Oahu is the third biggest island in Hawaii, but the most interesting and fun of any of them. According to the weather.com, the average year round temperature is 83 degrees, and it rains a warm mist almost every day. (Weather.com) I have been to Hawaii twice. Once in 3th grade and once 2 summers ago. Both times I stayed on Hickam Air Force Base, because my uncle is a colonel in the Air Force. By the end of this speech, you should want to go on hotwire and book a trip to Oahu right away! The south shore is up the alley of tourists looking for the typical Hawaii experience. Waikiki, a major city in Oahu, is home to the first hotel in Hawaii (hawaiifunfacts.com), and also is the most American part of the island. Hotels, beaches, and restaurants alike are meant for tourists. Surfboard stands are available on the beach and are rented by the hour. One hotel, the Moana Surfrider Hotel, even has its own zoo attached! Iron Chef Marimoto owns his own restaurant called Marimoto. It was really fancy. It had seaweed growing inside the glass tables. The sushi I ordered was made from tuna caught that day and seaweed that washed up on the nearby beach. Pearl Harbor also offers many tourist attractions.
The USS Arizona, a battleship sunk during the attack on Pearl Harbor, is open to see, with a monument observing the dead. The USS Missouri, where World War II was officially ended is another tourist attraction. Take tours of this magnificent battleship permanently parked in Pearl Harbor. Both of these activities are advertised by thingstodoinhawaii.com. The USS Bowfin, the submarine that sunk the most ships of any, is now floating in Pearl Harbor, serving as a constant reminder of the obvious toll of World War II on Oahu. The East shore was my favorite side of the island. Makapu’u beach is a cove with 10-20 foot waves that are perfect for boogie boarding and surfing. Broken neck beach gained its reputation for 10 foot waves crashing onto one foot of water, resulting in broken necks. You aren’t really supposed to go on it, but some people like the thrill. Also, wind surfing is very popular on the east side, since the trade winds blow on this side.
That is why the East shore is known as the windward side of the island, according to hawaiifunfacts.com. Although the east shore is fun, it is the poorer side, and there are a lot of homeless people. The West shore is home to resorts, waterparks, and other private retreats. According to Disney.resorts.com, Disney owns a resort called Aulani. This resort has public lagoons that I snorkeled at. There I saw a manta ray, a barracuda, and the state fish, the humahumanukanukaapuaa. The East side is the richer side. A mansion was up for sale, and I took a flyer. The house ended up being 7 million dollars. The North Shore is a great way to end your shore, as there are things to do for every type of person. For a calm end to your journey, check out the north shore turtles and chill with them on the beach. You can feed them seaweed while they calmly surround you. However, a wave crashed one into me, and it cut my leg right open. For the daring soul, try surfing on 30+ foot waves. They are perfect for some hardcore surfing with the Haleiwa surfer girls, legends of the North shore. For an exciting and dizzying experience, go deep sea fishing. I caught an 80 lb. mahi mahi, and my dad caught a whopping 385 lb tuna, which took him two and a half hours to reel in. Take Dramamine and don’t eat anything, because 10 hours of 30 foot waves is incredibly taxing on the stomach. I like roller coasters and everything, but I got sick once. Others on the boat were consistently leaning over the side of the boat. On the drive to the North Shore, be sure to stop at Dole Pineapple Plantation, and Giovanni’s Shrimp truck, and Matsumoto Shave Ice. Dole’s is home to the world’s largest maze, and it’s made completely out of pineapples, courtesy of doleplantation.com Giovanni’s Shrimp Truck catches shrimp from the north shore and fries them up in front of you. They were the best shrimp I have ever had. Matsumoto has over 30 flavors, including black beans and warm milk, all to put on shave ice, according to matsumoto.com. In conclusion, if you don’t want to go to Hawaii after this, then you need to cheer up. There is a lot to do for all styles, whether it is sitting on a warm beach, surfing on enormous waves, ore eating amazing exotic food. My favorite shore was the North shore because it combines wildlife, food, and action. Oahu is my favorite place in the whole world. You will probably say the same thing if you go there, too!