Welcome to Scooby’s World…

Part 4: Once You Get There

ok here’s the final installment of Scooby’s Guide To Oahu :shiny: …

as soon as you get off the airplane and out of the arrivals terminal, stop, have a look around you, and take in a deep breath. Honolulu Airport is mostly an open-air structure, and theres a couple little flower gardens along the main pathways from the gates down to the baggage claim. hopefully you fly in on a clear sunny day, so right away you’ll get a nice fresh ocean breeze and a floral scent in the air.

now when you get down to the baggage claim, when youre waiting for your bags to come out, look around for one of those stand thingies with all the tour guide maps and flyers. grab whatever looks interesting to you. a lot of them have coupons in them. but whatever you do, make sure you get This Week Oahu, Oahu Gold and 101 Things To Do. they have maps, coupons, and listings for special events going on around the island that week.

ok then grab your bags and turn around to head out the big sliding doors. whoever is picking you up will probably meet you out on the sidewalk over there. (make sure to turn your cell phone back on .)

about your mp3 player… yeah its nice for the plane ride and sitting on the beach. but when you’re out driving around, then you absolutely must listen to the radio. you know what, you should just start listening right now. i always listen to KCCN fm100. go on, it’ll put you in the mood. i also like Island 98.5, but KCCN is my favorite. and once you’re actually there, it will be the soundtrack to your adventures.

for me the first day i get there i usually dont feel like doing anything after the plane ride other than to get something to eat, catch some sun at the beach, then go to the house to unpack. if thats you too, then i’d say go to Makai Market at Ala Moana Shopping Center for a quick bite, then head across the street to Ala Moana Beach to dig your toes in the sand. aim for my marker on the map, the sand is softer on that side. make sure to put on your sunblock! and dont forget the radio!

and theres your first day
so i guess the rest of your trip is pretty much up to you.

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Part 3: Things To Eat

check out all the red markers on the Google Map.

all around the place are Zippy’s restaurants. its a step above fast food. definitely worth checking out. i love the Zippy’s Chili, but try a plate lunch from them. (a plate lunch is a hawaiian institution. its 2 scoops of rice, 1 scoop of macaroni salad, and a meat.) and where ever you go for lunch, make sure to get a lilikoi. its a drink made from passion fruit juice. i can drink it by the gallon!

some of the things you might find in a plate lunch.
thats lomi salmon, aku (tuna) onion poke, and poi in the cups on the left on the plate is haupia (you need to try that. its like coconut jello), kalua pig, rice, and an unopened laulau.

when you go out for poke, the absolute staple is Lomi Salmon. if you’ve never had raw fish before, this would be a very good stepping stone. you could call it a “salad”, but look at it too quick and you might mistake it for pico de gallo. basically its diced tomatoes, green onions, and salted raw diced salmon. (the good ones have a bit of  inamona in it.) but the salt and acid from the tomatoes will partially cook it, like a ceviche. just get a big tub and eat it with rice. soooo good. you can also get it as a side at most plate lunch places.

my absolute favorite place to get poke is  Tamashiro Market! :thumbsup:
this is always my first stop as soon as i get off the plane.

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Part 2: The Google Map

like i said in the Part 1 of this guide, i put together this Google Map of  nearly 50 points all around the island that shouldnt be missed. most people only visit for a week or two, so this list will definitely be more than enough to keep you busy. :yes:

Blue = Point Of Interest
Green = Beach/Park
Red = Food
Purple = Shopping

i highly recommend you get the Google Earth program and view the map through there. just click on the “View in Google Earth” link on the map page. This way you can turn on all the extra features like 3D Buildings and view all the links to pictures and Wikipedia entries. very helpful indeed.

another good idea is to explore the perimeter of the island. search around for beaches in the area you’re staying. you might find a nice hidden gem that won’t be crowded by a lot of tourists.

try to read all the comments i put on the Google Map. i know its a lot (just like this post, sorry!), but most of them have info that might help you decide if you want to check out that spot or not. oh and i added a couple more markers, so some blue ones are not numbered.

here’s my Do Not Miss list (i tried to condense it as best i could)…

• 3. Aloha Stadium Swap Meet
• 6. Dole Plantation
• 9. Matsumoto Shave Ice
• Giovanni’s Original White Shrimp Truck
• 17. Chief Sielu’s Ali’i Tour @ Tropical Farms Macadamia Nut Outlet
• 19. Pali Lookout
• 22. Rabbit Island lookout
• 23. blowholes
• Diamond Head
• Leonard’s Bakery… must have malasadas
• 30. Waikiki… just go everywhere here.
• Ala Moana Shopping Center
• Tamashiro Market… eat poke here!

or you know what?… completely ignore everything i wrote and just enjoy yourself.

