Best of Oahu

As I was laying on the beach this morning, I was thinking about how I should put together a list of my favorite things here on the island.  Of course, the list will evolve as I experience more of Oahu, but I thought I'd put it together with what I've got now.

Best Activities:

• Kayaking: You can rent these through MWR (if you are military/know someone who is) for pretty cheap.  It's easy, a good workout, and tons of fun.
• Snorkeling: There are tons of tropical fish pretty much no matter where you go, and plenty of green sea turtles. 
• Hiking: I've only been once so far--Manoa Falls.  Beautiful and fun; definitely looking forward to going more!
• Jetskiing: I just went for the first time, and it was amazing!
• Parasailing: Again, I went for the first time.  It's peaceful and a cool way to see the island.
• Swimming
• Playing Football on the Beach
• Photography: I'm going to get a digital SLR while here.  So many beautiful sights.
• Paradise Cove Luau: Dinner, drinks, and a show for less than $70.
• Pearl Harbor Historic Sites: USS Arizona, Missouri, and Bowfin.

Best Beaches:

• Bellows Beach: The sand is like powdered sugar, the surf is gentle and clear blue, there are gorgeous views of the outlying islands, and the military amenities are fantastic.
• Waialua: My local public beach is a two minutes' walk, uncrowded, and I see green sea turtles every single time I go.
• White Plains Beach: Formerly a military only beach, now open to the public, but it still offers great rentals for the military.  The only downfall is how crowded it can get.

Best Food:

• Shrimp Shacks (North Shore): These RVs are stationed along the roads of the North Shore.  For $12 you get delicious shrimp (coconut is my favorite), rice, a salad and pineapple.  The best is in Kahuku (kinda far away), and the most convenient is Macky's.
• Cholo's (Haleiwa): My favorite Mexican restaurant here.  They have a killer shrimp taco salad.
• Aoki's Shave Ice (Haleiwa): While everyone knows their neighbor, Matsumoto's, Aoki's is preferred by locals.  For under $4 you get shave ice atop a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
• Kaua'aina (Haleiwa): This sandwich shop serves burgers, sandwhiches and salads.  My favorite sandwich is their turkey avocado on a Kaiser roll.  Cash only.
• Ted's Bakery (Sunset Beach): This place is famous for their chocolate haupia (coconut cream) pie.  And it's amazing.  They also offer tons of other baked goods, breakfast, lunch and dinner. 
• Maui Mikes (Wahiawa): This fire roasted chicken place is amazing. They serve chicken quarters/halves and sandwiches that are awesome.  The meals come with fries/rice, a drink, and a dipping sauce.  My favorite it their sweet bbq sauce.
• Boston's Pizza (Wahiawa, Kapolei, etc.): Even though it's called Boston's, they serve NY style pizza that is fantastic.
• Dixie's Grill (Aiea): Their motto is "Put A Little South in Your Mouth."  This is one of the only places that serves legit sweet tea on island, and their menu is full of comfort food.
• Gordon Biersch (Honolulu): Located in the Aloha Tower Marketplace, this is apparently a chain restaurant/brewery.  The wait staff is great and very accommodating.  They have an extensive menu, and everything I've had is delicious.  Also, it's waterfront. 
• Duke's (Waikiki): This is a Hawaiian staple.  While it's touristy, it's still a cool restaurant.  It's located right on Waikiki beach.  All the entrees come with their salad bar, which was great.  There was also a roving band singing retro Hawaiian songs.  Definitely make a reservation.
• Aloha Salads (Honolulu, Kapolei, Mililani): They offer more than just fresh salads--soups and sandwiches too!  As they expand into their Kapolei and Mililani stores, so will their menu.

Best Shopping:

• Surf n Sea (Haleiwa): The coolest surf shop on the face of the Earth.  The people there are friendly and helpful.  The store has a huge selection of suits, slippers (flip flops), clothes, boards, etc.  They have a really cool selection of T-shirts.  They also offer surf lessons, scuba cert, and dive tours.  It's frequented by some of the best surfers in the world.  The kicker: 15% military discount!
• Aloha Swap Meet (Aiea): Every weekend at the Aloha Stadium, hundreds of vendors from around the island come to sell their wares.  Entrance is $1, and you can literally spend all day there.  My favorite vendors are jewelry stands, Sheri Picerno's photography (see below), and a family that sells jams/baked goods.
• Global Creations Interiors (Haleiwa): This store is way overpriced but has some really cool stuff.  All the products are local: art, candles, lotions, home decor, etc.
• NEX (Pearl Harbor): This is the biggest military exchange I've ever seen.  They have an amazing selection of products.  I've found a great local brand of swimsuits here (Honey Girl), and I've got 3 of their suits. 

Best local artists:

• Sheri Picerno: I bought three of her pictures at the Swap Meet.  Her photographs are all local plants, and they are beautiful!  The 8x10's go for $15 and 11x14's are $40.  They even  come matted.
• Clark Little: I've seen his photos in Global Creations.  He takes pictures of the surf, making waves look like glass.  Way more expensive than Sheri, but I plan on investing in one before I leave.

Things I'm looking forward to:

• Diamond Head: I'm supposed to hike this and reenlist one of my Soldiers at the top!
• Surf lessons: I've been referred to a great instructor at White Plains.
• Skydiving?: I want to get up enough courage to do this...we'll see.