Waimea Bay Beach Park O`ahu

Another great spot to get up close to some hotties on northshore O`ahu is Waimea Beach Park.

There is a parking lot at the beach park but it fills up very fast. I recommend that you park at Waimea Falls Park, which is located across from Waimea Beach Park. Parking is free,but they close at 5:00pm.

The best seating area is located right in front of the rock. The rock is located on the Hale`iwa side of the beach. It is very easy to spot due to the people all gathered on top of the rock getting ready to jump.

As you can see in the video,there are boys of many shapes and sized jumping from the rock. This is an excellent spot to sit and see more locals than tourists.

Diamond Head (Le`ahi) State Monument

There is nothing like an early morning workout that includes Diamond Head Crater. Diamond Head was given the name Le`ahi by goddess Hi`iaka ,sister of goddess Pele, because of the resemblance of the
lae (forhead,brow) of the `ahi tuna.

We stayed at Waikiki Beach Hotel and woke up early to go on a run. Our run started at our hotel and we ran along the makai (ocean) side of Kalakaua Ave towards Diamond Head Crater.We chose the sidewalk path along the ocean,which took us through Queen's surf, One of the beaches frequented by gay locals and tourists. We ran on the back side of the Waikiki Aquarium,which allowed us to see some of the outdoor aquariums and a seal.

The next interesting site was the Waikiki Natatorium War Memorial. A 100x40 meter saltwater swimming pool built to honor 101 people who died,as well as the roughly 10,000 people from Hawai`i who served in WWI. The next beach you come to is San Souci Beach aka Kaimana Beach,another nice place to see HOT guys. After Kaimana beach the path turns back towards Kalakaua Ave,and past a huge fountain.

We continued our run and turned right on Paki Ave which turns into Diamond Head Road. Our run continued up a hill past the Diamond Head Lighthouse , along the slopes of Diamond Head crater. The views are spectacular,but not as good as the views from within the crater.Follow Diamond Head Crater until you come to the entrance,which will be on the direct opposite side of the ocean.

Before entering the crater is a good time to stop for some shave ice or water from one of the vendors.There is also a restroom there.

The hike is about 1.3k (0.8 mile) one way and it's 171m (560 feet) from the crater floor.There are 74 steps leading into the first tunnel,followed by a 225 feet long,narrow,dimly lit,tunnel. The next stairway has 99 stpes to the top. Next you will come to a sprial staircase that has 52 steps to the top. From there you climb out though some concrete walls for a spectacular view of the pacific ocean. Outside you will find 54 more steps up to the summit.

Be sure to take your time and look around,depending on the time of year you visit,you may spot humpback whales.

Hours: 6:00am to 6:00pm Last time to start the hike is 4:30pm

Entrance fee: $5.00 per Car or $1 for pedestrians

Park brochure: Diamond Head Brochure

USS Arizona Memorial

One of the most popular tourist destinations on O`ahu has to be the USS Arizona Memorial. The memorial sees an average of 4500 visitors per day and 1.5 million per year.

Admission is free and tickets are issued on a first come first serve basis. The first tickets are issued at 7:45 am for the showing of a 23 minute movie on the attack of Pearl Harbor, and the last ones issued at 3:00 pm. Wait times can be long (up to 3 hrs) depending on the time/season that you visit.

Although entry to the museum and out to the memorial is free, I recommend that you purchase the audio tour. There is a lot of information available with the audio tour that you won't get by just reading the plaques in the museum. There are 20 stops with the audio tour that will keep you occupied while you wait your turn for the theater.

While out on the memorial you can only imagine what it must have been like with all the burning oil and chaos that was going on. Just by looking at the mooring makes you wonder what it must have been like.

When you exit the boat and step out onto the memorial, you can quickly smell the aroma of the fuel that is constantly being leaked out. There were 1.5 million gallons of fuel on the USS Arizona when she sank. Today,approximately 9 quarts surface from the sunken ship daily. They are usually referred to as the black tears of the entombed bodies.

Given the price and the experience, this has to be the best value on O`ahu

Oahu AJ's World Live

Aloha(Hello) and E komo mai. Nou ka hale (come inside,the house is yours)

Hawai`i has a lot to offer people on many different budgets. Everyone hears "Hawai`i is so expensive", Yes, it can be,but there are also a lot to do that is free. I have created this blog to help people plan their vacations on every type of budget.

So if you are seeking a vacation of a lifetime on any type of budget, feel free to ask.

Mahalo and Aloha

AJ