Living Large at the Waikiki Marriott

From the 23rd floor, the view at the edge of the balcony of an ocean front can quicken the heart. The first night after arriving, I could hardly stand at the balcony railing. Twenty-four hours later? Not only could I walk up to the railing, I could look down to the street below. Nice ocean view and North along Kalakaua Ave.

While technically not on the beach, the Marriott Waikiki Beach Resort & Spa is close enough. In fact, the beach is just across the street - Kalakaua Avenue.

At dawn, the beach is relatively quiet. By the afternoon, pandemonium as all of us tourists get out and get going. Kalakaua and the beach stay busy late into the evening.

Quick Tips:

Fun things to do while staying at the Marriott:

Arizona Memorial. Easy to get to from Waikiki via the number 20 bus. Takes an hour to get there. The tour itself takes only a few hours. Unfortunately, waiting your turn to take the tour can take several hours.

Bowfin Submarine. This World War II submarine can be found across the parking lot from the Arizona Memorial Visitor Center.

Battleship Missouri. Catch a trolley from parking lot between the Arizona Memorial Visitor Center and the Bowfin Submarine to visit this classic battleship.

Honolulu Zoo. Short walk from the hotel. Can see the whole zoo in a leisurely morning or afternoon.

Waikiki Aquarium. Half mile walk from the hotel along Kalakaua Avenue. We made our way through all the exhibits in under two hours. I have a better understanding of reef ecosystems.

Sea Life Park. Upscale ocean theme park complete with dolphin performances. Big aquarium with lots of opportunities for interacting with sea creatures. A long ride on bus number 22 will get you there and back.

US Army Museum of Hawaii. Good exhibits on WW II stuff. Sensitive to Japanese role in the war. Ride the number 8 bus from Waikiki.

Diamond Head. Volcano crater overlooking Waikiki. Take the number 22 or 58 bus from Waikiki to get inside the crater. A 45 minute hike gets you to the crater's rim where there are spectacular views of Waikiki and surrounding bays.

Iolani Palace: This museum was the "government" building shown as the seat of power in Hawaii Five-O TV series. Reachable via the number 2 and 13 buses.

Polynesian Cultural Center. Take the number 8 bus to the Ala Moana Shopping Center where you can catch the "Circle Island Scenic Route" buses number 55 or 52. Each bus goes around the island in different directions. Much to do in the Cultural Center. Learn about Hawaiian culture. Attend an authentic Hawaiian Luau. Visit seven authentic Hawaiian villages. The Polynesian Cultural Center is the top paid attraction on Oahu.

Dinner Cruises. Bring some dress clothes and have a romantic evening out. Unless you are a seasoned and tough urbanite, you may want to take a taxi or join a tour group for transportation. A number of dinner cruises to chose from. See the hotel concierge.

The beaches. Excellent. Walk out the door and cross the street. 

Best Way To Get Around:

The Marriott is located between Kalakaua and Kuhio Avenues. Buses are constantly coming and going along Kuhio. The Bus can take you where ever you want to go easily and conveniently.

You really don't need a car. The hotel would have charged us per day to park a car. Seems a bit steep on top of - daily car rental costs. Bus is per ride. Transfers are good for 2+ hours. ABC stores on every corner have Bus Route Maps and city bus guide books. We bought two that were helpful "The Bus Map and Guide Book" and "The Bus Guide." The Bus Guide is better and cheaper than the other one.

While you can take the bus from the airport to Waikiki hotels, I would only recommend it if you are traveling lightly. Lightly means only carry-on's. NO CHECKED LUGGAGE. The bus rules don't allow passengers to carry on more than they can hold in their laps. Enforcement is lax but don't take a chance. Cab fare costs (included tip) for airport to hotel. Hotel to airport cost (included tip).

Get yourself a good map of the Island. The fourth map we bought in Waikiki is my favorite. "Franko's O'ahu Guide Map With Things to See and Do." Found this map in a dive shop. It is our most expensive Oahu map but it is the easiest to read and understand.

If you plan to do snorkeling, go to a WalMart or K-Mart and buy mask, fins, snorkel, beach towel, umbrella. Cheaper than renting. Buy a duffle bag at the same time and bring the stuff home so you can use it again. Ride the bus. The Marriott has shops that sell this stuff if you don't want to figure out how to get to one of the big retailers.

