Aloha, Oahu! What It’s Like for First Timers

Hello, it’s Brian & Rhonda here. We have been wanting to make a trek out west for years now and we finally got our travel westward adventure off to a good start!

It all started on a sleepy Monday morning at the tail end of June, when we took off on our first-ever adventure to Hawaii. It’s a trip that we always put off for one reason or another. This time all the stars aligned perfectly.

With the Fourth of July holiday approaching and our belated 35th wedding anniversary from early June to celebrate, we planned a tropical getaway just for the two of us to the Aloha state and was it ever a good time with perfect weather and a lot of tropical beauty.

Spoiler alert: Oahu didn’t just meet expectations — it danced the hula on them, threw in a lei, and handed us a Dole Whip on top.

Chapter 1: The Journey Begins

We flew Southwest Airlines, departing bright and early at 6:00 a.m. from Nashville International Airport (BNA). It was a long haul — over 12 hours including a quick 45-minute layover in Las Vegas.

And yes, we squeezed in a little slot machine action without ever leaving the airport. Consider it our tiny Vegas honeymoon before the main Hawaiian course.

We’d been warned about the jet lag that hits when flying from the Mid-South to Hawaii, and honestly… they weren’t kidding. It personally took me 3-4 days to get back on track.

In the approach to Honolulu, we were tired but so excited to see the coastline of Oahu as we tried to locate Diamond Head and Pearl Harbor from the air.

But arriving in Honolulu and being met with colorful flower leis from our private chauffeur melted our fatigue faster than the ice in a piña colada.

Hilton Hawaiian Village: Where Rainbows and Luxury Collide

Our home for the week? The iconic Hilton Hawaiian Village — specifically, the Rainbow Tower, perched directly on Waikiki Beach with a sweeping view of Diamond Head. We booked a corner room on the 20th floor with not one, but two terraces. The elevator had no buttons inside (you choose your floor beforehand), and it zipped up faster than a ukulele solo.

From up there, the Pacific Ocean sparkled like a postcard come to life.

We stared out at the surfers below, amazed at how blue the water was — a totally different hue from our usual Florida coast haunts.

It was only 1:30 p.m. local time when we arrived, but our stomachs insisted it was dinnertime. We headed down to grab a cheeseburger and a beer from one of the resort bars. The damage? A cool $109. Yep, you read that right. Suddenly we understood the island’s deep love for SPAM as a primary meat source.

Note to self: Next time, check if this place is on the SAVE CLUB deals listing and dodge that wallet whooping tropical expense.

First Explorations and Fireworks Forecast

After lunch, we wandered the resort’s gardens, waterfalls, koi ponds, and shops. The Hilton Hawaiian Village is practically a mini theme park — with nightly live music, multiple pools, and enough dining options to make your head spin.

Speaking of the nights. I’m not sure when everyone goes to sleep at this resort because it seems there was always something going on every hour on the hour.

We found out that every Friday night, the resort hosts a fireworks show for guests and locals alike. And since our Friday fell on July 4th, it was going to be extra epic. Bonus: the best view in the house? Right from our private balconies.

That first night we crashed early, lulled to sleep by jet lag and ocean waves — only to wake up at 3:00 a.m. to heartbreaking news from back home. Our sweet family dog, Paisley, had passed away. She had been my shadow for almost 9 years. In the midst of our tropical paradise, grief washed over me like a wave.

But then I remembered the Rainbow Bridge poem and the coincidence of staying in the Rainbow Tower… seeing surfers that evening, just like the Paisley AI graphic I once made of her surfing… it felt like more than coincidence. It felt like aloha in its purest form — love, loss, and the promise of reunion.

Day Two: Kona Coffee, Ube Syrup, and Waikiki Beach Vibes

We kicked off the morning with a breakfast feast: Kona Coffee from the Big Island, range-free eggs, and pancakes with Ube syrup — a velvety purple drizzle made from Filipino purple yam. Ube is mellow, sweet, and addictive. The pancakes were also topped with freshly crushed Hawaiian Macadamia nuts too!

If you’re wondering, is that a Bloody Mary drink and a side of SPAM that I’m pointing to in that photo? Why Yes — yes, it is. I actually think that was the first time I had some Spam since I was nine years old.

Fun fact: Ube isn’t the same as a purple sweet potato. It’s smoother, more dessert-like, and often found in jams, drinks, and pastries. Its cousin, the Okinawan sweet potato, leans more starchy and earthy. Both are delicious — but we gave the flavor trophy to Ube this time.

Then it was off to the beach! Waikiki’s sand is browner than Florida’s sugar-white Gulf sands, but still beautiful. A local guide later told us that some of it had been imported from California years ago. Is that true? We’ll let you Google it. But the palm trees? Royal and Coconut palms galore.

