First of all....26 DAYS AND COUNTING!!!!!

Anyway, We are going to be in Oahu for 5 nights in the middle of October. We were planning to visit Pearl Harbor on our first full day there. We aren't renting a Car except for a day to drive to the north shore. We were thinking of getting a car for that first day, going to Pearl Harbor early (maybe 7 am or so) then on to explore the North Shore and maybe make it to the Polynesian Culteral Center in time to look around a bit and catch the night show. Does that sound like too much for one day? We will have time available to schedule the North Shore and PCC for another day if this is too much. Whatcha think? Any help is greatly appreciated!!

scdvr219, if you're visiting from the West coast, I think you could manage that if you must; if coming from the East coast, I think it would be much too tiring on your first full day. In any case, if I were you, I would allow more time than that to explore the North shore and outside Honolulu/Waikiki..... I would get a car for at least two days! Have a wonderful trip!

Actually, if you are coming from the east coast getting up the first day in Hawaii to get to Pearl Harbor early will not be an issue. With the 5 hour time difference, your body will be on east coast time and you will likely be awake at 4 AM looking for something to do. I suggest an early breakfast (maybe head to Leonard's Bakery for some hot malasadas and coffee) before heading to Pearl. There is also an excellent and very inexpensive pancake house just past Pearl Harbor where we ate the morning of our visit. If I recall correctly, they opened at 6 AM and were in the small strip mall right near the McDonalds. Wish I could recall the name of the place. Enjoy!

Do you have to pre-pay for the PCC show or just show up? I think your plan is workable but it may be a long day.

If you haven't paid for PCC in advance though, you could just give it a pass if you finish the north shore and are too tired.

Check out the packages if you come back another day..I've had friends say the PCC with bus transport is not much more expensive than just the tickets. It would save a second car rental and you won't have the looong drive home late at night. It is a dark and winding road.

MileKing, I agree that being up early for Pearl Harbor would be easy if the poster is from the East coast, but I was thinking about the long day that scdvr219 had planned AFTER Pearl Harbor when I said I thought it might be too tiring.

Icuy has a good idea there....... when we did PCC, we took a bus/tour from our Waikiki hotel so we didn't need to worry about driving back late at night, and it was very reasonably priced!

You can make a nice trip out of it, after pearl harbor drive straight north across the island into haleiwa and check out the town, then head across the north shore to the east. Be sure to stop at pipeline and watch the surfers. You won't see it from the street, but there will be an elemntary school on your right with a bunch of cars parked on the coast hwy, a beach park/parking lot on the left. You'll see loads of cars and surfers. You'll know you're there.

Winter time on the north shore. the best surf and the best surfers in the world. bring a camera. Pipe breaks on a shallow reef close to shore and is often in the 10 foot range in the winter. (although it can get up to 15 and 20 feet if theres a good swell. Good place to bring lunch and relax on your trip.

you can keep heading east and work your way all the way back around the island. Have fun!

If all you're going to do on your drive to the north shore is to stop, take a few pictures, do a little shopping in Haleiwa, your plan will work.

However, if you plan to go to the beach, hike, horse back ride, etc., I'd save it for another day.