Public art in Kalihi, Honolulu, Hawaii…read more.. While driving my friends from New Jersey around my Island State of Hawaii, I pointed out Honolulu Community College, which my nephew attended. Marlina and I decided to get out of the car when I parked in the school's parking lot on Kokea Street. Diane played a Hawaiian song on her phone: "Kaulana Nā Pua" (Famous Are The Flowers). She didn't know the meaning, but liked the tune. It's an appropriate song as we gazed upon the mural with Queen Liliuokalani (the last reigning Monarch of the Hawaiian Kingdom) in the middle. We also saw the words, "Mauka to Makai" which loosely means: from mountain to ocean. In the upper left corner, there is a Hawaiian Proverb: "A'ohe hana nui ke ahu 'ia" (No task is too big when done together by all). This is an awesome creation. It has deeper meaning when closely inspected...

Art is something that comes is so many forms…read more.. Here the Water Writes Honolulu Mural is one to behold and depending on the direction you're coming from to get the glimpse of this stunning mural is worth the quick stop I made to get a better look at this glory. On the top righthand corner explains much of much of it as it's presented by Estria Foundation & 808 Urban and I can go on but just can't describe each detail as this precious art tells the story of our precious water and we all need to be mindful how everything on thrives with water. This is one of many Water Writes Mural around the world (California, Arizona, Columbia, El Salvador, Philippines, and Palestine) so let's all appreciate and enjoy this stunning piece which helps remind us how blessed we truly are. Thank you!

Background On The Duke: He was known as "The Father of Modern Surfing" and "The Big Kahuna." The…read moreMan, The Myth, The Legend! Statue Type: A 9-foot bronze sculpture by artist Jan Gordon Fisher. Statue Significance: Honors his legacy. He won five Olympic medals (three gold, two silver) in swimming between 1912 and 1920. and is Hawaii's official Ambassador of Aloha. He was also a surfing god and actor. He was also the Sheriff of Honolulu, Hawaii from 1935 to 1961. What a PRIMO! Background On Visit: Saw pictures of Kahanamoku online/social media, but really wanted to see him in real life. Visitation Rights: Had to see him twice. The last time there was a nice sunset. Might've pulled some strings with Kahanamoku to make it happen. :) Location: Located at Waikiki Beach near the police station Ambiance/Decor: Neat statue with a lovely backdrop of the beach and palm trees. Visitors would hang lei's on him. Duke Paoa Kahanamoku Statue For Thought: The main attraction besides people watching, swimming, surfing, boogie boarding, tanning, and watching the sunrise/sunset at Waikiki Beach. It is quite fitting to have a tribute to the "Kahuna"!

It's located in the center of Waikiki beach, and the most iconic statue honors the father of modern…read moresurfing and Olympic gold medalist Duke Kahanamoku. You won't miss it, where you see most tourists pile up and take photos. I would say it's hard to not associate it with Waikiki memories.

Local Ghibli art…read more.. One thing I love about SALT in Kaka'ako are the murals and you can't miss them that are large as the whole side of the buildings but there is one that draws a lot of attention and it's really not that big at all. Pineapple Totoro and Catbus Mural which is located right on Coral Street between Highway Inn and The Boiling Crab "Da CatBus is painted in the local transit colors while Totoro is full dressed as a Pineapple is so fun and creative that tourists are always found taking pictures of and with the mural as we all love how it combines the cultures in a fun and playful way that is only found right here in Kaka'ako. Along with Kako plants and the stunning blue skies in the background artist @7sketches is a fun and playful piece that makes everyone smile and shine the local love we have here with artists to share with us all. Thank you!

Formerly known as Hawaii State Art Museum. Located between Honolulu City and the State Capitol and…read moreIolani Palace. The venue often showcases local art installations highlight Polynesian and Asian themes. Frequent live music and event nights make this a museum to frequent often.

The Capitol Modern Art Museum on Richards Street in Honolulu is an amazing experience! Best of all,…read moreit's free to attend and offers a wonderful mix of art, music, dancing, and community. I enjoyed exploring the art exhibits and seeing the creativity of local artists. There were also vendors selling local products, jewelry, hats, clothing, and other unique items. If you'd like, you can also grab a drink or food while enjoying the event. The museum hosts special First Friday events every month, creating a fun and vibrant atmosphere where people can gather, socialize, and appreciate art and culture. For convenient parking, I recommend the Aliʻi Place parking garage, where parking is very affordable. It's a great way to spend an evening in downtown Honolulu, whether you're a local or a visitor.

