The ocean on Oahu really is that amazing color

Day one: A little jet-lagged, we woke up & took the bus to this lovely beach and park after breakfast. Lots of locals, runners & bikers & families and just a few tourists. Shallow, calm water. Hot dogs & hamburgers & fries & soda for sale. Across the street from the gigantic Ala Moana Center (mall).

OK, it's a little cheesy/touristy, but it's one of the least expensive places to eat that we could find & the burgers are great & staff friendly. Sit by the streetside open-air windows & you feel like you're outside.

Day Two: We went to Hanuama. We expected this place to be amazing, and it was nice, but later in the week we went snorkeling in the open ocean and the water was 1000 times clearer. Best to get there early in the morning, before the sun gets too strong & the sand gets kicked up. It's worth a visit--there's a film about reefs & reef life--but it's crowded and visibility is poor--don't let it be your only snorkeling experience. Also, the water above the reef gets very shallow in places--don't let your belly get scraped up like we did. They're closed one day a week--I think it was Tuesday when we were there--so call ahead. And don't forget to put sunscreen on your back & backs of your legs & the back of your ears. I got badly burned because I didn't reapply my sunscreen often enough. (Have you ever had sunburned backs-of-ears? Not fun.)

You can skip this. The food's not great, the show is just okay, and it costs too much--like $100 each.

Day three: drove to Kailua, kayaked out to one of the little islands. Relatively calm water, easy kayaking. Fall out of the boat, it doesn't matter. The water is crystal clear and warm. Guys at Two Good Kayaks are friendly, will help you tie the boats to your car. Reasonable prices.

Gorgeous place to kayak.

We kayaked here too. Lovely.

Day Four: Drove to the North Shore. Checked out several beaches. PipeMasters was happening (this was December) & we saw a little of the action. DEFINITELY go see the North Shore. It's a different universe than Waikiki & Honolulu & the drive there is beautiful. Make a day of it.

Gorgeous.

Don't miss it!

Good food, great drinks, on the beach. Prices more reasonable than many others on the strip. Get there in time to eat on the porch during sunset. You're right on Waikiki Beach.

Day Five: We rented mopeds and rode all over the city. By the beach, into the mountains, up to a waterfall where we hiked an hour to see the falls. We saw Chinatown & the University of Hawaii, and lots of different neighborhoods. Just lovely. Careful on the mopeds. It rains (and then gets sunny again) during the day & the streets get slick. Also, get home before rush hour. Traffic in Honolulu is a nightmare. And watch your mopeds--lock them very securely. Theft is an issue.

On the patio of a gorgeous hotel, right on the beach, is a sweet sweet beach bar w/ food. The atmosphere is very tranquil & luxe but casual. (You can go in shorts.) We ended up eating at this place three different nights (when we started running low on cash). They had excellent, filling hot sandwiches (chicken, burgers, etc) with fries, plus wings & other substantial appetizers that make a light dinner, for $10-11 or less, plus outrageously good Mai Tais & Blue Hawaiis. We had dinner for two for $30 bucks, in a setting that was paradise. Romantic, right on the water. (There's also a fancy, pricey restaurant at this lovely hotel.)

Day Six: Since we hadn't explored our front yard yet, we spent the whole day on Waikiki Beach. Kayaked, snorkeled, learned to boogie board (sort of). A little crowded, lots of bodies on the sand, and the water's very still, but it's still nice. We prefer a little more action though, wave-wise.

This is like Fifth Avenue in NYC or Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. Coach, Tiffany's, Gucci, Prada, etc. Worth checking out, even if you can't afford anything.

Day Seven:This was one of the best experiences of my life. We went out on a small boat (maybe 15 people total) to an area where dolphins are known to hang out. The captain finds the dolphins, and drops you in the water near them w/ your lifejacket & snorkel gear. This is in the open ocean & you're not allowed to touch or feed dolphins (they don't get closer to you than about 10-20 feet away anyway) but it was just amazing. We swam near them for maybe an hour or two, then went to another site & snorkeled with sea turtles & gorgeous fish. It's about $100/person & worth every single cent. It made me want to never, ever leave Oahu. The captain of our boat was born on Oahu & knew a lot about local marine life. These guys seem responsible & thoughtful about the ocean & the animals.