Waikiki

Episode 6: Waikiki (Day and Night)

Adventures on Oahu: Waikiki (VIDEO)

On episode 6 of Adventures on Oahu, we had the pleasure to walk around the most popular tourist area, Waikiki. Our crew got lots of videos and photos of Waikiki during the day and also at night. Waikīkī is a beachfront neighborhood of Honolulu. Waikiki is also home to The Honolulu Zoo and Waikiki Aquarium  Waikiki is best known for Waikīkī Beach and the Waikiki Strip. Waikiki is occupied with the lots of hotels, shops and many other stores. Waikiki is the prime spot where tourists like to visit and vacation at. 

Waikiki not only has beaches, hotels and shops but it has many statues with brief histories of Waikiki and past occurrences.

How many ABC stores did we pass while walking around in Waikiki?

We saw at least 10 ABC stores in Waikiki alone, not counting the ABC Stores at the beginning of Waikiki. ABC Store is a very popular tourist store because their products are mostly tourist arts, like aloha shirts, Hawaiian mini statues, fake flower leis and more. 

Magic Island & Ala Moana Beach Park

Episode 5: Magic Island & Ala Moana Beach Park

Adventures on Oahu: Magic Island & Ala Moana Beach (VIDEO)

On the fifth episode of Adventures on Oahu, we visited Magic Island and a portion of Ala Moana Beach. We walked around the park and just had a little fun. We also was able to go to the beach and spot some fishermen trying to get a catch. It was a nice and calm day. This is a popular party site as well as popular beach for locals and tourists to enjoy. Many wedding photos also take place on Magic Island, mostly destination groom and brides from Asia. Magic Island is a small manmade peninsula in Honolulu, Hawaii, next to Ala Moana Beach Park. It was created in 1964 as the site of a resort complex, but was subsequently converted to a park. Ala Moana Beach Park is a public park also in Honolulu, located between Waikiki and downtown Honolulu. This 100-acre park has a wide gold-sand beach that is over a half-mile long.

We walked along the path going around Magic Island. Passed many locals and tourist riding bikes and  skateboards, tourists ready to try their stand-up paddling skills and encountered the so called "Bird Man" whom many birds love to follow as he does his special dance. 

Ala Moana Beach Park is very busy and occupied with both locals and tourists trying to soak up the sun. There's fishermen, surfers, stand-up paddlers and more trying to enjoy the beautiful ocean. A lot of families set-up tents and their bbq grills to have a nice family day. Deni explained that every semester her Ilokano language club "Timpuyog" would have their semeterly piknik here at Magic Island, getting to know everyone in all levels and playing games. Magic Island and Ala Moana Beach are nice places to hangout during weekends, it can get a bit crowded but it is the heart of Honolulu and very convenient to tourists, especially when Ala Moana Center is right across the street. It's also a large place to hosts parties, but best to arrive early because parking can get hectic. 

Ala Moana Center

Episode 4: Ala Moana Center

Adventures on Oahu: Ala Mona Center (VIDEO)

  

On this episode of Adventures on Oahu, we visited a very popular tourist shopping center, the Ala Moana Center, located on 1450 Ala Moana Blvd. It is roughly 5-10 minutes away from Waikiki and is home to many brand name stores. Ala Moana was first built in 1959 and was known as the largest shopping mall when it opened. As years grew, it is now the fifteenth largest shopping mall in the United States and the largest mall in Hawaii. It is also marked as one of the largest "open-air" mall and is still gaining additions with new construction. It stands tall with 4 stories high and about 300 stores. It is one of the most widely visited malls in Oahu with it's 42 million annual visitors each year, both local and tourists. 

Our adventure at Ala Moana Center

We walked around Ala Moana Center and walked through some of the stores that were most appealing to us. We even noticed sculptures and plants that were in the ponds in the middle of the walk way. They had signs and descriptions of the certain sculpture and plants. Both Deni and Karie didn't realize such things were there until when they actually carefully looked around and took their time touring Ala Moana. As we shop, we are pretty clueless as to what's around us other than what we need to shop for or the people we're with. It was a nice experience to just enjoy Ala Moana without being on a mission to buy something. We learned a few things and even got to visit our favorite stores.  

