Heading to Honolulu for a brief vacation...

[Akikiki]

Hi David,

I hate to pay for free tix, but also am not sure how much of a risk I will be taking for the walk up tix. Does anyone have any experience re this? I'd almost rather pay a tour company $40 instead of standing in line for 2 hours with a risk that I will not get tix.

i tried the ticket website a couple of months ago and even then it reflected no advance tickets were available. Although the web site is not clear, it looks like online tix also become available at 7am the day before the desired tours. Again, does anyone out there have any insight re the probability of scoring tix through that system?

thanks to all for your suggestions!

Steve

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Akikiki, Thanks for the tip re no bags. I only recently discovered this, and it was on a private tour website. Is the parking area secure? I would think the "bad guys" would know about this policy and would target the area.

moderators - sorry for a thread that is not Tesla specific!

lawsteve, there are guards in the attractions. And the roam the parking lots. But they are not going to catch all the bad guys or prevent all the break-ins. I would not open the trunk - ever to put something in if I am going to leave the car. Put the stuff in the trunk before you get to the parking lot. Don't give the bad guys any clue you have something in the trunk. At least this is how I do it.

 

[AudubonB]

I didn't see any reference for it in these posts, so....do none of you locals recommend the aquarium (near Waikiki, I believe)? My salt-water aquarium friends tell me it's one of the very finest in the solar system.

 

[Akikiki]

I didn't see any reference for it in these posts, so....do none of you locals recommend the aquarium (near Waikiki, I believe)? My salt-water aquarium friends tell me it's one of the very finest in the solar system.

Good point. Yes, its fine. A great place to visit too. You can get so close to everything. And its near the zoo. And there's another place near there that I recommend. Inside the Pacific Beach Hotel, they have a three story aquarium. Hundreds of fish living together. Its in a very good restaurant that's worth a visit itself. Several times a day, particularly in the evening time, a scuba diver comes down inside the aquarium and feeds the fish by hand. One of my favorite places. If you are with someone having a celebration such as a birthday, tell mgt in advance and the scuba diver will bring a signboard down with the name of the person on it. Take pictures, of course.

 

[Lawsteve]

Don't give the bad guys any clue you have something in the trunk. At least this is how I do it.

I knew a girl who lived by this motto, but that's a different story for a different forum...........

 

[StephenM]

Put the stuff in the trunk before you get to the parking lot. Don't give the bad guys any clue you have something in the trunk. At least this is how I do it.

This!!
I always tell my friends from out of town to put their things in the frunk before we stop at a beach or other attraction where we will be out of sight from the car. First, thieves won't think to look for a front trunk if they do break in, and they do sometimes watch from afar so if you load them there they will see it. Unfortunately there are a LOT of break-ins, particularly with rental cars, at all of the popular tourist stops.

 

[spleen]

I didn't see any reference for it in these posts, so....do none of you locals recommend the aquarium (near Waikiki, I believe)? My salt-water aquarium friends tell me it's one of the very finest in the solar system.

I'm a salt water aquarium enthusiast too so I would say that while the Waikiki Aquarium is small in scope, it's very high quality with some very unique exhibits. Well worth seeing!

 

[Akikiki]

I'm a salt water aquarium enthusiast too so I would say that while the Waikiki Aquarium is small in scope, it's very high quality with some very unique exhibits. Well worth seeing!

Does DFS Gallery still have that walk through aquarium in Waikiki?

 

[StephenM]

Does DFS Gallery still have that walk through aquarium in Waikiki?

No. They tore that down about a year after it went up. What a waste!

 

[nanimac]

There's a fish store not too far from from the Az memorial. It's called Coral Fish. They have a pretty good selection of salt water fish so it's always fun to go look. We've gotten a bunch of our fish there. You'll probably be amazed how cheap the Hawaii fish are compared to getting them on the mainland.

 

[drtko147]

There's a fish store not too far from from the Az memorial. It's called Coral Fish. They have a pretty good selection of salt water fish so it's always fun to go look. We've gotten a bunch of our fish there. You'll probably be amazed how cheap the Hawaii fish are compared to getting them on the mainland.

Actually, Coral Fish is no longer there.

 

[nanimac]

Really? I was just there last week?

 

[drtko147]

Really? I was just there last week?

Did they move from their original location?

 

[nanimac]

Did they move from their original location?

Yes, but I think it's been a few years. They're now across from the Safeway center/elementary school on Moanalua Road.

 

[spleen]

Yes, but I think it's been a few years. They're now across from the Safeway center/elementary school on Moanalua Road.

At least 10 years in their current location. Maybe longer.

 

[nanimac]

Lawsteve, let us know as it gets closer what's a good time for you to meet next Thursday or another date/time. Hopefully at least a few of us will be able to meet you. Am thinking Nico's at Pier 38 is always a good place to meet since parking is easy.

 

[Lawsteve]

Lawsteve, let us know as it gets closer what's a good time for you to meet next Thursday or another date/time. Hopefully at least a few of us will be able to meet you. Am thinking Nico's at Pier 38 is always a good place to meet since parking is easy.

Great! We are definitely hitting Pearl Harbor that morning, but have no plans until 6 that evening. We are going to try to get an early tour time, so late afternoon should work. I hate to make it a last minute thing, but I can't go on line for the tix until 7 am the day before.

By the way, today was my first full day on Oahu and I already spotted a Tesla. We were headed up Pali Hwy today around 10:30 am and saw a silver Tesla on the way up. Turned left a couple of miles before the Pali Lookout turnoff.

also, we landed last afternoon for our ten day trip and, of course, I had a software update notice on my phone! Guess it gives me something to look forward to when I get home.

 

[StephenM]

It does appear that the memorial will reopen by next Thursday. Hopefully the back log of people that want to go don't cause too much of a logjam there (since tourists cycle through anwyway).
I agree with Nanimac on Nico's. Plenty of parking, right on the docks, good food. Let us know and I'll be there.

P.S. My wife said I would be remiss to not mention checking out the beaches along the west side of Oahu too (Yokohama's) for our first time visitors.

 

[WeazL]

The Arizona Memorial has reopened its tours.

 

[Lawsteve]

It does appear that the memorial will reopen by next Thursday. Hopefully the back log of people that want to go don't cause too much of a logjam there (since tourists cycle through anwyway).
I agree with Nanimac on Nico's. Plenty of parking, right on the docks, good food. Let us know and I'll be there.

P.S. My wife said I would be remiss to not mention checking out the beaches along the west side of Oahu too (Yokohama's) for our first time visitors.

Thanks! We did the Pali / North Shore run yesterday and I was planning to do the Hanauma Bay, Sandy Beach, etc run next week. Had not thought about the West beaches.


Way back in time when I lived here, it was a little dangerous for haole tourists in the Waianae and Nanikuli areas. Still?

 

[dsmith2189]

I agree with Nanimac on Nico's. Plenty of parking, right on the docks, good food.

Good food? did someone open a new restaurant there? Well at least it has lots of parking.:biggrin: