Oahu

A satellite view of Oahu, Hawaii

The Hawaiian Island of Oahu.

Oahu is known as "The Gathering Place". It is the 3rd largest of the Hawaiian Islands, with a land mass just shy of 600 square miles. Most of Hawaii's population resides on Oahu, and Honolulu is the state capital.

Captain James Cook, a British explorer, was credited as "discovering" the Hawaiian Islands in 1778. However, the islands already had a long history well before any Europeans saw them.

The Island of Oahu became the center of Hawaiian life in 1845 when King Kamehameha III moved the capital to Honolulu from Lahaina (Maui).

Most Americans know that Oahu is where the Japanese Navy bombed Pearl Harbor, ushering the United States into World War II. One of the most famous monuments of that attack is the USS Arizona Memorial, which is located just above the sunken ship in Pearl Harbor. The memorial is a moving testament to the heroics that occurred during the attack on the morning of December 7th, 1941, as well as to the massive loss of life.

On August 21st, 1959, Hawaii became the 50th and last State to be admitted into the United States of America.

When looking for a hotel on Oahu, you probably want to focus on the Waikiki area, although there are some nice resorts on the North Shore, most notably the Turtle Bay Beach Club. One thing to remember ... when booking a room, "Ocean-View" doesn't mean you will be on the beach. All it means is that you can see the water (even if you have to stand on the dresser and tilt your head to see it, it's still an ocean view!)

Oahu is the home to so many places that are a "must see" for visitors.

Places like: Honolulu, Pearl Harbor, Waikiki Beach, Diamond Head, Hanauma Bay, Ala Moana, the infamous North Shore, Waimea Bay, the Dole Pineapple Plantation and the Polynesian Cultural Center - to name but a few.

Things to do include all kid of water sports, from scuba diving of the Makaha coast, lobster hunting (when in season) in the rocks of the north shoreline, body surfing at Sandy Beach on the windward side of the island, and of course surfing.

If you are a beginning surfer, maybe a day of surf lessons in Waikiki will do, but for the serious thrill seekers, the winter months offer mammoth waves at Waimea Bay and the Banzai Pipeline on the North Shore. (I value my life too much to do anything more than watch!)

Fishing is one of the many hobbies one can indulge in, as well as windsailing and paragliding. Many luaus are presented for the tourists visiting the islands.

My all-time personal favorite past-time is to soak up the rays at one of the Islands many white sand beaches. Some of the ritzier hotels in Waikiki even provide room service to the beach. Here's a important reminder -- Don't forget the sunscreen!

Oahu * Maui * "Big Island" of Hawaii * Kauai * Molokai * Lanai
St Thomas * St John * St Croix * Key Largo * Key West * Puerto Rico * Guam