Podium Raceway

View Larger Map

The Podium raceway features Hawaii's first and only indoor electric kart racing track.  The raceway includes a quarter mile long track witch an arcade and three private party rooms. They allow up to twelve racers drivers to compete for the best time. The go-karts can go up to speeds of 45 mph and are emission free and environmentally friendly. 

Podium Raceway in Kapolei first opened its doors to the public this year; so I thought Id check it out.  When I first walked into the place I was amazed because right away you could see the electric go-karts zooming through the racetrack dodging one another.  The site of these tiny little karts drifting and zigzagging around corners immediately filled me with excitement.  But as the time went by I could feel my heart start to race with the knowingness that my turn would be soon.  When my turn finally came one of the workers brought me and ten other people into this separate room where he informed us about all the rules and safety hazards.  Then we were led to a whole shelf of helmets and were situated into our individual go-karts.  The first lap was pretty slow but after that the speed started to increase I found myself drifting through corners trying to go as fast as I can to try and end up on the top of the time list.  Overall I had a lot of fun and I recommend that everyone try it at least once. 

The Podium is open Monday through Thursday from 11 am to 10 pm, Friday and Saturdays from 10 to midnight, and Sundays from 11am to 9pm.  Have in mind I went there for the first time on Mothers day and all mothers were able to ride free.  So its worth a its worth a try to go on girls day or fathers day :D maybe if your lucky they'll be open and let you race for free.  With an annual track pass racing license its $5.95 per race but you also get storage of your racing history, online access to your racing scores, and special offers such as monthly coupons and weekly racing specials.  For adults (55" tall) , trackpass will cost $20 for 14 laps and without a trackpass it will be $25 for 14 laps.  For 3 races its $45 and 5 races $70.  For juniors (48" tall), with trackpass its $15 for 9 laps and without trackpass $20 for 9 laps.  For 3 races its $30 and 5 races its $60.  If you are a group of 5 people minimum you should probably think about buying trackpasses you would have two options you can buy a super trackpass which costs $35 or VIP pass for $80.  Both passes come with storage of racing history, online access to your racing scores, shirts, monthly coupons, access to weekly race specials, and free race on your birthday.  The only difference is that the VIP pass includes race reservations and additional racing discounts.  

 References:

http://www.podiumraceway.com/go-kart-racing-about-us.htm

 

Waikiki/ Spam Jam Festival

View Larger Map

Waikiki is one of the world's most popular and most famous beaches.  Waikiki is located on the south side of Oahu and consists of nine individually named beaches stretching along two miles from Kahanamoku Beach near the Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach Resort and Spa to the Outrigger Canoe Club Beach near Diamond Head.   Waikiki is a great place for sun bathing, shopping, and dinning.  But I must warn you if your looking for privacy you should probably look somewhere else because Waikiki is the most crowded beach in the world, over four million people visit a year. 

Waikiki is one of my favorite places to go.  There are so many things you can do at Waikiki.  If you go before sunrise you can surf with the locals and catch the first waves of the day.  I actually first learned to surf at Waikiki and I have to say it was a great place for beginners.  The waves aren’t as rough as those of the North Shore; the waves rarely ever exceed three feet.  It also isn’t very hard to find a rental surfboard and surf instructor nearby, so if your looking to surf for the first time I suggest visiting Waikiki.  If surfing isn’t for you, you could also go boogie boarding, canoeing, kayaking or snorkeling.  If your not looking to get wet, at around 6 when it gets dark out you could go walking along boulevard and go shopping or just watch the many street performers. 

While in Waikiki you can also take part in the many events that are hosted there, such as the NFL Pro Bowl event that happens in February or the Spam Jam Festival that happened recently.  These are only two of the many events that take place at Waikiki for a list of events and dates visit this site:

http://www.honolulu.world-guides.com/honolulu_events.html

I was lucky enough to take part in the NFL Pro Bowl event.  I actually didn't know about it till I went to Waikiki for what I thought would just be a normal night.  Little did I know that I was about to take part in one of the busiest events in Waikiki.  I only realized what was going on when it took us about two hours to get to Waikiki because one of the main streets in Waikiki was closed for this event.  Although it wasn't what I had in mind that night, I had way more fun seeing all the NFL football players from all over the state then just sitting and eating at one of my favorite Japanese restaurants, Sansei.  Surprising, I know and Sansei has the best sushi and fish.  If you do go there I recommend that you buy an Apple Tart.  It is AMAZING! And so worth it.  But anyways, sorry, I don't have a picture for you since it was a couple of months ago, but I did go to the Spam Jam festival for the first time this year. 

So you know how every place in the whole world has a signature food?  Well guess what! Hawaii's signature food is spam.  The annual Waikiki Spam Jam Festival is popular festival that honors spam.  This festival has great food and entertainment in a family-friendly environment.  When I arrived I could immediately smell the spam.  Everything from popsicles to macaroni, had spam in it.  I found spam flavored macadamia nuts and spam cocktails.  I enjoyed this festival and will probably go back for another round of spam next year. 

