Oahu, it’s unreal. You can just sit and watch or do crazy things like climb over the prohibited areas and take great pics (yeah I would do the second one too, just be smart). Next we went to the most tropical and exotic place on the island, Monoa Trail Waterfall and Rainforest Hike.

+PR Tip (MUST): WEAR BUG SPRAY. We did, and we still went home with mosquito bites, I had somewhere around 14. From one day.

Some people do this hike in flip flops, safety first here if you ask me, I wore tennis shoes that I didn’t mind getting muddy and wet. There are plenty of photo spots, different plants to see, huge trees, secret make out stops, oh and at the end? Yeah there’s an amazing waterfall that you definitely have to dive into. We did! Take your time heading back and don’t forget to find the tree that’s growing straight across the trail, makes for an awesome group picture. You can bet we were exhausted after this day, we went to watch the sunset at Electric Beach and headed home for food and sleep.

EIGHTH

This is it, but don’t worry we made it one to remember. One last adventure. Visit Kualoa Ranch one day and do the raptor tour. It was a ton of fun and something I highly recommend but don’t expect this to be a wild ride, just make it one if you can. They are very strict on driving the speed limit and keeping your spot in line but when there are muddy puddles I strongly suggest you step on the gas, you’ll get a little dirty but hey it didn’t bother the dinosaurs right? This was the morning before our flight home so we didn’t have too much time to explore but if you do check out the beaches, they looked beautiful and I’m sure there’s a neat local spot to be found somewhere nearby.

That’s a wrap! We headed home, packed up our bags, stopped by the Ko’Olina lagoons to watch the sunset one last time and headed for the airport.

Have questions? dm/email/stalk me.
Keep Creepin’,

Poli