From the 23rd floor, the view at the edge of the balcony of an ocean front can quicken the heart. The first night after arriving, I could hardly stand at the balcony railing. Twenty-four hours later? Not only could I walk up to the railing, I could look down to the street below. Nice ocean view and North along Kalakaua Ave.

While technically not on the beach, the Marriott Waikiki Beach Resort & Spa is close enough. In fact, the beach is just across the street - Kalakaua Avenue.

At dawn, the beach is relatively quiet. By the afternoon, pandemonium as all us tourists get out and get going. Kalakaua and the beach stay busy late into the evening.

A survey of hotel reviews on the Internet led us to believe that the Marriott would be very noisy. In general, the higher you are in a hotel, the quieter it is. We were on the 23rd floor. Probably true in this case as the hotel was not as noisy as we expected. Generally things quieted down around 10pm. I recommend this hotel. We received the best service of any Hawaiian Marriott we've stayed at (out of 5 total).

The Marriott is located between Kalakaua and Kuhio Avenues. Buses are constantly coming and going along Kuhio. The Bus can take you where ever you want to go easily and conveniently.

Our ocean front room had an ample balcony providing pleasing views of the ocean, beaches, and Waikiki. The hotel has two towers. We stayed in the shorter Kealohilani Tower which provides better views than the taller Paoakalani Tower. The room was clean. No sand in the carpet. The king size bed was one of the new Marriott beds. Very comfortable. We used the small refrigerator to keep water, milk, and yogurt cool. We spent a number of evenings and mornings sitting in the over-stuffed chairs just hanging out.

We took advantage of the hotel's Kuhio Beach Grill restaurant. Two nights we got the early bird special providing all-you-can eat prime rib. The service and the food were the best hotel restaurant experience we've had in Hawaii. We had Thanksgiving dinner at the Kuhio Beach Grill as well. The service wasn't as good as the previous night but the food was still good.

Best advice - you really don't need a car. Our hotel would have charged us $19 per day to park a car. Seems a bit steep on top of $75-$100 daily car rental costs. Bus is $2 per ride. Transfers are good for 2+ hours. ABC stores on every corner have Bus Route Maps and city bus guide books. We bought two that were helpful "The Bus Map and Guide Book" and "The Bus Guide." The Bus Guide is better and cheaper than the other one.

The Marriott Waikiki Beach Resort & Spa make a good base for siteseeing. We will stay here again.

At 6:10am we walked out of the Marriott turning away from the beach and crossed Kuhio Avenue. The bus stop at the corner had a bench to sit on while waiting for the number 20 bus. Ten minutes later we were on the bus headed for our destination. An hour and fifteen minutes later, the bus driver turned into the USS Arizona Memorial Visitor Center parking lot to let a number of riders off the bus. We found out later that the number 42 bus would have been much faster.

Even though we arrived ten minutes after the Visitor Center opening, the line was already wrapped around the expansive acre-sized lawn. With new arrivals pouring out of buses, vans, and cars, we raced to secure our spot in line. A park ranger worked his way down the line. Groups left the line as the ranger told them the rules for entering the Visitor Center. Visitors with purses, camera bags, strollers, backpacks, or any other items offering concealment are not allowed entry to the Visitor Center. Thieves often break into cars in the parking lot to steal valuables. Use the available storage lockers located near the USS Bowfin Museum and Park.

We were handed tickets with a group number printed on the ticket as we entered the Visitor Center. We were in group number five. Group one had already entered the theatre to see the short film before boarding the US Navy launches that ferry visitors between the Visitor Center and the Memorial.

While we were waiting for our group number to be called, we had ample opportunity to see the museum and visit the snack bar inside the Visitor Center. It took an hour and a half before our group was called.

We watched the short film providing a historical context for the attack on Pearl Harbor. As soon as the film stopped, we were out the doors and boarding the Navy launch. The ride over to the Memorial was pleasant and smooth.

From the launch we could see the USS Bowfin and Battleship Missouri.

Entering the Memorial is like entering a church. Visitors were respectful and somber. Tears of black fuel bunker oil still float to the water's surface and spread out into rainbow colored wreaths.

Names of the fallen heroes are chiseled into the granite wall on the far end. I share my family name with two men. Far from home I find a reminder that is close to home.

