Visiting Oahu? I got you.
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Two weeks minimum-- this is what you should plan for. And don't try and just stay in one area of the island, it's truly too beautiful to miss out on because you are trapped in Waikiki. Let's talk the perfect plan, the perfect vacation to Oahu.
Setting: Flight lands at 12:30pm on a Tuesday. You may feel some jet lag, we have our own time zone after all. Day 1: Airbnb in Waikiki, happy hour at Hideout Waikiki. Everything is delightful and the atmosphere is PERFECT. Try and sit by the fire pit in the corner! |
Day 2: Kaimana's beach-- I love this one. It is a bit away from Waikiki beach, totally walkable, and you can pop into Hau Tree for a mid day cocktail. :D Okay! After your first steps in Hawaiian waters, let's talk lunch. You're still in Waikiki at this point so let's be efficient with time and distance. If you are still in beach mode, head into Tucker and Bevy to pick up some picnic like items to munch on at Waikiki beach. PICTURES Y'ALL. The surfboard racks are down that way and are perfect for a photo op. :D More beach time, MAKE SURE TO LATHER UP THE REEF FRIENDLY SUN SCREEN. From here, I would head to the Airbnb and shower, you'll want a cute fit for happy hour and dinner. Next up: Deck Waikiki. Okay not gonna lie, the food is not WONDERFUL, but the cocktails are good, and the view is fantastic. Be here for sunset, you won't wanna miss it.
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Day 3: Let's go for a morning hike. Manoa Falls! Recently renovated, totally gorgeous, easy for all hikers. BRING BUG SPRAY! The mosquitos are vicious. Before you get there, pop into Morning Glass for a scone and a coffee-- so so so GOOD. The hike is not terribly long, but if you are hungry after your hike, I totally recommend Peace Cafe. They make their own bread and vegan peeps will love this one. It feels so good to eat here after a hike. Best way to wash off hiking sweat is with a nice swim. I would totally take my avocado sammie to Ala Moana Beach to hang out there for a bit. Walk the park, it's really relaxing. Okay, around 3ish, head for the hotel to shower and get ready. I am assuming you will only take about an hour to get this squared away. Off to Kakaako! :D Happy hour at MOKU--- 1/2 off pizzas and the perfect paloma. Also! Get the squash ravioli, it's a MUST. I would do a walk around the area to see the street art! :D After that, dinner time at 1938 Indochine. This place--- literally everything is good, but I am super in love with the dumplings and the Empress cocktail.
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One way ticket to paradise
I remember being scared. Not of traveling to Hawaii, but of what happened afterwards. I was graduating college, had bought myself a trip to Hawaii to celebrate, and had no idea what the heck I was going to do when I got back to Corpus Christi, TX. This weighed on my mind as I embarked on my travels, and quickly subsided when saw the beauty that is Oahu. I remember thinking the water was so warm despite it being December. I remember feeling so tiny against the towering mountains. I remember feeling like Tarzan was going to pop out of the jungle. And I remember cruising the island listening to the works of John Williams and Phil Collins.
I stayed for 10 days, pulled to the island by my sister who was heading there to dance as a Rangerette for the Pearl Harbor Anniversary event. Felt like the stars aligned-- I was graduating, she was performing, and I was in need of a vacation.
I didn't know at the time, but the stars were aligning for something else, something bigger, something more than I could've ever imagined.
I stayed on the west side and the north shore during my first trip to Oahu. I hiked, ziplined, swam with turtles, and watched the Pipeline surf competition. For someone who hadn't had experience planning trips at this point, I feel like I got a lot accomplished in the ten days of my stay. At the end of my trip, I felt something change within me. A fire that was sparked by adventure, by the unknown, by fearlessness, by a desire for a bigger life than I had anticipated.I went home with this burning inside me.
I got a job--- a great paying one in Corpus, doing something I did not think I would ever do, in a work environment that I never wanted for myself. I went to work, went to happy hour, and went to bed. My savings was growing but so was my angst. I was unhappy and unfulfilled. I felt myself living for the weekend, being content with sitting on a couch in my friends house watching tv. I felt myself living and not dreaming. I was scared. This time not because I didn't know what happened after graduation, but rather about the idea that that was it. My biggest fear in life has always been to be stuck, and I felt stuck in that moment.
