When people think of Hawaii the images that come to mind is the famous Waikiki Beach. This is a two mile stretch of coast fronted by hotels and tourism related facilities and the very beautiful Kapiolani Park. The beach is popular for swimming, canoeing, surfing snorkeling and sun bathing.
Being high season, I expected the beach to be extremely crowded but I was able to find parking less than a block away and the beach had tons of open spaces to set up camp. The weather was pretty much prefect and I can see why many people referred to Hawaii as paradise.
Waikiki is more than just the beach. The nearby Honolulu Zoo and the Waikiki Aquarium offer fun for the whole family. You can learn about the history of Waikiki by reading the surfboard markers along the Waikiki Historical Trail. Among the various things to do, shopping and dining can be found all along Kalakaua and Kuhio Avenues and at gathering places like the Royal Hawaiian Center and the Waikiki Beach Walk.