We will make our first ever trip to Hawaii in February to help friends renew their marriage vows, and to take in as much of the beauty of Oahu and Kauai as we can. Our friends were married in Honolulu and lived there for more than 20 years, but have relocated to Atlanta. We too will stay in Kailua for a week, and based on the research I've done and the things we want to do on Oahu, I think a car is necessary though not essential.

I am still formulating a plan, but here are some elements: - a full day (nearly) at the Polynesian Cultural Center to see the villages, the demonstrations, and the evening show. - a full day seeing Pearl Harbor, the Arizona, the Missouri and the Aloha stadium swap meet. - a full day seeing Waikiki, Chinatown, Foster Botanical Garden, Bishop Museum, and Iolani Palace. - a full day exploring the North Shore, Waimea and Hale'iwa. - a morning snorkeling at Hanauma Bay. - a morning hiking up to Diamond Head.

The rest of our stay might well be limited to kicking back at Kailua and Lanikai beaches, and knocking around Kailua.

These books have helped me plan.

- Moon Handbook: O'ahu. - Oahu Revealed: The Ultimate Guide to Honolulu, Waikiki & Beyond. - Shoal of Time: A History of the Hawaiian Islands by Daws, Gavan. - Travelers' Tales Guides: Hawaii, true stories of the island spirit, R. & M Carroll ed.

The Fodor's US Forum is, as you probably know, a great source of information and opinions.

I will send you my trip planning document, and you might be able to glean some useful tidbits from it. We will be in Kailua February 8-15. Let me know if a GTG works for you.

Cheers!

Kevin Fredericton, NB Canada