What a BEAUTIFUL PARK!!!!…read more The Kaneohe District Park is kinda out of my way, as I don't live on the windward side of Oahu, but I mainly came here today as I had to get tested for Covid-19, and this Kaneohe location had some open appointment slots which I was able to secure. Since I don't live in Kaneohe, I had to do a quick search on Yelp & used the Yelp app. to guide me to the Kaneohe District park which was about 15 miles away from my house (not too bad at all). Upon arriving at the park, I didn't realize that the park covers two sides. When I say "two sides" I mean the Kaneohe District park is actually separated between a main street thoroughfare. From what I could see, the park had a very nice gymnasium, tennis courts, (4) baseball diamonds, supah LARGE grass field that can be used for either soccer, or football, a skateboard park, basketball courts, & a jungle gym for the little ones. Parking here is plentiful, and there were comfort stations on both sides of the park for your convenience. If I lived close by to this park, I could see myself coming here with Makana everyday. But since it's a wee bit out of my way to get here, just to visit the Kaneohe District Park and see what's going on here is cool by me!

If you live on the Windward side and have kids, dogs, and love picnics, this is the perfect park…read more It's huge and has plenty of free parking. For kids, there's a skateboard area, which I see quite a few kids enjoying it. Baseball diamonds, tennis & pickleball courts,football, basketball and a free community pool. We go there to meet some dog owners, and it has plenty of grassy fields to run with your dogs,(on a leash) have a picnic, or enjoy an evening stroll with your loved one. Be careful of prior rainy days, some areas can get muddy. It's a very enjoyable neighborhood park.

We booked a trip to HI to do our referral dives to get PADI certified. We were lucky enough to find…read moreAustin. He was awesome!! He made my two girls 13 and 10 years old feel safe and comfortable in the open ocean. He was extremely knowledgable, patient and had really good, positive energy to help the girls gain confidence on their first dives. He had a vast knowledge of where things were underwater and what we should see while we were there. We got to see sea turtles, white tip sharks, and many fish gathering around the coral reefs. He helped us complete the referral dive tests with flying colors! We would highly recommend him as a diving guide or instructor. He took pictures for us of all of the highlights so we didn't even have to worry about the camera. Very organized and informative the whole way through. Excellent!

Happy October, Happy Fall & YES- :) I made it to #1200 review and the question is why am I checking…read morein @ the Ala Wai Canal & why the Ala Wai Canal for my #1200 reviews, hehe. Lets just say Ala Wai Canal had helped me on my healthy journey 6 years ago and during Covid times, I decided to take that path, I walked along the Ala Wai from starting from McCully side- Kaimuki- Kapahulu then along the Ala Wai, been doing this for 6 years now and this was the best decision I've ever made and even lost the weight while putting in my daily steps, winning combo and enjoying the Ala Wai Canal path was nice! Ala Wai Canal is a 1.5 mile man-made waterway that forms the mauka border of Waikiki - runs from Kapahulu Ave, behind Convention Center to the Ala Wai boat Harbor. Although you don't want to go near anywhere near the water, for swimming/fishing - which I don't recommend because all that bacteria and you don't want to know what is in that canal but you will see canoe clubs paddling here every afternoon- evening, its a bonus to see the paddlers. Also great spot for jog, relax on the picnic bench, dog walking, enjoying a meal ( I seen this happen while on my walks, and overnight and weekend parking is possible along the canal ( read the signs for information). ** but of course along the Ala Wai you will see a lot of encampments, chronics, homeless ness, the mess, rubbish left behind -the not so great part of the Ala Wai Canal/promenade but don't let that bother you , they are part of this society too. Just bypass it and enjoy! My favorite path along the Ala Wai Canal is when I get to the plumeria trees , so many right now, an entire path, grove of plumeria, so beautiful to just walk through it. Happy trails, happy walking and talking my daily steps and jus walking Ala Wai side, making #1200 and 12,000 steps! Thank you Ala Wai Canal!

Aloha peeps! Got up early one morning to get some exercise and walk the Ala Wai Canal. It's…read moreconveniently located next to some of the hotels on Kuhio Ave and lots of folks both visitors and locals can be seen walking or jogging the path. On certain days, you can also watch the outrigger teams paddling along the canal as well. So.. if you're sitting up in your hotel room, put your favorite walking/running shoes on and take a nice stroll along the canal for a little bit of exercise. You might get lucky and see a couple of outrigger canoes quietly glide by for a wonderful photo op. Aloha!

