I’ve been to Honolulu several times over the years and my wife had been there once, many years ago. Our two adult children had not. So I broke my general rule about not visiting the same place twice. There are certain iconic Honolulu destinations that every tourist simply must see. I would feel bad if the kids didn’t get to experience some of those places so I made an exception this time. But I also reserved the right to add some new ones too.
Diamond Head (Revisited)
For instance, take Diamond Head, the famous volcanic caldera towering along Honolulu’s flank (map). This was actually my third visit. I even posted some video footage and photos as recently as 2023. So here I was again, climbing the trail, trekking through the tunnels, climbing over the old military batteries, and admiring the panoramic view. I think the kids appreciated it too, although maybe not the uphill part of the hike.
Visiting was more complicated than I recalled because I was with a Hawaiian resident last time. Residents don’t need reservations and they can enter the park whenever they like. Not true for the rest of us. I had to go online and book a slot and pay for parking. It wasn’t a big deal but it added another step. Then we had to tweak our morning around traffic and distance to hit a predetermined arrival window.
Waikiki Beach
Then we drove down to Waikiki Beach (map) as lunchtime approached. Again, not a fan of the crowds or the traffic or the beach, but willing to accommodate so others can experience a famous place. By some small miracle, we actually found street parking. I’ll never win the lottery but I always seem to catch these minor, almost insignificant victories. So there we were, parked in the heart of Waikiki, and I appreciated the convenience.
We had a nice leisurely lunch with an ocean view and afterwards the kids said that was enough of Waikiki for one lifetime, they didn’t need to see any more. I’ve stayed at Waikiki before. It’s fine. I think they were just being contrary.
Honolulu Zoo
Well, the real reason we stopped at Waikiki was the Honolulu Zoo which was right there too (map). Parking wasn’t an option at the surface lot, in fact cars circled like a pack of hungry sharks. So I appreciated our street parking even more because I didn’t even need to move the car any closer.
Long time readers know that the older kid has undergraduate degrees in Zoology and Entomology. I’ve mentioned countless zoos I’ve visited over the years because this will always be added to the list.
Yes it was another zoo. It featured all the usual animals plus a few endemic to Hawaii. I’m not sure I have much more to add. It’s not my joy but I’m happy enough to tag along. One time we took a road trip and visited six zoos in a single week. That was a bit much. I don’t think I’ll do that again but visiting just one was totally acceptable.
The Skyline
We stayed way out in the suburbs for reasons I’ll describe momentarily. Our hotel was actually near one of The Skyline stations, Honolulu’s elevated light rail system. Honolulu has a horrible traffic problem as anyone who has ever driven there will say. Gridlock is common on its highways and rush hours are particularly fierce. So I give the city a lot of credit for trying to provide a light rail solution.
However, the operative word is “trying” because it hasn’t fulfilled the promise yet. They decided to build from the outer suburbs towards the city, which seems backwards to me. I’m sure there were reasons but as a result it doesn’t go anywhere useful. They did finish a segment to the airport recently although it doesn’t extend to downtown Honolulu, which will take several more years. Consequently The Skyline sees very few passengers, just 9,200 per weekday in the first quarter of 2026.
Nonetheless I knew I had to ride The Skyline because I saw it pass our hotel throughout the day on its elevated track and I was curious. We went to lunch one day and the restaurant happened to be near the Hoaeae (West Loch) Station in Waipahu (map). We were staying out near Keone’ae (UH–West), two stations up the line. By the way, all stations have two names, one Hawaiian and one English.
The wife and younger kid drove back to the hotel. Me and the older one took The Skyline. The ride was fine, even enjoyable. Unfortunately, the stations were encased within a car dependent layout. They were difficult to reach on foot and somewhat dangerous given the massive stroads, turn lanes, and drivers not expecting pedestrians. You have to be pretty dedicated to use it.
I’m still glad I rode it.
Hawaiian Railway Society
Maybe I needed more trains because we also visited the Hawaiian Railway Society in Ewa Beach (map). I’m not exactly sure how to pronounce this location but it’s not how it looks. I do know it’s not ee-wuh, for sure. Wikipedia suggests something like EH-vah. Anyway we were staying out near Ewa Beach and this was nearby.
They operate an open air excursion train mostly on the weekends (and at least once midweek). The train chugs along at a leisurely 15 mph (24 kph) on a narrow gauge out to Kahe Point Beach, turns around, stops at Ko Olina for a snack break, and then returns to Ewa. Some of the track runs through scrubland, some through suburb, and some through genuinely scenic oceanfront. It’s really more about the ride and the experience than the scenery though. It helps to be a train nerd.
The narrator described how the railroad served local sugar plantations long before statehood, pointed out various landmarks, and discussed preservation efforts. The whole thing lasted a couple of hours.
Laule’a Half Marathon
We were staying in this part of Oahu to be near the start/finish line of the Laule’a Half Marathon (map). It began stupid-early in the morning and we didn’t want to drive a long way half asleep in the dark. My quest to capture Hawaii’s smallest county failed spectacularly but my wife’s quest to run a half-marathon in Hawaii succeeded brilliantly.
Hawaii is a tropical paradise, with perfect beach weather all year long. Unfortunately, it’s not so wonderful for long-distance running. The race began at the crack of dawn before it got too hot. I did pretty good — second place in my old man age group. My wife also finished and now needs only four more states to complete all fifty. That may happen in November, fingers crossed.
The first leg of this out-and-back was easy enough, heading out to the turnaround point on a scenic beach. The second half got a lot more difficult as the sun rose above the treeline. Hot. No shade. Stifling humidity. The course included a water stop nearly every mile so I give them credit for understanding the conditions. Running in Hawaii is tough.
Honolulu Airport
I might as well round out the article with the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu, simply for the sake of completeness (map). I featured all the other Hawaiian airports we used on this trip so I figured I should show this one too. It has a pretty backdrop. Otherwise it’s just another large airport like anywhere else.
On to the next article.
See Also: The Complete Photo Album on Flickr.
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