Since it was just a day trip to Oahu we didn't have time to see a whole lot. After visiting Pearl Harbor, we made sure we ate lunch on Waikiki Beach and went for a little walk. It was neat to see Diamond Head in person. We then took a helicopter tour of Oahu so we could see at least part of the island during our short visit.

One of the first things we saw when we took off was the marina where they filmed the beginning of Gilligan's Island. Since that is a favorite show around here, it was a big thrill. :o)

When we flew over Diamond Head, we were surprised to find out it is a crater. We just thought it was a mountain. There is a park station and an Army Reserve base inside the crater. 

The water was so clear you could actually see turtles and schools of fish swimming in it! This is a popular beach for snorkeling.

The pilot pointed out some TV and movie points of interest. One of them was the estate used in the old TV show "Magnum P.I."

Oahu has waterfalls too but not near as many as Kauai

It was interesting to see how the mountains had been formed by lava flow.

Yep, it is the REAL Gilligan's Island! The one seen at the end of the main credits and the one where they filmed the first season. During the second and third season the filming was moved to a sound stage in Hollywood. Gee, you would think they could have swam for help don't you? :o) Its real name is Coconut Island but the pilot said that most of the locals call it Gilligan's Island to this day.

Isn't the clarity of the water amazing?? We were also surprised at how "unsalty" the ocean was compared to the Atlantic. There wasn't even that strong salt smell in the air and you didn't feel coated with salt after you got out of the water. It was weird!

The maze at the Dole pineapple plantation.

Some of the ship at present day Pearl Harbor

The Arizona Memorial and the USS Missouri (where Japan surrendered to the US to end WW2)

We both agree that the helicopter tours were two of best things we did on the trip.
We hope you enjoyed seeing a little bit of our trip to Hawaii!

 

 

Main / Hotel / Kauai / Lighthouse

Helicopter on Kauai / Pearl Harbor / Helicopter on Oahu