Have you played Animal Crossing: New Horizons?…read more Stay with me here. Because while this wasn't the first place I'd ever seen the iconic statue of King Kamehameha I (also known as Kamehameha the Great), my brain absolutely went, "Oh hey, my island museum decor!" the second I saw it in real life. Yes, I'm that person who unknowingly recreated a culturally significant landmark next to Blathers. I hadn't plan to see this statue while I was on Oahu but shoutout to my waifu Sheryl M. for the spontaneous detour. She hadn't seen it in person either, so it turned into one of those unexpectedly wholesome "Wait, this is actually kind of special" moments. Bonus: I also got introduced to a Hawaiian plover (tiny, adorable, and clearly the main character of the day). The statue stands proudly in front of Aliʻiōlani Hale, and here's where things get interesting: - The statue you see there is actually a replica. - "There are four Kamehameha Statues: One on Oahu, two on the Big Island - in HiIo & North Kohala, and another one in Washington DC at the US Capitol." - As per Bruddah Fran C. (go add him)! - The original statue had a whole dramatic backstory: It was cast in Europe, lost in a shipwreck, then later recovered (yes, ocean salvage arc), and eventually placed elsewhere in Hawaii. - The statue wasn't designed to accurately reflect Kamehameha's true appearance. It was westernized, which... yeah. A little side-eye moment. Even with that context, there's something undeniably powerful about seeing it in person. The stance, the gesture, the presence... It hits differently when you're standing right there. Would I recommend stopping by? Honestly, yes. It's quick, it's meaningful, and it's one of those spots that sneaks up on you. Embrace life and spontaneity.

Beautiful and amazing statueKing Kamehameha Statue. A must see and take a photo and memories with…read moreyou back to mainland

The legendary story of Makua and his seal friend Kila, was the inspiration for this bronze…read moresculpture on the east side of Waikiki. The book was written by Fred Van Dyke. The sculpture is fun and makes me smile when ever I pass. According to the attached plaque, Holly Young was the artist and the sculpture was commissioned by the City of Honolulu Commission on the Arts. The book honors family and the ocean, important Hawaiian values. Visitors place leis around the necks of the boy and seal. There is some public pay parking across the street near the zoo.

I always see them in the corner of my eyes. Didn't mind reading the history of this but this time,…read moreI was curious. The pigeon made me do this. Give them a lil check but failed to read what's on the stone. It needs an update coz letters are kinda unreadable, so here comes google & read some information about this public sculpture. This bronze charmer located in the end of Kuhio Beach Park has an interesting story behind it. The sculpture shows a young surfer named Makua sharing a moment with a monk seal which is named by Kila. It was an inspiration of a children's book "Makua Lives On The Beach", a story about Hawaiian values of love & respect. After knowing all of these, I'll be looking on that public sculpture the next time 'round a lil different. Appreciating it more & give a stare for a minute. I'd be taking more photos too the next time I'll stroll Waikiki downtown. Mahalo for reading & happy juandering fellow yelpers!

Public art in Honolulu, Hawaii…read more.. On the way from the parking lot next to the former Fisherman's Wharf to the Ala Moana Pedestrian Bridge, we saw Choy's Monster. It's a gigantic sculpture of the world's largest Pacific Blue Marlin! Captain Cornelius Choy caught it on June 10, 1970 with a rod and reel! It weighed 1805 pounds. This event happened on the Kewalo Harbor. Charter Boat Coreene C. Come see this amazing display! It's between Ala Moana Boulevard and the harbor.

A whopper of a trophy…read more.. As I drive through Ala Moana Boulevard almost on a daily basis we all know about the giant marlin displayed at Kewalo Basin and with lots of various boats at the harbor it would be the common decor you'd expect to see and think not much of it other than how cool it looks and being a great symbolic monument to give directions for folks finding their way around town. Well as on this day that I went to explore the Ala Moana Boulevard Bridge to start and as we glanced and noticed the plaque placed right below titled "Choy's Monster" as this was the exact replica of the Pacific Blue Marline caught by Captain Cornelius Choy using just a rod and reel isn't that an incredible history! So if you're ever in the area go see this monster as the story of itself is not only great but a fun fact of how it was captured and is a wonderful piece of landmark for us to share. Thank you!

Hello again Yelpsters! I took a few months break from Yelp (I know, traitorous). Earlier this…read moreyear, Mrs. Yelper and I planned our first trip to Hawaii. What to do there?! The state is filled with opportunities, and we didn't even know what island to stay at. Fortunately we chose Waikiki, mostly because I grew up near Buffalo NY and Waikiki sounds soooo exotic. Not unlike Mrs. Yelper. LOVED IT. Lots to see, lots of touristy stuff but not tacky. A short walk to the beach and the Pink Palace. Highly recommended.

Gorgeous place and love that we were able to get a hotel that's walking distance to restaurants,…read morecoffee shops, shopping, and the beach!! The highlight of our trip is Vintage Island for coffee and shave ice, Guava Smoked (the best Hawaiian food), and Leonard's Bakery (malasadas), and Diamond Head hike + the beach of course! The only thing is so many restaurants and coffee shops don't have a restroom for their customers use and they can't even direct us to a public city restroom so I'm not sure if there's any. One coffee shop staff told us to go use the hotel's restroom next to them which the housekeeper would not open for us. If cafes and restaurants are not required to have a bathroom, and the city cannot prohibit hotels from locking their ground floor restrooms, please build clean public restrooms every couple of blocks just like Monterey and Carmel by the Sea and probably most beach towns.