My husband and I went to the Big Island for a mini vacation. We boooked a stand up paddle board…read morelesson with Hulakai. Our instructor was Jun a local Hawaiian who really showed us the ropes. We have never done stand up paddle boarding so we had no clue what to do. He taught us how to get up on the paddle, turn, wind direction, etc. He even brought my hubby a life jacket since he didn't know how to swim. By the end of the lesson my hubby was comfortable with the water which is amazing! This was the best experience during our Big Island vacation. I totally recommend going with Hulakai!!! Jun really took the time to go over everything with us especially the saftey part. Thank you again for a great time!!

The most knowledgeable, skilled and professional Instructors from around the world! Truly a…read moreUniversity of its kind, that provides the opportunity for just about anyone who wants to explore our ocean deeps in a safe, fun and in a responsible manner. Hawaii Scuba University is a VA approved program. Great for those who have served in our armed forces.

I've been a student at HSU for about a month now and I haven't witnessed any of the horrors…read morementioned in the 1-star review. True, there are some errors in the publication, but that was pointed out by the staff from the very beginning and apologies were made. I could have used the GI Bill, but I chose to pay out of pocket. $9,300 may sound like a lot, but considering that about half of that is the cost for equipment/materials that you keep (compare this to a traditional college where you buy books and or supplies for your major)... it seems like a pretty reasonable fare. You're purchasing SPECIALIZED equipment and textbooks to become a certified professional diver. Other perks you get free as a student: unlimited air refills ($10-15 a tank), discounts at the dive shop (10%), free boat rides outside of class if the private charters have seats available (~$125 per ride), and outstanding customer service. Staff is both professional and laid back. They contact you immediately when there are any issues and they're willing to work with you. E.g. If GI Bill is late for tuition, HSU lets you use rentals free until the payment comes through so you're not stuck with an unexpected bill for equipment purchase. They do what they can to minimize the negative impact on students. Curriculum emphasizes safety first. Might get boring but it's there for a reason. If you're a danger to yourself or others, an ass-chewing is better than an injury or death. You might have your feelings hurt but your body remains intact. Instructors are rotated which can be both a blessing and a curse. I've had two instructors now (Brian and Chris). Both are very knowledgeable and have different teaching styles. This is by design to better serve ALL the students because not everyone learns the same way. Keep in mind you aren't the only one trying to learn... Pro-tip: If you don't understand something, speak up respectfully and they'll be happy to help you learn another way. Even the other classes' instructors are happy to make time for you if you just ask (Thanks Charles!). HSU isn't right for everyone. However, if you can come with a positive attitude, be prepared before you go class, and be willing to learn and enjoy the ocean... this is a great place to be a student! It's a tight knit community that supports diver growth and professional development in and out of the classroom. I've learned a lot about diving from all sorts of people: Angie and Sherye (admin), Cody and Kelvin (boat Captains), as well as George, Chris, and Alana (Schofield Dive Shop). The first time I met the team at Honolulu Scuba Company (Honolulu Dive Shop), they helped me track down and recover my wetsuit that walked off the Ala Moana Harbor on its own... I really don't think you can find this great of an education, community, and customer service anywhere else. $9,300... totally worth it!

