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Top Attractions in Honolulu

Waikiki

Waikīkī is a beachfront neighborhood of Honolulu, on the south shore of the island of Oʻahu, in Hawaii, United States. Waikiki is most famous for Waikīkī Beach, but it is just one of six beaches in the district, the others being Queen's Beach, Kuhio Beach, Gray's Beach, Fort DeRussy Beach and Kahanamoku Beach. Waikīkī is home to public places including Kapiʻolani Park, Fort DeRussy, Kahanamoku Lagoon, Kūhiō Beach Park, and Ala Wai Harbor. The name Waikīkī means spouting fresh water in the Hawaiian language, for springs and streams that fed wetlands that once separated Waikīkī from the interior. The area was a retreat for Hawaiian royalty in the 1800s who enjoyed surfing there on early forms of longboards. A few small hotels opened in the 1880s. In 1893, Greek-American George Lycurgus leased the guest house of Allen Herbert and renamed it the "Sans Souci" (French for "without worries") creating one of the first beach resorts. Later that year Robert Louis Stevenson stayed at the resort; subsequently it became a popular destination for tourists from the mainland. The area at coordinates 21°15′49″N 157°49′17″W is still called "Sans Souci Beach". Today, the area is filled with large resort hotels, such as the Hilton Hawaiian Village, Halekulani, the Hyatt Regency Waikīkī, Marriott Waikiki, Sheraton Waikīkī, and historic hotels dating back to the early 20th century (such as the Moana Surfrider Hotel and the Royal Hawaiian Hotel). The beach hosts many events a year, including surf competitions, outdoor performances, hula dancing and outrigger canoe races. The neighborhood extends from the Ala Wai Canal (a channel dug to drain former wetlands) on the west and north, to Diamond Head (Lēʻahi) on the east. Waikīkī Beach is noted for its views of the Diamond Head tuff cone, its usually warm and cloud-free climate and its surf break. The Waikīkī skyline is now dotted with an abundance of both high-rises and resort hotels. The beach is actually fairly short, with half of it marked off for surfers. For some distance into the ocean the water is quite shallow, although there are numerous rocks on the bottom. As with most ocean beaches the waves can have some force, particularly on windy days. The surf at Waikīkī is known for its long rolling break, making it ideal for long boarding, tandem surfing and beginners.

Haiku Stairs

The Haʻikū Stairs, also known as the Stairway to Heaven or Haʻikū Ladder, is a steep hiking trail on the island of Oʻahu, Hawaii. The total 3,922 steps span along Oahus Koolau mountain range. Beginning in 1942, contractors for the United States Navy began construction of the Haʻikū Radio Station, a top secret facility that was to be used to transmit radio signals to the Navy ships that were then operating throughout the Pacific. In order to obtain the necessary height for the antennae, the Navy stretched them across Haiku valley, a natural amphitheater surrounded by high ridges. To accomplish this, they needed “easy” access to the top of the ridges, so they installed a wooden ladder up the mountain. The ladder was later replaced by a wooden staircase. Once the cable car was in operation, most workers preferred to ride the car to the upper hoist house rather than enduring the tedious climb up the stairs. Some remnant parts of the wooden ladder may still be seen beside the metal steps. The radio station was commissioned in 1943. To transmit such a powerful signal, the Navy needed a transmitter of greater capability than was then possible with vacuum tube technology. They therefore decided upon an Alexanderson Alternator, a huge device capable of generating powerful radio-frequency signals, and requiring an antenna of heroic proportions. When the Naval base was decommissioned in the 1950s, the United States Coast Guard used the site for an Omega Navigation System station. In the mid-1950s, the wooden stairs were replaced by sections of metal steps and ramps — by one count, 3,922 steps. The station and trail were closed to the public in 1987. Some hikers ignore the No Trespassing signs and continue to climb, contributing to the local communitys misgivings about reopening the structure. In 2003, the stairs were repaired, costing the city $875,000. As of early 2012, land usage rights issues have not been resolved. The City and County of Honolulu has stated that there is currently no plan to open the stairs for public use, citing liability concerns, although it has been noted that the mayor is vocally open to reopening the stairs under his circumstances. Dozens of people, however, routinely hike up the stairs every day; theres at least one video of such hikes posted online. In August 2012, Don Tiki show singer and comedian Fritz Hasenpusch died of a heart attack during his Haiku Stair climb. As of July 2015, a guard is still posted at the base of the stairs. Over Valentines Day weekend 2015, a powerful storm passed over the island of Oahu which caused significant damage to the stairway, reportedly rendering them unusable.