We reboarded the launch and returned to the Visitor Center. Hungry, we made our way to the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center for a late breakfast.

We walked up to the Nimitz Highway and found the bus stop. The bus dropped us off at our hotel an hour and a half later.

On Safari At The Honolulu Zoo.

The Waikiki Marriott where we stayed is two blocks from the Honolulu Zoo. Mid morning, we walked over to the zoo. I was hoping to see a rhino. My wife was hoping to see monkeys.

Childhood memories are like collages. They are patchworks of different events. Mixing childhood and recent memories makes visiting the zoo a real joy.

In 1962, John Wayne starred in Hatari!, a movie about a team of hunters selling animals to zoos. In the movie opening, a rhinoceros charges their car and gores a hunter. The soundtrack cover romanticizes this scene.

I would study the Hatari soundtrack album cover. I still can picture a rhinoceros ramming the hunter's car as the hunters are perched on the car roof lassoing the beast.

Hatari's soundtrack was composed by Henry Mancini during his most productive years. The sheet music for Baby Elephant Walk pictured the same scene as the album cover. In one Junior High orchestra concert, we performed Baby Elephant Walk reinforcing rhino memory.

Recently, I met a missionary who travels in Africa. He fears encountering a rhino. Rhinos are fiercely territorial and don't tolerate intruders. They charge and roll vehicles over seriously injuring the occupants. Hearing this, I immediately thought of the album cover. In my mind, I saw the missionary's Range Rover charged by a raging rhino.

As we paid at the zoo entrance, we were given a zoo map. Instead of first studying the map, we immediately set out to explore. Parts of the zoo are typical of zoos I visited as a child. Thick steel mesh cages or deep grottos with moats. Other parts of the zoo are more modern and open like the Savanna area. The zoo is small. It only took us a few hours to walk through and see everything (except the Herptetarium). All of the major animals were represented including monkeys and rhinos.

Unfortunately, I didn't get to see a rhino. They were hiding. However, the hippos and monkeys were quite engaging and satisfied my need for adventure. Watching the other zoo patrons, I saw small groups moving from exhibit to exhibit while talking, smiling, and pointing. Some visitors were telling their children zoo stories about themselves and other family members. Travelers with children under ten will enjoy the zoo. The pace inside the zoo is much slower and calmer than the pace of Waikiki. Watching children gaze wide-eyed at the animals enhanced our experience. The zoo Snack Bar where we ate lunch was crowded with families. The children were jabbering excitedly about what they had seen and what they still wanted to see.

The zoo is easy to find. Take Kalakaua Avenue toward Diamond Head. The zoo entrance is at the corner of Kalakaua, Monsarrat, and Kapahulu Avenues. Buses running along Kuhio Avenue stop at the zoo. Specifically, buses 2, 4, 8, 19, 20, 22, 42, and 58. Or, if you plan to drive, ample zoo parking is accessible off Kapahulu Avenue.

Changing the Battery.

Battery Randolph, a defensive fort with big guns and thick walls, was built in 1911 to defend against attack from battleships. The battery was given two main guns that could shoot warships 14 miles away hitting them with 1600 pound bullets. The bullets weighed as much as a small car and hit the ships at about 3,000 miles per hour. The battery walls were made to withstand attacks from battleships carrying similar guns. No enemy ever dared to attack Waikiki by sea because the battery's walls were stronger than the battleship hulls.

Warfare changed. New threats emerged. Battery Randolph could no longer defend Hawaii from invaders. In 1970, a demolition company was hired to tear down the battery. The battery's walls held fast against the wrecking ball. The battered but undefeated old battery stood defiant. The demolition company gave up.

In 1971, Battery Randolph was charged with housing the U.S. Army Museum of Hawaii. The museum focuses on four time periods: between the great wars, WW II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. The exhibits are informative and don't editorialize about good guys and bad guys. The museum provides context for life in the army that will enhance your understanding of the war years. Books about WW II combat soldiers (like Band of Brothers, Beyond Band of Brothers, and The Greatest Generation) should become more vivid and real.

Admission is free. The museum staff proved to be helpful and friendly. The museum gift shop has quality souvenirs.

The museum is located on Kalia Road by the ocean in the opposite direction from Diamond Head. In Waikiki, take the number 8, 19, 20, or 42 bus. If you plan to visit by car, museum parking is available across the street.