It is about a 45-minute bus ride from Waikiki, and spans 5 major buildings. Unfortunately, the Hawaiian Hall is still under construction. We began with the Polynesian Hall, an exhibit representing the various Pacific cultures across Polynesia, Micronesia and Melanesia.
We then walked across the Great Lawn to the Richard Mamiya Science Adventure Center, and had fun with a series of interactive exhibits that taught us all about volcanoes, biodiversity and waves. Finally, we toured the current touring installation in the Castle Memorial Building - a display called Backyard Monsters: The World of Insects. The kids at the museum had a ball with the giant-sized moving robotic insects, and it was fun for DanG to brush up on his entomology. Upstairs is a small display of the museum's early collections.
The museum is epic and impossible to do justice to in one day. We'll have to go back when the Hawaiian Hall re-opens. In addition, there are daily movies, workshops and lectures to augment one's learning experience. It is an impressive and well-run facility.
After reading so much about the "Pink Palace," we just had to check out the Royal Hawaiian Hotel. It recently re-opened after 7 months of remodeling. Many consider it the jewel of Waikiki, and it definitely has an air of nobility to it. We found our way to the Royal Mai Tai bar and had one of their famous concoctions while looking out at the sea of bodies on the beach.
Finished with our touristy activities for the day, we melted a bit into vacation mode with some time by the pool and later I used the hotel's fitness center.
We were both craving sushi so we used the hotel's business center to find the closest options, and then headed to Hula's for a pre-dinner drink. Hula's is a gay bar in Waikiki that many people have recommended to us for its friendly vibe and superb location in the shadow of Diamond Head.
From there it was sushi at Sansei and then a post-dinner walk on Waikiki Beach. Waikiki is unlike any of our other Hawaiian adventures. In many ways, it reminds us of Los Angeles. Yet it has its own distinct flavor (and much more beauty). Like Los Angeles, though, there seem to be many drifters, transplants and physical fitness gurus.
Our hotel is famous for its "killer cupcakes" so we decided to get a couple to take up to the room. We both opted for the Chocolate Peanut buttercup. The cashier asked us if we wanted utensils, as the cupcakes were "pretty big." Indeed.
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