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The attractions and activities in the island paradise of Oahu, Hawaii cannot all be listed here. I lived in Honolulu for a year and came away still wishing I had seen this or done that. It is an island with an old and rich cultural history that beckons to travelers as much as the pristine beaches and modern hotels.

Perhaps the biggest attractions are the sun and surf and the tantalizing illusions we conjure up in our minds of romance in a tropical paradise. You can find these here but there is so much more to see and do. Come with me as I retrace some of my steps in Oahu.

Breakfast in Waikiki
Start your day in Waikiki at a small sidewalk cafe with some home grown Kona Coffee. Hawaiian coffee is know the world over for its distinct flavor. Try some fresh fruit with this or have a surfer's breakfast of rice, steak, eggs and beans.

Polynesian Cultural Center
After this hearty breakfast go to the Polynesian Cultural Center and tour the villages of an era long gone. You might even catch a canoe pageant and you will definitely learn how all of the Polynesian people differed in their lives.

Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor is the most visited site in Oahu. There you will see films of that fateful day and visit The USS Arizona Memorial that honors the American fighting men who gave their lives on December 7, 1941.

Punch Bowl Crater
Punch Bowl Crater is names this because it does resemble a large bowl in its shape. Here are buried 35,000 WWII Soldiers.

Beaches
Tired from all the walking? Hit one of the beautiful beaches of Oahu and sip on a blue Hawaiian shaved ice. The combination, of warm sun caressing your skin, trade winds blow through your hair, white sand trickling between your toes and the waves singing their song is beyond compare. Just be sure not to step on a washed up jellyfish, their sting is painful.

Touring the North Shore coastline
A slow sunny day spent driving the coastline will excite the most seasoned of travelers. Watch the whales splashing a short way off the coastline. The air is so clear you can see them plainly, as they slap the water with their tails.

You may happen upon a blowhole worn in the lava by a thousand waves that have ended here. The water shoots high into the air as each new wave arrives and sends a cold shower over all who chance to come near.

If you arrive in the early part of January, you may witness the international set as they flock to Sandy Beach to ride some of the largest waves in the world. Because of the extreme shore break there are many accidents

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