Koko Head

Koko Head is the headland that defines the eastern side of Maunalua Bay along the southeastern side of the Island of Oʻahu in Hawaiʻi. On its western slope is the community of Portlock, a part of Hawaiʻi Kai. Koko Head is an ancient tuff cone that is somewhat dwarfed by its neighboring tuff cone, Koko Crater, with its peak, Kohelepelepe , rising to 1208 ft or 368 m. Koko Head itself has three significant depressions or old vents, the largest of which forms the well-known Hanauma Bay. Koko Head's last eruption was 30,000-35,000 years ago. This eastern end of Oʻahu is quite scenic and most of the area is part of Koko Head Regional Park, administered by the City & County of Honolulu. The following features and natural areas are found between Koko Head and the eastern end of the island at Makapuʻu: Koko Crater is a large tuff cone that visually dominates the area. Within the crater are horse stables and the Koko Crater Botanical Garden specializing in cacti and succulents. Hanauma Bay is a tuff ring breached by the ocean. Lānaʻi Lookout is a scenic lookout that features a very distant view of the Island of Lānaʻi to the southeast of Oʻahu. Molokaʻi, directly across the Kaiwi Channel, is closer and nearly always visible during the day; Lānaʻi is visible only under good atmospheric conditions, although if visible from anywhere on Oʻahu, it will be visible from this pull-out/parking area. The cremated ashes of President Barack Obama's mother, Stanley Ann Dunham and maternal grandmother, Madelyn Lee Payne Dunham were scattered here. Hālona Blowhole is a blowhole in the rocky shore. A large pull-out/parking area is present. The adjacent Hālona Cove is best known as the site of the love scene between Burt Lancaster and Deborah Kerr in the movie From Here to Eternity. Sandy Beach is a popular beach for surfing and a park popular for kite flying because trade winds are strong and steady most days. Sea conditions off the beach tend to be rough most of the time and the bottom drops away relatively quickly, so this is not a beach for relaxed swimming, but very popular for more extreme water sports and watchers.

Spalding House

Spalding House, also known as the Cooke-Spalding House and called Nuumealani by Mrs. Cooke, together with its gardens constitute a 3½ acre campus of the Honolulu Museum of Art located in Makiki Heights, on the island of Oahu. Spalding House was built as a residence in 1925 by Anna Rice Cooke, widow of Charles Montague Cooke. At the same time, the Honolulu Museum of Art was being built on the site of her former home on Beretania Street in Honolulu. The Makiki Heights, home was designed by Hart Wood and later enlarged by the firm of Bertram Goodhue and Associates. In 1950, Cookes daughter, Alice Spalding, engaged Vladimir Ossipoff to remodel the ground floor. The Honolulu Museum of Art acquired the estate as a bequest from Alice Spalding in 1968 and operated it as an annex for the display of Japanese prints from 1970 to 1978. In the late 1970s, it was sold it to a subsidiary of The Honolulu Advertiser. In 1986, the Thurston Twigg-Smith family converted it to The Contemporary Museum. Following interior renovation, the museum, with its doors by artists Robert Graham and Tony Berlant, opened to the public in October 1988. On May 2, 2011, The Contemporary Museum, Honolulu ceased to exist as an independent entity, and is now known as the Honolulu Museum of Art Spalding House. The Honolulu Museum of Art acquired Spalding House along with its collections of more than 3,000 works of art. The Makiki Heights building, which has about 5,000 square feet of gallery space, reassumed its former name, “Spalding House”. It currently displays rotating exhibitions of mostly contemporary art.

Aloha Tower Marketplace

The Aloha Tower Marketplace is a waterfront shopping center in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi. Located at the Honolulu Harbor, the Aloha Tower Marketplace features several declared national historic landmarks including the Aloha Tower, Falls of Clyde and Hawaiʻi Maritime Center. Aloha Tower Marketplace was completed in 1994 as part of a Honolulu Harbor commercial revitalization project. As of March, 2014 the Marketplace is under major renovation and only two restaurants, Hooters and Gordon Biersch, remain open. The Marketplace has never been profitable and was bankrupt at one point in time. Litigation has occurred between the management entity and the land-owner, the state controlled Aloha Tower Development Corporation. Isolation from other tourist areas, lack of parking and mismanagement have been cited as reasons for the operating revenue losses. The museum at the Falls of Clyde focused on historic sailing as well as Polynesian sailing customs. Occasionally, outrigger canoes were at the Hawaii Maritime Center as well. The museum closed May 1, 2009 due to lack of revenue, there are currently no plans to reopen the facility. Hawaii Pacific University plans to modify the shopping center into a mixed use facility with retail, restaurant and meeting spaces as well as second-floor HPU student-housing lofts. The redevelopment, which began in 2012 has been complicated by disputes between development entities, permitting issues and staff-reductions. The project is scheduled for completion in 2015.

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