Are there really wild chickens, cats and wild hogs running around loose all over the island of Oahu? Yep. You would think that there would also be lots of wild monkeys and snakes too, but that’s certainly not the case here.

While Rhonda was walking up from the surf to our chairs after a quick dip in the Pacific, a massive tsunami siren blasted across the island. Panic! Until someone said it’s just a monthly test. Welcome to Hawaii, where even the emergencies are on island time.

Luau Life and Island Lore

That night, we attended our first-ever Hawaiian Luau. Picture a massive feast with Kalua pork, Lomi-Lomi salmon, taro rolls, and coconut everything — all set to live hula dancing, tiki torches, and the hypnotic rhythm of island drums.

We didn’t make it to the full-day Polynesian Cultural Center Luau (which we hear is the best), but the local one we attended felt just right — relaxed, authentic, and full of aloha spirit.

We also discovered that Hawaiian weddings are EVERYWHERE. Barefoot brides in flower crowns? Absolutely magical. Pork, pineapple and umbrella drinks were everywhere. The Mai Tai cocktails were incredible. It seemed like the Flaming Volcano was the most popular. This is regarded as a Tiki cocktail made with rum, brandy, orange juice, pineapple juice, lemon juice, and almond syrup.

Island Excursions: Pineapples, Waterfalls, and Movie Magic

We set off one day to tour Oahu’s North Shore, famous for its massive winter swells (up to 20 feet high!) and championship surf contests. That day, the waves were mellow — but the local charm was turned up to 11.

Our stops included:

• Dole Plantation for an inspiring historical look at early pineapple production in Hawaii. Yes, pineapples on Hawaii taste incredibly different and more delicious than on the mainland. Complete your visit here with the sweet, frosty refreshment known as Dole Whip (it’s the best treat of the day indeed!)

• We also took a swim beneath a hidden waterfall deep inside a botanical garden
  at Waimea Falls Park on Oahu. It features a breathtaking 30 ft waterfall. It is located within Waimea Valley, a unique Hawaiian botanical garden. The park is a popular destination for nature lovers and adventure seekers alike.

• Views from Pali Lookout, where rain seemed to fall in slow motion over lush green valleys
• Coastal towns bursting with Japanese, Polynesian, and Chinese cultural influence. We stopped once at a makeshift roadside Farmers market that offered a wide variety of local tropical fruits, vegetables, honey, macadamia nuts and other native foods.

• The Apple Bananas and Blue Ice Cream Bananas were quite delicious!

We also passed by Kualoa Ranch, where movies like Jurassic Park, 50 First Dates, and the series Lost were filmed. If you’re a movie buff, Oahu is one giant film set waiting to be explored.

Around the same area we got to see the little coconut palm island off the coast that was often the establishing shot for Gilligan’s Island episodes.

Coming back to our resort area in Honolulu, we even saw the marina where the SS Minnow set out on its “three-hour tour” in Gilligan’s Island. Of course, the huge majority of the taping of that program, even the lagoon was at a select sound stage in California.

Pearl Harbor: History That Hits the Heart

Our most anticipated stop was the Pearl Harbor National Memorial, including the USS Arizona Memorial. The experience was sobering, powerful, and deeply emotional.

The museum was filled with timelines, photos, artifacts, and stories from all sides. You can actually board and tour the USS Missouri, where the formal surrender that ended WWII was signed, and although we ran out of time to tour the ship, just seeing it was surreal.

We also got to see in harbor the USS Bowfin, a WWII-era submarine known as the “Pearl Harbor Avenger.”

Launched exactly one year after the attack, it became a symbol of resilience and strength. The sense of reverence in that place — unforgettable.

My father served in the Army Air Corps during WWII stationed in Texas when the war broke out. My mother, living on a Kansas farm at the time, married my father in 1944. As I stood over the harbor, I thought about them and the world they lived in when all of this happened. It was heavy, and beautiful.

Shopping, Souvenirs, and Duke’s on the Beach

Before wrapping up our week, I made it a mission to find Rhonda a pair of gorgeous Hawaiian pearl earrings — we are near Pearl Harbor after all. There were so many choices from freshwater peals to saltwater pearls. We found the perfect set. We loved them so much, we bought another pair for our daughter.

Shopping success! And yes, SAVE CLUB made those prices in all those boutiques we visited all week long feel a whole lot less expensive for sure.

One of our favorite meals was at Duke’s Waikiki, a legendary beach bar and grill named after Hawaii’s most famous surfer, Duke Kahanamoku.

Sitting barefoot just steps from the waves, sipping cocktails, watching surfers do their thing — this is the Hawaii you see in movies.

Duke once rode a wave for over a mile here. From our table, we could practically feel his spirit riding that same wave. And you’ll never forget that view: Diamond Head in the distance, outrigger canoes bobbing in turquoise water, and the smell of salt and sunscreen in the air.

