Oahu- xmas break
 

Spending a week in Oahu with hubby and 2 teenagers. Staying in a condo in the North Shore area. I have some activties that need your comments in order to plan well for the week.
Fishing?Any recommendations on chartering boats
Pearl Harbor? When is a good day/time of day to go so it isn't so crowded?
New Year's Eve? Where can we go to have a good time with teenagers?

If there is anything you recommend for a week on the island, please share.

Thanks so much!!!!!

We LOVED our kayak trip out of Kailua (Kailua Sailboard).

Didn't have kayaking on my radar. Now I definitely do. Thanks for the info.

Any other recommendations?????

I love Oahu, and saw your post. But I only know the Waikiki/Honolulu area so can't really help with the North Shore.

Time of day to go to Pearl Habor for when it isn't so crowded, is first thing in the morning (I know only from reading forums and guidebooks, I have not been yet myself).

Where you could go to have a 'good time with teenagers' is into Waikiki, but that'd really be a day trip from the North Shore, not someplace you'd just drive for dinner or anything. Anyway one day in Waikiki, maybe on a Saturday so you could go to the big Farmers Market. Surf lessons, hike DiamondHead, etc.

Love it....I am not limited to just the north shore. We are renting a car and hope to be spending most of our time out and about.

I have heard the same thing about Pearl Harbor--early is better.

Didn't think of the farmer's market. That's on my list now.

Surf lessons for the girls would be fantastic.

Thanks for the recommendations....Keep them coming!!!

At the risk of sounding like a cheerleader, "Fodor's Oahu 3rd edition" is a pretty good guidebook :-) if you don't have it yet.

Here's the link to Kailua Sailboards. We took the 4-hour guided tour. See the picture at the bottom of the page - it actually looks like that!!

http://kailuasailboards.com/kayaking.html#kayaking

Lots of info:

http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...trip-to-hi.cfm

Thank you for the links.

Make sure you research the Pearl Harbor ticketing process. If I recall correctly, they give out numbers early. I got up early from our our Waikiki hotel to get in line for tickets which were good for a later time in the day-I'm told they do run out of tickets which would be a big bummer if you're coming from the North Shore. We were there last February with 15 and 12 year old boys and the thing they remember most/best was our hike up Diamond head and we did and saw everything! Such a fun island - I hadn't been there in years - you will have a blast.

There are some great museums: Academy of Art, War Museum, Bishop Museum is outstanding. Iolani Palace and Emma's Summer Palace are fun to tour. The Aquarium is very interesting. We always visit Byodo-in Temple, a very beautiful place on the Windward side of the island. Haven't been to the zoo in years, but you might enjoy going.

Go to Honolulu Hale (city hall) on S. King St.

They have a really nice Christmas display outside Honolulu Hale. Also a Christmas tree & wreath display inside Honolulu Hale.

Goes through about 1st weekend in January.

This was eight or nine years ago, but for what it's worth, I went to Pearl Harbor in the late morning and the line had died down. I seem to remember the guy at the ticket counter telling me that the line was much longer earlier that morning. I don't know if that was a fluke or the norm.

There is not much of a line anymore to get the tickets.

Those arriving on a tour get their tickets earlier. They just walk in just before their tour starts. They don't stand in line anymore.

On occasion you can just walk up in the afternoon & get tickets.

But most times tickets are all given out by noon. Sometimes they are all given out by 9am.

Get there early & get your tickets. Then you'll know how much time you have before the tour starts.

Depending how much time you have, you can visit other museums or leave & come back.

You can also request tickets for a certain time instead of the next available tour.

For example, if you get there at 8am & the next available tour for tickets is noon, you can ask for tickets for later if you want to leave U& come back.

I lived on the North Shore and some of my favorite things are: Teds bakery (must get the chocolate haupia pie) and Kahuku Grill (awesome burgers) Both on Kam highway very close and easy to get to. Hawaii Beach Time ( hawaiibeachtime.com ) is a beach equipment rental company they have chairs, coolers, volleyball nets, kayaks, surfboards etc... They deliver to anywhere on the island, very affordable too. They can even give you beach recommendations (waimea, is a personal fav.) I think that is a great option for your family. Your kids and you and your husband can enjoy the beach this way.