Yelp 365 Challenge #122/365…read more After the Great Aloha Run, I had the insane idea to sign up for another run...the 15th Annual Ford Island Bridge Run, which is only 6.2 miles. I figure I would train on the days that I don't attend TRX classes by running around my neighborhood. However, there are times when plans don't go according to your agenda especially for me. And I have that type of personality where it grates on my nerves and it will gnaw at me for days afterwards. For instance, the past three weeks-I haven't been up to par in health. In fact, my coughing is still here but not as bad as before. I've only returned to TRX classes last Thursday. So, for me to expect to do my best on race day...I was setting myself up to having too much of high expectations. Nevertheless, I still got up early plus I was using my running clothes--so all I had to do was put on my contacts, brush my hair, and brush my teeth. Drove to the stadium but the gates weren't open yet, so I drove to SackNSave to pick up bananas and water. Parked in the Aloha Stadium overflow parking lot and ate a banana (I should have ate more as well as whole wheat bread but I didn't). Drank some water and by 6:15, I decided to walk across to Richardson Field and waited with the rest of the runners/walkers to be instructed to line up at the start line. I stretched... Observed... Took pics of my shoes and surroundings... Waved hi to a few co-workers and silently prayed while reminding myself to pace myself. 7:00AM (It begins) Ran slowly on the bridge....first HILL (I HATE HILLS) Off the bridge and rounded the corner to the first mile marker and noticing in the far distance...the runners that were ELITE RUNNERS passing the four / five mile MARKER. And this is what happened... I allowed discouragement to set in...(bad thing for me to do) By the three mile marker...my stomach started burning because I burned up that LITTLE APPLE BANANA, which I had to slow my run down to where I decided to walk for my body to adjust. However, I was allowing myself to notice other people especially walkers pass by me. So, I started jogging really slow. This is when the sun came out from the clouds and blast me with its rays (good thing I had a bottle water). Another thing that slowed me down, (my fault!) was the fact that I was taking in all the historic building surroundings as well as making a note to go to Pacific Aviation to check out the planes! The water stations were at perfect intervals but it was luke warm water. However, thank you to the volunteers who were quickly handing out waters and cheering us on. As we rounded the last circle before heading back to the bridge, I noticed that some cars were impatient and attempting to drive in the midst of runners (boo!) Finally, the bridge loomed ahead and at first I was jog/walking behind other walkers before realizing that I am able to run around them. There were the camera people waiting to take pictures but um...NO, I was actually becoming grouchy because I swear...I hate hills. I had to run the hills on the bridge...then I had to run up the hill to round the corner to get to Richardson Field. I was not a happy person because I allowed discouragement to get the better of me. I was that irritated at everything, that I decided to sprint it just to get it over and done with. The finishing time on the clock was 1:43:36, however, official time was 1:43:00 (I made it under two hours, thank God). But, like a petulant child after accomplishing something, I just headed to the table that was offering water and gatorade. I grabbed my bottles and watched the awards ceremony. Megan Clark (my trainer) at SOHI Fitness placed THIRD for OVERALL WOMEN in this event. How cool is that? Plus, the trophies were koa wood (I think). There was some entertainment afterwards but I didn't stay. I chose to pick up my grandson and rest for the remainder of the day. Overall experience, it was a good run. It would have been a BETTER RUN if I did the following: 1) Eat a little more before the race 2) Understand that because I was just getting over being sick...my timing will be all right 3) Don't look ahead to see the elite runners and get discouraged because after all, I am running for me and no one else... 4) To remember to take my inhaler before stepping out of the car 5) TO HAVE FUN Will I do this one again next year? I think so.

What a fun event! Parking was a bit of a headache so next year I'd go a little earlier. Weather…read morelooked dreary but ended up being just perfect; a little sunny then overcast. The run takes you through all the historical buildings; by the bowfin, behind the air museum and down and around the runway back up and through the renovated living quarters. Everyone was so lighthearted and friendly which made the run really fun. The best thing, though, were the snacks at the end of the run. After making the tredge back up&over the bridge, meadow gold trucks were waiting to pass out popsicles, milk, yogurt &cottage cheese. What a treat. I'd definitely do this run again.

They had a big set of bouncy houses for free and on a 20 minute rotation, a dining area with picnic…read moretables around the large tree, a long line for the train that travels around the dining area, a movie screen in the back facing the field, a light tunnel on the corner, and a handful of vendor tents at the entrance. Not a lot of food options, one for a mix plate and one for Dippin Dots. Many children were going through the bounce house. There were obstacle courses where you can race your friends. One smelled strongly of urine as if someone actually peed in the bounce house and many others had pools of water as if they hadn't cleaned if after the rain. We didn't stick around for the movie because the big field seating area smelled like urine. TLDR: Only good for photos. I worry about the sanitation. Wear shoes. Do not come hungry. For the movie, bring a beach chair.

At a war demonstration......the park looks great, large lawn areas, parking around the park, and…read moreits an easy to find park. The minus star is for the bathroom. I know of one murder that took place there, constant feeling of dread from people living there because they ask 4 money. The best defense is the best defense.....dont use the bathroom there.

A small park part of Fort DeRussey across from the Hale Koa on the west side of Waikiki. Well…read morekept greens and a bit of nature, other than the beaches and trees through out Waikiki. Great place to sit, enjoy lunch or just walk with fewer people to overwhelm your experience. One of favorite chill spots as I walk over to beach in the morning or for lunch. Pics to come.

A beautiful memorial park downtown Waikiki. Extremely spacious place to stretch your legs, play…read morecatch or walk your dog in this pet friendly park. Paved sidewalk all the way around and through the middle. Several memorial plaques and sculptures. No real parking but easy walk across the street from Hale Koa.