Hawaii, the last state to be brought into the US confederation. Here is the typical beach front scene of Hawaii that many have seen in person or in travel brochures and postcards.
Palm tree laiden beach and beautiful warm sand.
Lots of beach front resorts in the distance (lots nearby too).
And of course, where there are resorts, there are tourist market places. :c)
This one sold all sorts of flower pattern shirts, dresses, skits and pants.
Eco-unfriendly options were also available, like this baby shark which I found out was most popular among young boys. I noticed some places also still sell dried and varnished blowfish... not cool.
Tiki mask and figurines are plentiful around this island as well. Hawaii truly feels like it is 50% american and 50% polynesian (often tipping more to the latter surprisingly).
This store (Thor) had the best contemporary Tiki merchandise.
This guy Grog was my favourite, but it seems that The Tikinator (to the right) was the most popular item there.
This half pint guys had a cute little bum when you turned the mug around.
These wooden figurines were also pretty cool !
The craziest thing in the store by far was the live model of a tiki bar man, created based on a painting that was sold in the store.
If you end up shopping til you drop (which is very possible in this shopping mecca here), you can drop into pretty much any resort since their main rooms are open to the public. Grab a chair and have fun watching all the action on the beach.
This is a statue dedicated to the Duke, the king of surfing, who popularized surfing and Hawaiian tourism to the rest of the nation.
This is a great bar with tasty food...
... funny menus....
... and great decor !
Driving around outside of the main beach drag (Waikiki, Honolulu), gives you a chance to see how mountainous Oahu island really is.
Although, if you're really feeling lazy, you can still get a good view of Diamond Head Mountain from the beach.
On the West Coast of Oahu (at Waimae), you're surrounded by beautiful mountains.
Although these are tempting to hike, it may be best to get here by bus and not to bring any valuables with you as the western area of the island has a reputation for a lot of car break-ins.