Our favorite stores

Lego Store

One of Karie's favorite stores is the Lego Store, suite #2032 on the second floor of Ala Moana Center. She explained that it reminds her a lot of her childhool and she always love going in to see what new things they have. She even has some of the lego collections that is sold at the Lego store. It's exciting to put your imagination in use and build what you want to build with legos. You are able to put your innovations out there because you are the artist!

Forever 21

One of Deni's favorite stores is the two-story store, Forever 21, suite #1043 on the first and second floor of Ala Moana Center. Forever 21 is Deni's favorite store because it's full of clothing and she loves to shop there. Deni says that Forever 21 is always up to trend with the newest styles and seasons. She loves to see whats new and loves to shop so Forever 21 is perfect for her new outfits for school, work, going out or just hanging at the mall. She explained that the clothing is both of good quality and affordable prices. Can't go wrong with looking cute and being budget friendly. 

Other Ala Moana Stores We Visited

The Disney Store 

Karie just loved Belle's dress in the Disney store 

so she had to have a photo with it.. hehehehe

Microsoft or Apple?

Deni and Karie prefers Apple when it comes to
choosing a cell-phone.
Bryan over-all prefers Apple.
Jessica also prefers Apple over Microsoft.

Deni prefers Microsoft when it comes to her laptop.
Karie likes Microsoft as well as Apple

Shirokiya 

 We were also able to eat lunch at Shirokiya! Deni and
Karie tried the takoyaki and they both said "IT WAS DELICIOUS!"

Bishop Museum

Episode 3: Bishop Museum

Adventures on Oahu: Bishop Museum (VIDEO)

On our third episode of Adventures on Oahu, we visited The Bernice Pauahi Museum located in the Kalihi district of the Island. Bishop Museum was founded in 1889 by Charles Reed Bishop in honor of his late wife, Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop, the last descendant of the royal Kamehameha family. It is designated the Hawai'i State Museum of Natural and Cultural History. We toured around the museum and went into the different exhibits. The different exhibits they have are the Hawaiian Hall, Pacific Hall, Abigail Kinoiki Kekaulike Kahili Room, Scream Machines, Nature's Wonders and Richard T. Mamiya Science Adventure Center. For more information about Bishop Museum, visit their website at .www.bishopmuseum.org. 

Exhibits and brief information

Scream Machines

The Scream Machines exhibit it held from September 27, 2014 to January 11, 2015 on the first floor of the Castle Memorial Building. The Scream Machines explore the science of roller coasters. Through a fun and interactive experience, visitors are able to get a look at how roller coasters work. You are able to sit in a roller coaster seat and ride a simulator to feel as if you were on a real roller coaster. There are 5 different roller coaster views of the world's greatest roller coasters. 

What Bryan thought about the roller coaster simulator

"I didn't think it would move the way it did...Great simulator exhibit."

Hawaiian Hall

The Hawaiian Hall is three stories high and fill with the different realms of Hawai'i. The first floor takes you to the realm of Kai Akea, representing the Hawaiian Gods, legends, beliefs and the world of Hawai'i before contact to anything outside of Hawai'i. The second floor takes you to the realm of Wao Kanaka, where people live and work. The second floor focuses on the importance of the land and nature in daily life. The third floor is realm of Wao Lani, inhabited by the gods, focuses on the ali'i and key moments of Hawaiian history. Here at the Hawaiian Hall are many artifacts held in glass cases to preserve the relics. The lighting is very dim which makes it more sentimental. A large whale, half skeleton and half normal is held on the roof. 

Pacific Hall

In the Pacific Hall, in the same building as the Hawaiian Hall, visitors can explore Moananuiakea, the expanse of Oceania. It is a two story gallery that encounters the family of the Pacific on the first floor, which is filled with cultural treasures such as model canoes, woven mats, contemporary artwork and videos of Pacific scholars. And the origins and migrations of Pacific peoples on the second floor, where there are fields of archaeology, oral traditions and linguistics. 

Richard T. Mamiya Science Adventure Center

The Science Adventure Center is a 16,500 square-foot building that provides exhibits that are immersive and interactive. It comes with a strong emphasis on better understanding Hawai'is environment. Visitors explore areas of science in Hawai'is cutting edge research such as volcanology, oceanography and biodiversity.