Why We Love Oahu -

Best known attractions in the Hawaiian Islands

 
HONOLULU – (June 3, 2010) -Looking for a valuable resource to visit prior to your trip to Oahu and the Hawaiian Islands? 101 Things To Do is a collection of online magazines about Hawaii activities, attractions and travel-planning.
 
Affiliated with Hawaii.com, the website features in-depth guides in each Hawaiian island. The best known of the islands is Oahu, home to world famous Pearl Harbor, Waikiki Beach and the state’s largest city, Honolulu. Oahu is the hub of island commerce, government, politics, education, tourism and the arts.
 
Geographically only the third largest of the inhabited Hawaiian Islands, it is nonetheless home to nearly three-quarters of the state's 1.2 million residents — 370,000 of whom are concentrated in urban Honolulu, the ultra-modern, south-coast  city  kama'aina (residents) refer to simply as "Town."
 
Most flights from anywhere in the world arrive first at Honolulu International Airport (HNL), making it the gateway to all of the other islands. Most visitors, particularly first-timers, will spend a few days here before traveling elsewhere. They can find details about all of these activities on 101 Things to Do. Here is what they will see:
 
Pearl Harbor: One of the most-visited historical sites in the world, this is a must-see for every visitor to Hawaii.  Operated by the National Park Service, The USS Arizona Memorial is the final resting place for many of the ship's 1,177 crewmen who lost their lives on December 7, 1941. The 184-foot-long Memorial structure spans the mid-portion of the sunken battleship.
 
The Museum & Visitors Center provides in-depth interpretation of what happened at Pearl Harbor on that fateful day during World War II when the Japanese air force attacked the U.S. Pacific fleet in Pearl Harbor. In addition to the USS Arizona Memorial, visitors may also visit the battleship USS Missouri (known as “Mighty Mo” ), the USS Bowfin submarine and the Pacific Aviation Museum.
 
Waikiki Beach: Take off your shoes, roll up your pants and wiggle your toes in the warm, golden sand. This is Waikiki Beach, a two-mile stretch of shoreline known throughout the world. Don't leave Oahu until you've walked the length of this strand. Start at the lagoons fronting the Hilton Hawaiian Village and continue on down the beach to the Natatorium War Memorial.
 
Be sure to look in on two of its historic hotels. The "First Lady" of Waikiki has to be the Moana Hotel. Now known as the Sheraton Moana Surfrider, the Moana opened on March 11, 1901 and was the first luxury hotel built in Waikiki. The Royal Hawaiian Hotel, which opened in 1927, is another Waikiki icon that has retained its reputation for luxury and romance. 
 
’Iolani Palace:  A short walk from the State Capitol in downtown Honolulu is the seat of Hawaii's former government. Built in 1882 by King Kalakaua, 'Iolani Palace is the only restored royal palace in the United States. Until 1893 when the Hawaiian monarchy was overthrown, this Renaissance-style building was the official residence of King Kalakaua and Queen Lili'uokalani, Hawaii's last two monarchs. Guided and audio tours…one in the Hawaiian language…are available.
 
Bishop Museum: For more than a century, the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum has served as the keeper of Hawaii's vast store of natural and cultural history. Founded in 1889, it is the largest museum in Hawaii and houses the world's largest collection of Polynesian cultural and scientific artifacts. So in between sun and surf, it is well worth the visitor’s time to spend an afternoon here. The newly renovated Hawaiian Hall reopened last August. And offers three floors of exhibits, each taking visitors on a journey to a different realm: legend, land and nature and the realm inhabited by the gods.                    
 
Polynesian Cultural Center:  The Polynesian Cultural Center is a perennially popular one-of-a-kind theme park. It could be called a living museum where a cast of hundreds of Polynesian islanders bring their exotic customs, culture and tradition alive in an environment that invites interaction.
 
The top paid visitor attraction in Hawaii, the Center will appeal to all ages with a line-up of activities that runs from early afternoon into the evening. Seven native villages populate the grounds of the 42-acre Center. Visitors have the opportunity to participate in the lives and adventures of Hawaiian and South Pacific cultures. A canoe pageant, an award-winning luau and an extravagant evening show with a cast of 100 native performers are highlights.
 
Historic Hale’iwa and the Surfing Beaches: Hale'iwa is a colorful, historic community in the center of Oahu's North Shore. Once the playground of royalty and the location of a former television series called "Baywatch," Hale'iwa has long been acknowledged as Hawaii's surfing capitol. The more than 100-year-old town is a picture of its past with rustic old buildings dominating the landscape. Hale'iwa is emerging as an important art center on Oahu. There are at least six art galleries featuring dozens of artists, many from the islands, and several gift shops that also sell arts and crafts. The Surf Museum is located ! in the North Shore Marketplace.
 
In Hale'iwa you can rent or buy just about anything you need for fun on the water. If you don't know how, they'll teach you to surf, windsurf, scuba dive and more. There are several fishing and shark encounter charters out of Hale'iwa Small Boat Harbor.
 
Dole Pineapple Plantation:  Take a step off the beaten path and spend a day at Dole Plantation in Wahiawa. Here you can take a narrated train ride through pineapple fields, find your way through the world's largest maze, and learn about crops traditionally grown in the Islands.  The Pineapple Garden Maze is laid out along a 1.7-mile path and contains more than 11,400 colorful Hawaiian plants. Prizes are awarded to those who find the six secret stations located in the maze in the fastest time.
 
Obama’s Hawaii: Chicago isn't the only place marketing Obama tours. Several are available on Oahu where the president grew up. Barack Obama was born here and, in 1979, graduated from Punahou High School. He went on to a career in law and politics that eventually led to the White House. Though Chicago became his home, he has never severed his ties to Hawaii. His late grandmother, who lived in Punahou, was one of his principal caretakers and his sister is a resident of Oahu.
 
To find more ideas on Oahu shopping, motorcycle rentals, shopping for timeshares and much more in Oahu, please visit www.101thingstodo.com.
 
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About 101 Things To Do
 
Featuring 101 things to do on each island, the success of 101 Things To Do is credited to the combination of an appealing title and the value of the editorial content. 101 Things To Do is unique, and whether visitors are first time or repeat visitors, 101 Things To Do serves as a valuable resource in navigating the islands and planning a memorable visit. The broad scope of the magazine caters to the post-arrival visitor and offers an effective medium for businesses who want to reach this targeted audience through active distribution.
 
Magazine circulation - 1.54 million magazines are printed annually and distributed to more than 750 locations across Oahu, Kauai, Maui and the Big Island of Hawaii. They are available at every island airport and hundreds of locations on each island including, car rental locations, hotels, retail stores, restaurants, military bases and heliports.