Oh, the places we have been...

In January, Matt and I spent our 10 year anniversary in Hawaii, on the islands of Oahu and Maui. We started off in Oahu. We went to Pearl Harbor. It was a humbling experience. We watched a video on what took place on that dreadful day and then took a boat out to the USS Arizona. It was a must see for first timers to Oahu. We hiked Diamond Head. It took about 45 minutes to get to the top, but it was well worth it. The view from up there was breath taking. We also went to the LDS temple in Laie and the Polynesian Cultural Center. Both are surrounded but the most lush greenery I have ever seen in my life. It is at the northern part of the island but the scenic drive makes it all worth the time in the car.
The Polynesian Cultural Center was a neat experience. I thought it was a little pricey myself for what you got, but you have to go at least once.
We spent 3 days on Oahu and that was not nearly enough. I would recommend at least five days. We didn't make it to Hanauma Bay for the snorkeling or the North Shore for the surfers...but I plan to return soon.
On Maui it was quite wet most of our trip. I would recommend going in Feb. or Mar. so you can still see the whales. Maui is a great island for relaxing. We took it easy, which I'm not used to, because we usually take vacation that require every minute of our time to see everything. We stayed in Ka'anapli. Beautiful.
I would suggest going snorkeling out to Molokini. We went with a company called Quicksilver. They were great. They also took us over to Turtle Town and did a little whale watching. They served a continental breakfast and a BBQ lunch.
We took a separate Whale Watching tour which was such a neat experience. We saw quite a few whales and spent about an hour on the boat. Time well spent in my book.
If you go, you must eat at C J's Deli and Diner. Their hamburgers were so juicy and tasty. Yum!Also, try the Gazebo for breakfast. The White Chocolate Macadamia Pancakes are delicious.
The Dinner Cruise we went on was over rated. But I would do another one with a different company.
Over all, I can't wait to go back. Hawaii is beautiful and the people are so friendly.
One last tip...make sure to save for groceries. Food is a bit more expensive over there.
Aloha!