BOOM… Wait, That’s It?! The Waikiki Fourth of July Firework Surprise

If you’re headed to Oʻahu over the Fourth of July, chances are you’ve heard that Waikiki Beach is the place to be for fireworks. And honestly? It’s hard to argue with that. Fireworks erupting with Diamond Head looking on, with Pacific waves crashing along the sand, and the silhouettes of coconut palm trees dancing in the twilight—it’s the kind of stuff postcards and dream vacations are made of. At least… that’s what we thought.

This year, we planned the big evening down to the last detail. Our room on the 20th floor of the Rainbow Tower at the Hilton Hawaiian Village had dual balconies, giving us views in both directions. Talk about front-row seats! We stocked up on drinks, hors d’oeuvres, charged our new GoPro, and cued up the perfect playlist.

As the sun dipped behind the ocean, the beach crowds swelled like a living tide. It was electric. You could feel the buzz. Then… it started.

Boom. Pop. Sparkle. It was spectacular—for exactly ten minutes. Yep. Ten. A jaw-dropping aerial show, yes, but over almost as soon as it began. And just like that, the crowd below started shuffling away, just as quickly as they had gathered.

We were stunned. We had planned our entire week around this night. And while those ten minutes were gorgeous, it felt like a buildup to a Broadway show that turned out to be a TikTok clip.

The next day, a friendly local tour guide gave us the inside scoop: New Year’s Eve is where the real fireworks action happens in Honolulu. Thanks to the Chinese influence, the celebrations are longer, louder, and light up the sky across the entire island. Add in the Japanese contributions during the Obon and Lantern Floating events, and you’ll find several moments throughout the year when the skies truly put on a show.

That said, the Waikiki Fourth of July fireworks still offer a breathtaking experience—especially if you know what to expect. If you’re after a big bang in a short time, this show delivers. But if you’re looking for length and tradition, plan for December 31st or Memorial Day’s Lantern Floating at Ala Moana Beach Park.

So was it worth it? Yes… just don’t blink—or you’ll miss it. And maybe bring some extra sparklers for your own encore.

Sunset Strolls & Soft Goodbyes: A Waikiki Walk to Remember

As our magical week on Oʻahu began to wind down, we saved one of the simplest—and most meaningful—moments for the second-to-last night: a romantic sunset walk along Waikiki Beach. No reservations, no schedule, no distractions. Just the sound of the ocean, the soft glow of golden hour, and the two of us, hand in hand, taking it all in.

The beach had quieted from the day’s bustle, and we found ourselves stealing kisses between waves, laughing at the way the sand squished between our toes, and stopping every few steps to capture the sunset’s ever-changing colors. The sky melted from tangerine to rose to yellow orange as if Hawaii itself was saying goodbye in slow motion.

We paused to write our initials in the sand, circling them with a heart like a couple of teenagers in love. It was a moment that pulled us out of the whirlwind of sightseeing and let us reconnect—talking about our families, the memories we’d made this week, and where life might take us next.

There’s something about Hawaii that slows time just enough for those big conversations to unfold naturally.

Throughout the week, we’d been on tour buses, walked the shopping district of Honolulu, hiked the trails of botanical gardens, stood at Pearl Harbor, sipped on Mai Tai’s while listening to live music, and discovered hidden treasures tucked-away in countless shops and boutiques. Every day felt like a new adventure. But this evening was different—it was peaceful, grounding, and deeply personal.

As we turned back toward our hotel, watching the torches flicker along the shoreline path, we began to talk about our next trip back to the islands. Maybe Maui. Maybe the Big Island. But definitely someday. The warmth, the spirit of aloha, and the memories we created have carved a permanent place in our hearts.

We were ready to go home, back to our family and friends, with stories to tell and hearts full of gratitude. Aloha, Hawaii—you were everything we hoped for and more. Until next time.

Our Goodbye: ALOHA Oahu, Planes, Rainstorms, and 35 Wakeful Hours

We left late on Sunday night, our hearts full and our suitcases stuffed with Hawaiian chocolates, souvenir shirts, and island memories. But the adventure wasn’t over yet.

Just as we were approaching Nashville, the pilot announced that BNA Airport was shut down due to severe thunderstorms. We circled… and circled… until the fuel warning light came on and we had to divert to St. Louis for a quick “gas-and-go.”

By the time we finally touched down in Nashville, drove home, and shared our trip stories with family, we calculated we’d been awake for over 34 hours. Pro tip: avoid flying home on a holiday weekend unless you want an extra chapter in your travel story.

Would We Do It Again?

Without hesitation: YES.

Oahu showed us its heart, its flavors, its waves, and its stories — and it stole a piece of ours in return.

From the smiles of the locals to the beauty of the landscapes, from firework-lit skies to the quiet tears under the rainbow, this island gave us more than a vacation. It gave us connection — to nature, to history, to each other.

A hui hou kākou — until we meet again.

ALOHA!