Hawaii 2012 Part 1

So I had done a really abbreviated blog post of this trip about a year ago. I had a look at it yesterday and I decided I really didn't like it. It was short, not detailed, and well, it kinda sucked. Blame it on me being a new blogger who just wanted to post it in a hurry.

I had to reload the photos so I could add them to my Tripoto itinerary so I decided to do an unhurried detailed version. My mom and I spent about a week in Waikiki and did almost every activity imaginable. My dad travels a ton for work so we got a room at the Hilton Hawaiian Village basically for free. Pretty awesome. 

I purchased the Go Oahu card prior to our trip (I think about a month before). The card is ordinarily around $250 but they do a lot of sales. I booked it in advance so that I would have plenty of time to make reservations for the activities we wanted to do and see what the transportation options were. A lot of the attractions are free with the card but you have to find your own way there and that gets pretty pricey. When calling a few of the places, I discovered that several of them provide shuttle service for an additional (rather smallish) charge but that wasn't often publicized. 

We got a really great deal on Hawaiian Airlines that got us there early afternoon. One of the great things about living in Vegas is the direct flights to Hawaii. So convenient. Allegiant has good deals from time to time too but I personally would rather pay a little extra for the friendly service and good snacks you get on Hawaiian Airlines. There was even a welcome Mai Tai. Great way to get into the tropical mood!

I love staying at Hilton Hawaiian Village because it's extremely convenient and there's a lot to do on property when we're too tired to wander. Our first day we had dinner at Tropics which is right on the beach and is often filmed in Hawaii 5-O (along with the rest of the hotel actually). We stopped to see the penguins too and grabbed ice cream at Lappert's (we have one in Vegas but they have fewer flavors and I hate going to Old Vegas just for ice cream). 

For the map and details, check out my Tripoto itinerary for this trip!