Though our Islands have become quite populated over the years, the majority of Kamaaina (or locals) live and work in Honolulu. There are always places to get away and enjoy Mark Twain's Hawaii; locals know it, and if persistent you too can enjoy Hawaii's solitude.

Try one of our innumerable parks, they line the ocean highways, as well as dot our cities. Visit the Honolulu Zoo, bring a lunch and spend the day enjoying the 40+ acre facility, featuring some of the most endangered spices of the Pacific Rim. Take a short walk to the Waikiki Aquarium, roughly five blocks Diamond Head side of the zoo on the ocean. Feel good with the knowledge that the lion-head's share of your small entrance fee goes to many of the programs to enhance the animals' facilities. Take a nature walk on one or more of the many miles of trails that wind the Koolau or Waianae mountains. Or just "hang loose" and enjoy your favorite beverage, while watching the sunset from one of the many western advantage points along the ocean.

The sites to visit below are not affiliated with the Tropical Chef Hawaii, they are just great places to visit, but we enjoy them and highly recommend them to all.

Honolulu Zoo
Home to 1,230 mammals, birds and reptiles
(waking distance from Waikiki hotels)

Honolulu Zoo
151 Kapahulu Avenue
Honolulu, HI 96815 Honolulu
Phone: Main Office (808) 971-7171
Phone: Educational Programs (808) 971-7195

Honolulu Zoo Society
151 Kapahulu Avenue
Honolulu, HI 96815
Phone: (808) 926-3191

Web Address: www.HonoluluZoo.org/

The Five Honolulu Botanical Gardens

Foster Botanical Garden
50 N. Vineyard Boulevard
Honolulu, Hawaii 96817
Telephone: (808) 522-7066, 522-7065

Lili`uokalani Botanical Garden
North Kuakini Street

Ho`omaluhia Botanical Garden
45-680 Luluku Road
Kaneohe, Hawaii 96744
Telephone: (808) 233-7323, 233-7324

Koko Crater Botanical Garden
Inside Koko Crater

Wahiawa Botanical Garden
1396 California Avenue
Wahiawa, Hawaii 96786
Phone (808) 621-7321

Sea Life Park Hawaii (Dolphin Adventure, and local sea life)
Hours: daily 9:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
A full schedule of shows is provided in the morning and afternoon.

A portion of admission price goes towards marine animal rescue and rehabilitation programs. Rates and session times are subject to change without notice. Hawaii state tax will be added to all rates.

Location: 41 - 202 Kalanianaole Highway, Suite 7, Waimanalo, Hawaii 96795
Phone: (866) Dolphin (365-7446)
Email: info@sealifeparkhawaii
Web Address: SeaLifeParkHawaii.com/parkinfo/

Waimea Valley and Adventure Park
Hours: daily 10:00 am-5:30 pm
Admission: General: Adult $24, Child 4-12 years $12, 3 years and under free; Hawai'i resident: Adult $12, Child 4-12 years $6, 3 years and under free; discounts available for school groups; reservations required for education programs, special functions and large groups.

Location: 59-864 Kamehameha Highway, Hale'iwa HI 96712
Office: Monday-Friday 8:00 am-5:30 pm, Saturday-Sunday 8:30 am-5:30 pm
Phone: (808) 638-8511 Fax: (808) 638-7900
Email: waimeafallspark@aol.com

U.S.S. Arizona Memorial National Park Service
The below information taking from Arizona Memorial web site.
http://www.gov/usar/

In Brief
Oil droplets bubble to the surface of Pearl Harbor above the USS Arizona, creating a vivid link to the past. On a quiet Sunday morning December 7, 1941 a Japanese surprise air attack left the Pacific Fleet in smoldering heaps of broken, twisted steel. Here, peace was interrupted and paradise lost. In hours, 2,390 futures were stolen, half of these casualties from the battleship Arizona.

Behind the shadows of destroyed airfields, aircraft, and ships, America fought fear, and a determined enemy responding with an unrivaled war effort. An epic battle for democratic ideals and world freedom would bloody the fields of Europe and the islands of the Pacific over the next four years.

The USS Arizona Memorial as a national shrine symbolizes American sacrifice and resolve. Through national tragedy, a "sleeping giant awoke" and the United States moved towards its destiny as a global power

May We Recommend
The interpretive program, for which visitors are given free tickets at the visitor center, consists of a brief talk by a National Park Service ranger or a Pearl Harbor Survivor, followed by a 23-minute documentary film on the Pearl Harbor attack. Immediately after the film, visitors depart the theater for the boat landing, where they will board a Navy shuttle boat and begin their trip to the USS Arizona Memorial. All visitors disembark on the Memorial and will return to the visitor center a short time later on another shuttle boat.

Battleship Missouri Memorial
Hours: daily 9:00 am-5:00 pm
Admission: Adult $14; Child 4-12 years $7; children 2 years and under free;
reservations suggested for guided tours, call (808) 973-2494; add $6 to admission fee for guide
Note: Ticket office is located at U.S.S. Bowfin Submarine Museum.

Location: 1 Arizona Memorial Drive, Honolulu HI 96818
Office: open during regular business hours
Phone: (808) 973-2494 recording, (808) 423-2263 admin
Fax: (808) 422-5201