Pro Bowl, Portuguese donuts and Polynesian culture

By Christine Haines and Chris Sikes

Photos by Chris Sikes

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When I asked my friend Chris Sikes if he would share some of his travel photos and memories with me, I had no idea what an amazing treasure trove I was about to open: Hawaii, Georgia, California, Montana and the Canadian Rockies, each with numerous breath-taking photos. I’ll be sharing some of the highlights throughout the year, probably with multiple columns from some of the sites (who doesn’t like looking at pictures of Hawaii, or have it on their dream list of destinations for “someday”?)

Since the Pro Bowl will be played in Honolulu, this week’s column and slide show will focus on Oahu. If you have a chance to snag a couple of tickets to the game, a hotel and air reservations before Sunday, you might want to check out Chris’s photos and recommendations:

 Oahu is the most densely populated of the Hawaiian Islands and offers more nightlife and shopping than the other islands.  Our favorite memories were mostly away from the bustling, urban Honolulu.

The North Shore is less crowded than the southern part of Oahu, and famous for some of the best surfing in the world.  We enjoyed snorkeling up-close with sea turtles and colorful fish at Shark Cove.

  The Polynesian Cultural Center is a large living history museum showcasing many of the south Pacific cultures that wound up in Hawaii.

Being big foodies, we were turned on to Korean BBQ, which can be found in strip-malls all over.  We also stopped at the mobile Leonard’s Jr. trucks every chance we got for hot malasadas, which are hole-less Portuguese donuts.  Try the ones stuffed with haupia (coconut pudding).

Tips for your Hawaiian vacation: Don’t try to see all the islands at once.  Stick to no more than about two in one trip so you have time to really experience each island, not just see the touristy things.  If you want more of an urban feel, Oahu is the way to go. For a more laid back feel but still plenty to do, Kauai is great.  Maui is a nice combination of Kauai and Oahu.

My best tip of all is one that turned our vacation from just a fun trip into an exciting adventure. Definitely get the guidebook Oahu Revealed (or Maui Revealed, The Big Island Revealed, or The Ultimate Kauai Guidebook, all from Wizard Publications).  These books are unlike any other guidebooks you’ve read and reveal all kinds of things you wouldn’t otherwise know about.  Next week: Explore Hawaii, the Big IslandFor more travel columns go to www.howyouspinit.comShare your adventures by e-mailing  chris@howyouspinit.com 

Tags: multicultural, Polynesian, Pro Bowl