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Stopover In OahuUse your stopover in Oahu time to see some amazing sites before leaving for Maui.
These are some of our favorite Oahu activities to consider if your trip includes a stopover in Oahu.
If this is your first trip to Hawaii and you have the opportunity to stopover in Oahu, Pearl Harbor is a must-see.
While we were there, every five minutes a moment of silence was observed as the American flag is lowered and then raised in tribute to the fallen. A ferry will take you out to the USS Arizona Memorial where you can still see oil leaking up to the surface from the wreckage below.
Hanauma Bay was the first place we got to snorkel in Oahu in 1997. We absolutely loved it. At that time we had rented equipment at a shop before we arrived (they do have snorkeling concessions at the bay).
If you choose to go with a snorkeling tour guide, you can avoid both the long snorkeling concession lines at Hanauma Bay and, if the parking lot is full, you can still go snorkeling as a result of your guide's state-issued permit. Hanauma Bay is closed on Tuesdays and all Hawaii State Holidays. It is a Marine Life Conservation Area, so the following are not allowed: pets; alcoholic beverages; fishing or feeding the fish; harming, harassing or removing marine life.
Owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Polynesian Cultural Center provides job opportunities for students attending BYU-Hawaii as well as a cultural experience for tourists of all walks of life. It is located in a little town called Laie, on the north side of the island. If your stopover in Oahu permits timewise, your experience at the Polynesian Cultural Center will be well worth the drive!
The PCC has village replicas of each of these islands with presentations about the people and culture. (In this picture our son and my brother are about to get a drum lesson from a Tongan native!) You're in for an unforgetable experience if you have time to stay for the luau and show at dusk. The luau is one of the best on the island and the show will leave you with a new love and respect for the people of Polynesia.
Right next door to the Polynesian Cultural Center is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Temple and Visitor's Center. While only church members with a current temple recommend can go inside the temple, the Visitor's Center and temple grounds are open to the public.
Have you ever wondered what pineapple ice cream tasted like? If your stopover in Oahu permits, the Dole Pineapple Plantation has all things pineapple--including ice cream.
They also let you know in no uncertain terms that it is illegal to pick pineapple and is a $500 fine if you are caught. That's one expensive souvenir!
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As you walk through the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor, you gain a feeling of respect for the 2,403 Americans (including 68 civilians) who lost their lives during the attack on Pearl Harbor. 
You should get there early because the parking lot tends to fill up quickly. 
Geographically, Polynesia may be described as a triangle with its three corners at Hawaii, New Zealand, and Easter Island. The other main island groups located within the Polynesian triangle are Samoa, Tonga, Tahiti, Fiji, Marquesas, and a variety of other smaller islands. 
A tour guide takes you through the pineapple fields where you learn the ins and outs of harvesting pineapple.