Kennedy was set to move with her dad summer of 2017. With this in mind, I felt it was a good time for me to make a big jump, where only I would be affected, and if I failed I could come home with my tail between my legs. But where? I pondered this for quite some time. New York? It was my favorite city. D.C.? I had been there before but not lived there. San Diego? Seems really nice. Hawaii? No way could I make it there.
I started to think about it more and more. If I was going to take such a big chance on myself, wouldn't Hawaii be the biggest jump? I still have dreams of living in another country, but at the time I knew I was not ready for that. I didn't even have a passport. But Hawaii... Maybe.
I looked into it. I looked into apartment rentals, areas of the island, jobs, and then.. school. I had just graduated but I was not necessarily ready to be done with school. What could I go to school for in Hawaii? The answer: urban planning. So I applied. And I got in. I took it as a sign.
People will think I am less crazy if I say I am moving to Hawaii for school right? Sure they will.
I gave my two weeks notice the day I was accepted to UH Manoa. My coworkers thought I was nuts. I packed up my things in four big suitcases, shoved them in my car, and drove to the west coast where I shipped my vehicle to Oahu. I had no job on the other side, no where to live lined up, and no idea what the heck I was gonna do other than be in school again. I had two weeks to figure it out before the first day, and the next part is where the stars started to align.
To be continued.
I stayed for 10 days, pulled to the island by my sister who was heading there to dance as a Rangerette for the Pearl Harbor Anniversary event. Felt like the stars aligned-- I was graduating, she was performing, and I was in need of a vacation.
I didn't know at the time, but the stars were aligning for something else, something bigger, something more than I could've ever imagined.
I stayed on the west side and the north shore during my first trip to Oahu. I hiked, ziplined, swam with turtles, and watched the Pipeline surf competition. For someone who hadn't had experience planning trips at this point, I feel like I got a lot accomplished in the ten days of my stay. At the end of my trip, I felt something change within me. A fire that was sparked by adventure, by the unknown, by fearlessness, by a desire for a bigger life than I had anticipated.I went home with this burning inside me.
I got a job--- a great paying one in Corpus, doing something I did not think I would ever do, in a work environment that I never wanted for myself. I went to work, went to happy hour, and went to bed. My savings was growing but so was my angst. I was unhappy and unfulfilled. I felt myself living for the weekend, being content with sitting on a couch in my friends house watching tv. I felt myself living and not dreaming. I was scared. This time not because I didn't know what happened after graduation, but rather about the idea that that was it. My biggest fear in life has always been to be stuck, and I felt stuck in that moment.
Kennedy was set to move with her dad summer of 2017. With this in mind, I felt it was a good time for me to make a big jump, where only I would be affected, and if I failed I could come home with my tail between my legs. But where? I pondered this for quite some time. New York? It was my favorite city. D.C.? I had been there before but not lived there. San Diego? Seems really nice. Hawaii? No way could I make it there.
I started to think about it more and more. If I was going to take such a big chance on myself, wouldn't Hawaii be the biggest jump? I still have dreams of living in another country, but at the time I knew I was not ready for that. I didn't even have a passport. But Hawaii... Maybe.
I looked into it. I looked into apartment rentals, areas of the island, jobs, and then.. school. I had just graduated but I was not necessarily ready to be done with school. What could I go to school for in Hawaii? The answer: urban planning. So I applied. And I got in. I took it as a sign.
People will think I am less crazy if I say I am moving to Hawaii for school right? Sure they will.
I gave my two weeks notice the day I was accepted to UH Manoa. My coworkers thought I was nuts. I packed up my things in four big suitcases, shoved them in my car, and drove to the west coast where I shipped my vehicle to Oahu. I had no job on the other side, no where to live lined up, and no idea what the heck I was gonna do other than be in school again. I had two weeks to figure it out before the first day, and the next part is where the stars started to align.
To be continued.
