1. As soon as humanly possible, put your feet into the water. (I'm totally serious.)
2. Don't go to the Dole Plantation (because it's expensive and really lame).
3. The USS Arizona Memorial (Attack on Pearl Harbor D-Day museum) is free and TOTALLY worth the effort. HOWEVER, they hand out tickets (with times for your turn) starting in the morning until they are gone. And they go pretty fast AND they only give one per person, so you can't send your buddy through the line to pick up tickets for you. So get there VERY early.
Another thing: NO BAGS of any kind are allowed past the front door. Cameras, wallets- they're okay, but not camera bags or fanny packs or coolers. There are lockers for rent off to the right of the museum entrance where you can stow your stuff (DO NOT LEAVE ANYTHING VALUABLE IN YOUR CAR), but I recommend just leaving your stuff back at your hotel. There are relatively inexpensive snacks and drinks available to purchase inside, but you can't bring any outside food or drink in with you.
This no-bags thing is NON-NEGOTIABLE, AND if you wait in the long line to get in, and you have a bag on you when you hit the entrance, they a) won't let you in and b) will make you go to the end of the line and start waiting ALL over again!
4. Want cool Hawai'i stuff, like surf shop stuff? Go to Waikele. It's way cheaper than Honolulu.
5. O'ahu is a pretty safe place in general, but you have to be careful not to get your stuff stolen. Don't leave anything in your car and DON'T leave anything on the beach while you're in the water if you don't want it stolen.
6. My favorite beach is LOST beach, (on the North Shore where the The Beach Camp is!!). . Once you find the public access, go LEFT to see the LOST set and go RIGHT to play on the beach. Parking is limited, and BEWARE of illegal parking! The pubic access is in the middle of a small neighborhood, and those folks don't want your car in their driveways! Be aware: there are NO bathrooms, showers or lifeguards on this beach.
[caption id="attachment_3477" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Waimea Bay - North Shore"]
[/caption]7. My other favorite North Shore beach is Waimea. Kailua Beach on the Windward side (up H3) is really nice too. Both these beaches have public bathrooms, showers and lifeguards.
8. The earlier you get to any beach, the better. On any given NORMAL weekend, if you hit the beach by 8am, there'll be no traffic and you'll have a good parking spot. If you wait until 10, especially on the North Shore, you'll sit in traffic for HOURS! So, hangover or not, GET UP EARLY and GET MOVING!
ON THE BEACHES: The BIGGEST rule here is NOT TO MESS WITH THE WILDLIFE! If you see a turtle or monk seal sleeping on the beach, DON'T BOTHER IT IN ANY WAY! Don't feed it, don't touch it, don't try to make it move or look at you -- LEAVE IT ALONE!! If you choose to mess with the wildlife anyway, don't be surprised when a resident or cop appears out of no where to tell you to STOP!
9. Honking your horn is really rude here, so don't honk your horn unless you're pretty sure someone's going to die.
10. DON'T JAYWALK!
11. Wear LOTS of sunscreen! The sun here is really intense, and since it's winter, you are probably all pale anyway. I recommend 50+ for starters.
12. Hawai'i has the best weather and the best beaches for sure! But it also has the WORST traffic! How far you have to go to get there makes NO difference to how long it will take you. Plan accordingly. Luckily, nobody here freaks out if you're running late!
13. ENJOY! Always remember, as long as you put your feet in the water and watch the LOST premiere, you've had a FANTASTIC and successful trip! Don't stress about what you're NOT doing--Relax and enjoy the Aloha!
(Sneaky hint: The Hale Koa Hotel, on the far west side of the Waikiki Beach area, is the military's hotel. Non-military can't use the pools or facilities, BUT the beachside snack place is open to the public. It's the cheapest place to get a burger on the beach!)
HAVE A TERRIFIC LOST WEEKEND! I'LL SEE YOU THERE!!
