Honolulu, HI

When my aunt came to visit me for Christmas, I just knew that I would have to take her to Germaine’s luau. Located in Kapolei, Germaine’s is about 45 minutes from Waikiki. For visitors to the island, there are bus tours available that will take you to the luau. For locals, there is ample parking space available, and the luau site is very easy to find. Reservations can be made on the Germaine’s Luau website, or on any military base that offers

Hundreds of other spectators lined the streets alongside us as the motorcycles paraded past, their riders waving, honking and shouting “Merry Christmas!” A few of the riders tossed candy canes for the kids. We were amazed at just how many bikes there were on Oahu. It took almost a half an hour for all the bikes to pass!

Recently my wife and sister and I went for a catamaran sail and snorkeling trip from Waikiki Beach. We left right from the beach in front of the Outrigger Hotel where the Shorebird restaurant is. After boarding the boat right on the beach, we headed for a short ride to the snorkel spot–a place called “Turtle Canyon” because of all the green sea turtles that are known to hang out there.

Every Friday the Hilton Hawaiian Village puts on an “Aloha-Style” show, sort of like a luau show without the dinner. My wife and I checked it out on December 5, 2008, and I must say it was quite entertaining.

The show started at 6:30 pm. The evening began with the King’s Procession and then continued with the music, attire, performances and dance from Hawaii and other Polynesian Islands. The night ended with music to a spectacular fireworks display.

The great thing about Chinaman’s Hat/Kualoa Park is the amount of things you can do there. The park itself is pretty large and there is also a beach, so you can pretty much do whatever you want (within the realm of reason of course) at Chinaman’s Hat.

It takes a while to get to the Kualoa area from any point in town. You can go on the H-2 freeway and take exit 8 towards Wahiawa and go the North Shore way, or you can take the longer “tracing the outline of the island” way. That route will take you through Kaneohe via Likelike Highway then taking Kahekili Highway which turns into Kamehameha Highway. Keep going until you see that famous Chinaman’s Hat and you’re pretty much there.

On a recent trip to the North Shore with a few friends of mine, we decided that we would trek through Haleiwa town, something any of us done since transitioning into the career world of a twenty-something. We traversed through the little town that has much preserved its uniqueness and I was reminded of its innate beauty that both tourists and locals alike have fallen in love with.

My friends and I decided, shortly after the movie Forgetting Sarah Marshall came out on DVD, that we wanted to go to Turtle Bay and goof off for a day. So, we made the trek all the way to Kahuku and we spent the day at the Turtle Bay Resort.

Last weekend my wife and I went to the Ala Moana Mall near Honolulu. This is the largest outdoor mall in the United States, and although we have been here many times, we still probably haven’t seen it all. There are literally hundreds of shops and vendors to choose from, in addition to dozens of eateries, from fast food to gourmet dining. Also, it’s a visually appealing mall, with numerous fountains, koi ponds and landscaping throughout.

This last Tuesday afternoon my wife and I headed over to Ward Warehouse, a mall near Honolulu. Although smaller and less well known than the world famous Ala Moana shopping mall, which is not far from Ward, Ward Warehouse still has much to offer. Also, be careful not to confuse Ward Warehouse with its cousin, Ward Center, which is actually down the street a ways from Ward Center (although it is not that far).

As a parent of youngsters, I love going out to parks with my husband and kids. There’s nothing quite like spending an afternoon running around, playing on swings and sliding down slides. Fortunately, Hawai’i happens to be home to many great parks that are ideal places for families to spend an afternoon together.