Polynesian Cultural Center

The Polynesian Cultural Center is one of Oahu's biggest attractions, and it's no wonder why.  You can learn a lot about Polynesian history and culture by visiting here, but in a fun way!  There are so many things to do here.  I'd suggest watching as many of the shows for the different islands as you can, and filling in the rest of the time with all of the extra activities they have.  From leaf weaving to cooking, canoeing to dancing, you will never be bored.  After the park closes for the day, they have an optional dinner and night show.  The dinner is nothing special, so don't get too excited about that.  The night show is fun, but the plot doesn't really make sense.  So go if you'd like to see fire dancers and people doing the hula, but don't expect an amazing story to go along with it.  The PCC is definitely a do-not-miss activity!

The night show, Breath of Ha

This is where the cheap dinner is held

Shark's Cove and the Pupukea Tide Pools

Shark's Cove is an excellent place to snorkel in the summer.  During the winter months, the waves are enormous and very dangerous, and the beach is usually roped off.  Be sure to get here early, as parking is limited.  You will have to walk down a very short hill to get to the small beach.  This is not really a beach for hanging out.  The water here is deep enough to have fantastic snorkeling and avoid scratching yourself on rocks, yet shallow enough so that you feel safe.   We saw squid here once, which was one of the coolest experiences ever.  They change color like crazy.  On the left side of the snorkeling area are the Pupukea Tide Pools, which is fun to wade in if you don't have your swimsuit with you.  If you are on Oahu during the summer months, definitely give Shark's Cove a try!

Squid!!!

Me and my squid friends

These things are creepy

Zebra Moray Eel

Blake's underwater tricks ^

Matsumoto's

Matsumoto's has the most famous shave ice in all of Hawaii.  It is easy to see why.  They have consistently amazing shave ice and a huge array of awesome flavors.  My favorites are white cake and banana cream.  Yum!  This is my second favorite shave ice on the island (number one being Uncle Clay's House of Pure Aloha.)  If you are on the North Shore, be sure to stop by Matsumoto's and enjoy an icy treat.

Turtle Bay/Kuilima Cove

Turtle Bay is a good snorkeling spot during the summer.  You can park in Turtle Bay's parking lot to get to the cove.  It has a different look to it than some other snorkeling spots on the island, so it is fun to explore.  In the winter, the waves might be too high here to snorkel though, so be careful.

Goat Island

Goat Island makes for a fun little adventure.  You get to the island by parking at the Malaekahana State Recreational Area and then wading out to the island from the beach there.  It's best to plan this trip around low tide, leaving an hour or so before low tide and coming back soon after low tide.  When wading across, head for the big sign you can see on the island.  That's the best path with the least current.  Once on the island, there are lots of fun things to see.  There are tide pools along the front side of the island and a nice sandy beach.  There is a path that goes around the outside of the island and you can walk all the way around it in just a few minutes.  In the middle of the island is a seabird sanctuary that you can't enter.  It's lots of fun to have your own private island for the day.

It was raining when we started out

Go close to low tide and the water isn't very deep

But cleared up right when we got to the island

The middle of the island

View from the other side of the island

Really big cowrie

Bonus pic: Frog we found at Malaekahana park