Part 1: Before You Go

a few months ago, my friend Butterfly got the opportunity to visit hawaii for the first time. we got to talking about it and i ended up pointing out a few things that possibly are not on the map that most tourists are aware of. well first things first, if you’re going to the islands, theres a few traveling supplies you need to gather for your trip.

you’ll need sun block (highest you can get, SPF 50 is good), spray on sunblock to carry around, toothbrush and other toiletries, and sunglasses. and possibly a large beach towel if you already have one. or you can just buy on there. that should do it, aside from clothes. maybe your ipod or book if youre a reader.

then when you pack your suitcase, pack light. shorts, skirts, tshirts, tank tops, etc. even if you go in the fall/winter,  it can still be very warm over there compared to the rest of the country. my cousin once told me the average difference between summer and winter is only about 10-20 degrees F. and dont pack too much either, you’ll probably spend lots of monies on stuffs to bring back. plus lots of cheap comfy beachwear to pick up at the Aloha Swap Meet on wednesdays or weekends.

in Part 2 of this guide is a map that is loaded with tons of places of visit, with info on each of them to help you decide if its a spot you’d like to visit.

in the mean time, here is a list of sites to check out to help plan your trip:

http://www.gohawaii.com
http://www.hawaiieventsonline.com
http://www.driveguidemagazines.com/index.html
http://www.matsumotoshaveice.com
http://www.101thingstodo.com
http://www.germainesluau.com
http://www.paradisecove.com
http://www.thisweek.com
http://www.tourtalkhawaii.com
http://www.virtualtourist.com
http://www.zippys.com
http://www.kccnfm100.com
http://www.alternative-hawaii.com/actg.htm
http://www.hawaiiweb.com
http://www.alohatower.com
http://www.chinamanshat.com
http://www.polynesianculturalcenter.com
http://www.dole-plantation.com
http://www.alamoanacenter.com
http://www.kualoa.com

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYw-hXi0w7k
Native Blend - Take Me Back To Paradise

hello faithful readers! (all two of you, and the spambot!)
by this time tomorrow i’ll be leaving on a jet plane on my way back to paradise with the gf. and in celebration of this momentous occasion, i have put together Scooby’s 4-Part Guide To Oahu! its chocked full of useful info for the first-time visitor to hawaii. and it even might be useful for some of the kama’aina as well.

now since i know i wont have much time over the next 2 weeks for blogging  while i’m off doing important things at the beach, i have scheduled my Guide To Oahu to post starting tomorrow and over the next four subsequent days. so be sure to check back and let me know what you think. and if you’re one of the homegrown who’s reading this, then please feel free to leave a comment on your favorite spots on Oahu, or to point out any places that i may have left off on the comprehensive tour map which will be published in Part 2. i still have a few that i need to add to the list, like the Lion Coffee factory and Plantation Village. and i’m sure i’ll find a couple more places during this trip thats worth adding to the list later too.

and when i’m not online, i’ll be trying to take as many pictures as i can on the iPhone and will be posting them to TwitPic whenever i can find a wifi hotspot. so check out the pictures here: http://twitpic.com/photos/scoobysworld

and also be sure to follow me on Twitter so you can also read the photo comments: http://twitter.com/ScoobysWorld

see you at the beach! :wave2:
-ScoobySnacks

as you may know, i was born in Honolulu and i’ve got the aloha in my blood.
which means one week from now, the gf and i will be back on the rock for 2 excellent weeks of cruising around the island for beach, food, and music! and not only that, a good friend of mine will be vacationing  there at the same time, so i’ll get to show him and his wife around some of my favorite spots that tourists usually don’t see…

Hawaii is simply one of those places that everyone should have the good fortune to visit at least once in their lifetime. and for those of you planning a trip soon, later on i’ll post my Guide To Oahu, so be sure to check back here for a good long list of must see places around the isle. i’ll have a Google Map with notes on just a fraction of the places worth visiting: places to eat, beaches to sun in, great views, where to spend a few dollars, and other places to enjoy yourself.

the last time i was out there was back in 2006, so i’m kind of out of the loop. if youre in Hawaii right now, please drop me a line and let me know of anything going down. i’ll be there from Feb17-Mar4, so unfortunately i’ll miss out on the Honolulu Twestival, but i’m still hoping theres other events to crash. hopefully a taping of Lost.

much aloha! :tan:
-ScoobySnacks