 References:

http://www.gohawaii.com/oahu/regions-neighborhoods/honolulu/waikiki

http://travelwithkids.about.com/cs/hawaiiwithkids/a/waikikibeach.htm

http://www.spamjamhawaii.com/

Liliha Bakery

View Larger Map

Liliha is a local favorite bakery located on Kuakini St. They are open 24 hours a day from Tuesday 6 am to Sunday 8 pm.  I actually discovered the Liliha Bakery about two years ago after a friend told me I should try their coco puffs.  I took her word and I am so glad I did.  Those coco puffs were to die for.  The bread was fluffy and when you bit into it the chocolate and the Chantilly would mix together to give you the ultimate coco puff.  The Liliha Bakery to me is unique to Oahu because it was the first place that I first discovered my love for coco puffs.  It is also the one place that freshly baked coco puffs, adds Chantilly, and can pull it off.  I have to admit that I have never purchased anything else from there other than their coco puffs, but I have heard that their cakes and pancakes are exquisite.

 References:

http://lilihabakeryhawaii.com/about_us/our_history

Kahuku/ Romy's Kahuku Prawns and Shrimp

View Larger Map

Romy's Kahuku Prawns and Shrimp in my opinion the best shrimp on the island.  The prawns and shrimp are harvested daily and cooked to order.  They have a variety of different shrimps such as garlic, sweet and spicy, and fried.  I always visit Romy's when I'm in the North Shore and I am never disappointed.  I recommend ordering over the phone before you get there so that when you arrive your order will be ready to go.  If your interested they do have coupons on their website that you can print.  One is a free drink and another is a coupon to get one plate free if you buy ten.  Visit this cite if you are interested: http://www.romyskahukuprawns.org/Coupons.html

Romy's is open everyday from 10:00 AM to 6PM.  To order by phone or if you have any questions call 808-232-2203.

 References:

 http://www.romyskahukuprawns.org/

Polynesian Cultural Center

View Larger Map

The Polynesian Cultural Center is one of the top Hawaiian attractions.  It is a great place to experience the Hawaiian culture and is located on North shore of Oahu.  It was founded in 1963, so the nearby students of Brigham Young University could work through college while at the same time-share their island heritage with others. The Polynesian Cultural Center includes many activities that are entertaining, fun, and also educational that take you on a tour of the eight Hawaiian Islands cultures and many other South Pacific Islands.  You will experience a first-hand look of each islands diverse and fascinating culture.  You can even take part in the most authentic Hawaiian luaus. 

I have been to the Polynesian Cultural Center a handful of times and I have to admit I learned something new each time that I went.  My all time favorite attraction happens to takes place there once a year.  It's called the Haunted Lagoon.  Unlike the classic haunted house the Haunted Lagoon will take you on a spooky canoe ride that twists through a lagoon and under dark bridges were you may be greeted by horrifying creatures.  If your lucky you may get a glimpse of the Polynesian Cultural Centers very own ghost, the La'ie Lady.  She is known to be wearing white and is rumored to wander around the PCC on the darkest of nights.  Legend has it that she is still searching for her missing child near a twisted coconut tree that happens to be along the canoe route.  So go if you dare but I promise it will be an unforgettable night. 

For tickets to get in, the costs vary depending on what kind of package you want to get. Packages range from $228 to $35 but have in mind packages include exclusive things such as tours or include a lu'au.  So for tickets check out:

http://www.polynesia.com/ticketing/ticket-packages.html

References:

http://www.polynesia.com/faqs.html

 

North Shore/ Waimea

View Larger Map

Waimea Bay is known world wide as one of the best beaches for surfing.  This beach is a popular spot for surfing competitions because waves can often times reach heights of 40 to 50 ft during the winter.  So if you do decided to visit Waimea Bay please read all warning signs because this beach has a strong rip current in the center of the bay.  This beach is a challenge for many experienced surfers.  The currents and waves are so strong that for non-experienced surfers it may be deadly. 

I am not a very strong swimmer so I tend to avoid going to Waimea during the winter.  But in the summer Waimea goes from a treacherous beach to a calm and popular swimming spot.  If you decide to go to Waimea during the summer you should aim to get there early in the morning because once the sun rises you may not be able to find parking or even a single spot on the sand to put your stuff down.  Waimea is a beautiful beach and is also home to the famous rock.  Although there are signs that say not to climb on the rock many visitors and locals ignore that sign and go right on up.  Jumping off this rock is a lot of fun but you must be very careful.  The water by the rock is sort of shallow and it is wise to wait for the water to rise before you jump or you will probably graze yourself on the sand. 

References:

http://www.northshore.com/

http://www.northshore.com/hawaii/hawaii-surf.asp