Which Island to stay at?
You should pick upa Frommer's or other travle guide for Hawaii and see what attractions there are in the differnt locations that would interest you. One more note among amny running through my head if you stay out by Kapalua on Maui only the Sheraton has a decent beach.
Hi there... i would suggest going island hopping... but then again, it depends upon what you want to do and what you want to see... I'll try to be as helpful as possible! 
Oahu - this is the most populated island and if youre trying to get away from the city then this isnt really the place for you to go. Waikiki is full of tourists all year round. However there are things on Oahu to see... (most of which are tourist related, but still cool) Polynesian Cultural Center (kind of expensive, but if youre into different cultures then this would be an awesome place to go), Pearl Harbor (USS Arizona Memorial, USS Missouri), Diamond Head hike, Waipahu Cultural Gardens (again if youre interested in different cultures), and lots more... the swap meet (or flea market) at the Aloha stadium is a good place to go for souvenirs (open on saturday, sunday, and wednesday).
Maui - This is where a lot of people are going for their honeymoon now. I suggest going to Haleakala and watching the sunrise from there... its awesome. You can also do a bike ride down this mountain through a tour. You should definitely take a tour out to Hana (and I strongly suggest a tour rather than driving it yourself because the roads are really narrow and only one person at a time can pass around the blind curves.) And if you like shows there is a really interesting one on Maui called 'Ulalena.
http://www.ulalena.com/
http://www.mauitheatre.com/
Kauai: I've only been here once, so I don't know too much about what is here. THere is a boat tour down the Waialua River and a tour through the grotto, which is awesome. THis is the place to come to see lush, green, fertile lands.
Molokai: If youre trying to get away from EVERYTHING, then this is the island for you.
There are some tourists here, but you won't really see any at all. The only ways to get to this island are by prop plane or a ferry from Maui. There are no traffic lights on this island, they hand search your bags in the airports because there are no security screening devices or metal detectors, and there are only three gas stations (and McDonald's has left this island untouched thus far). I do suggest a trip to Kanemitsu Bakery if you decide to come here and check out their bread... it is delicious. If you are looking to go to beaches though, this isnt the place to go.
There is a good article about places to stay and what to see on this island in the New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/17/travel/17molokai.html?
the Big Island: If youre only going to one place, I suggest here. Where else can you go to see a volcano that has been constantly flowing since 1983 and black, red, and green sand beaches? THe chain of craters road is neat and at the end where the lava blocks the road, you can hike atop the older lava while the new hot lava flows underneath. I do suggest wearing shoes that you dont mind throwing away when youre done as the lava is rough and can/will cut the bottoms of your shoes, and occassionaly the heat sometimes partially melts your shoes. But its worth it. Mauna Kea is really neat to go to as well, if you go at nightfall and up to the visitor's observatory, they usually have telescopes out and its so awesome to be that close to the stars (but you need a 4 wheel drive car to get up the mountain as some places are really steep). The field of petroglyphs is really neat too. Just like cavemen would paint pictures onto the walls of the caves, so the ancient hawaiians would carve symbols into the rocks. Here there is a large area with tons of these carvings in them. And there is also Thurston Lava Tube (a large tube made by lava that you can walk through) and Rainbow and Akaka Falls. Both really pretty.
Lanai - also another more secluded island, and though I've never been I hear its a beautiful place to see. snorkeling is supposed to be good here
I hope this helped somewhat... It really depends on what you want to see and do that will depend on where you go. If you like the nightlife, then Oahu is where you would want to go. Most things on the other islands usually shut down early, so there isnt too much to do at night. You should check out the hawaii visitors webpage for tours or ideas of things to do... http://gohawaii.com/
There is lots to see no matter where you go. Enjoy your trip. If you have any questions, feel free to ask and I'll try to help you out.
I grew up in the islands, so I do know a little :-P

Oahu - this is the most populated island and if youre trying to get away from the city then this isnt really the place for you to go. Waikiki is full of tourists all year round. However there are things on Oahu to see... (most of which are tourist related, but still cool) Polynesian Cultural Center (kind of expensive, but if youre into different cultures then this would be an awesome place to go), Pearl Harbor (USS Arizona Memorial, USS Missouri), Diamond Head hike, Waipahu Cultural Gardens (again if youre interested in different cultures), and lots more... the swap meet (or flea market) at the Aloha stadium is a good place to go for souvenirs (open on saturday, sunday, and wednesday).
Maui - This is where a lot of people are going for their honeymoon now. I suggest going to Haleakala and watching the sunrise from there... its awesome. You can also do a bike ride down this mountain through a tour. You should definitely take a tour out to Hana (and I strongly suggest a tour rather than driving it yourself because the roads are really narrow and only one person at a time can pass around the blind curves.) And if you like shows there is a really interesting one on Maui called 'Ulalena.
http://www.ulalena.com/
http://www.mauitheatre.com/
Kauai: I've only been here once, so I don't know too much about what is here. THere is a boat tour down the Waialua River and a tour through the grotto, which is awesome. THis is the place to come to see lush, green, fertile lands.
Molokai: If youre trying to get away from EVERYTHING, then this is the island for you.
There are some tourists here, but you won't really see any at all. The only ways to get to this island are by prop plane or a ferry from Maui. There are no traffic lights on this island, they hand search your bags in the airports because there are no security screening devices or metal detectors, and there are only three gas stations (and McDonald's has left this island untouched thus far). I do suggest a trip to Kanemitsu Bakery if you decide to come here and check out their bread... it is delicious. If you are looking to go to beaches though, this isnt the place to go.There is a good article about places to stay and what to see on this island in the New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/17/travel/17molokai.html?
the Big Island: If youre only going to one place, I suggest here. Where else can you go to see a volcano that has been constantly flowing since 1983 and black, red, and green sand beaches? THe chain of craters road is neat and at the end where the lava blocks the road, you can hike atop the older lava while the new hot lava flows underneath. I do suggest wearing shoes that you dont mind throwing away when youre done as the lava is rough and can/will cut the bottoms of your shoes, and occassionaly the heat sometimes partially melts your shoes. But its worth it. Mauna Kea is really neat to go to as well, if you go at nightfall and up to the visitor's observatory, they usually have telescopes out and its so awesome to be that close to the stars (but you need a 4 wheel drive car to get up the mountain as some places are really steep). The field of petroglyphs is really neat too. Just like cavemen would paint pictures onto the walls of the caves, so the ancient hawaiians would carve symbols into the rocks. Here there is a large area with tons of these carvings in them. And there is also Thurston Lava Tube (a large tube made by lava that you can walk through) and Rainbow and Akaka Falls. Both really pretty.
Lanai - also another more secluded island, and though I've never been I hear its a beautiful place to see. snorkeling is supposed to be good here
I hope this helped somewhat... It really depends on what you want to see and do that will depend on where you go. If you like the nightlife, then Oahu is where you would want to go. Most things on the other islands usually shut down early, so there isnt too much to do at night. You should check out the hawaii visitors webpage for tours or ideas of things to do... http://gohawaii.com/
There is lots to see no matter where you go. Enjoy your trip. If you have any questions, feel free to ask and I'll try to help you out.
I grew up in the islands, so I do know a little :-P
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christy
Pacific Northwest S2000 Owners
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Oct 31, 2003 08:09 PM



though i have yet to get there myself
