To be an adventurer you sometimes have to take risks and make last minute decisions. You have to get out of your comfort zone and go to places unknown to you. We have done many adventures across the world and have learned how to take risks. One day in the middle of July I woke up and nudged Sierra as she laid in bed and asked her “What if I took a day trip to Honolulu?”. She first laughed at me thinking I was off on one of my crazy ideas (Trust me I have some crazy travel plans). Then she realized I was serious and we worked on the idea. Unfortunately Sierra was not able to make the journey with me since she was was busy with her work schedule. In this post I will explain how I made this long journey and what I did on a day trip to Hawai’i!
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The Journey Begins
03:30 AM PST: After a few hours of sleep and a long night of work my alarm was buzzing on my dresser. It was the start of a journey and a long day. I took my shower and got my backpack filled with my supples. I brought along a change of clothes, extra socks, a toothbrush, phone charger, and my GoPro Hero 5 camera. Sierra woke up and took me to the airport so I could catch my flight.
04:36 AM PST: We arrived into Terminal 4 of Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (“America’s Friendliest Airport”). Sierra kissed me goodbye and told me to make sure and let her know that I am alright during my adventure. I told her not to worry that I will be fine. As I walked into the beautiful airport I proceeded up the escalators from level 1 (Baggage Claim) to level 3 (Security Checkpoint & Gates). If you ever need to check-in with the airline at the ticket counter make your way to level 2 (Ticketing) at Terminal 4. I went over to the TSA security checkpoint (D Side Checkpoint) and went over to the TSA-Pre line as I always like to keep my shoes on and get right through security. If you want to learn how to get TSA Pre or Global Entry please visit our post on things you might want to buy before your next trip. I got to my gate at C4 to catch a flight from Phoenix to Oakland. I got my boarding pass and went to board my plane. I was greeted by some really nice crew members and took my seat. At 05:23 AM PST I was taking off from Phoenix, Arizona and on my way to Oakland, California.
07:07 AM PST: My flight went right over the south-east part of the San Francisco Bay and landed safely on runway 30 at Oakland International Airport. I arrived into Terminal 2 and walked over to Terminal 1. In Oakland the two terminals are connected so you don’t have to leave security and it’s not a very far walk between them. I had just about a 2 hour layover in Oakland so I just went to the gate where my Honolulu flight was set to depart and waited in the boarding area (Super exciting I know!). 2 hours later I secured my boarding pass and got on the aircraft, bound for Honolulu, Hawai’i!
Travel Tip: The flight from Oakland to Honolulu is a 5 hour and 24 minute flight so you might get a little hungry. I was on a budget trip and did not want to spend money on expensive airline/airport food. A good tip is to pack your lunch for the flight before you leave on your journey! The key is to pack something easy to make, not too heavy to weigh you down, and also remember not to pack liquids as you will not be able to take it past security. I packed myself a sandwich I bought from the local grocery store with some chips. This cost me around $7 for lunch. Remember to clean up your mess so your wonderful flight crew does not have to clean up after you!
Honolulu in a Day
11:30 AM UTC: I looked out the window and saw the beautiful Hawaiian beaches and the the very blue Pacific Ocean water. We landed on-time into Daniel K. Inouye International Airport. Check out the video of the airplane circling and landing here. The airport is very beautiful and spacious. If you are an Aviation Geek like myself then you will love this airport! Honolulu offers an outdoor area where you can look onto the ramp and see the different aircraft and airlines that fly into the airport each day.
I went down to baggage claim to find a restroom to change into more comfortable clothes and shoes to walk around the city in. My next plan was to find an ATM to get change to go on The Bus to Waikiki Beach. The bus fare was $2.50 from the airport to Waikiki.
Travel Tip: I made the mistake to not bring change with me for The Bus. I had to find an ATM to get cash out so I could take The Bus. Almost all the ATM’s in Honolulu are on the baggage claim level. Once I got cash out I went to the Starbucks in the baggage claim level and bought some water ($5) and asked for exact change for The Bus ($2.50). Next time I will be more prepared and bring change with me for The Bus fare.
12:30 PM UTC: I finally got on The Bus and headed to Waikiki to experience Honolulu for the day! The Bus was filled with tourists so I had to stand the whole bus ride (1 hour) which wasn’t too big of a deal since I was only paying $2.50 to get to the beach. The Bus was a good experience but make sure to get on one of the first stops at the airport instead of the last one like I did so you can secure a seat. You can catch The Bus on level 2 (Ticketing) on the 2nd island outside.
01:30 PM UTC: I got off The Bus at the “International Market Place” bus stop. The International Market has a lot of great shops and places to grab a bite to eat. Later on in this post I will go more in depth on what I did at the market and where I grabbed a tasty dessert! I made my way from the International Market to Waikiki Beach which was just steps away from the shopping center. I strolled down the large sidewalk next the beach admiring the beautiful views and listening to the sounds of the waves. Along the sidewalks you will see beautiful man-made waterfalls and statues of famous Hawaiians.
I then proceeded to Waikiki Wall, a popular place for locals and tourists to jump off the wall into the ocean. I took off my shoes and walked through the water on the beach. It was so refreshing to feel the nice cool waves hitting my feet and legs. There are several picnic tables and benches close to the beach to relax and people-watch. After my legs and feet were dried off I went down the street to try and find some good Hawaiian food.
Lunch Time
My quest for lunch had begun. I was looking something I could only get in Honolulu, without breaking the bank. I made my way up Monsarrat Ave. and just less than a mile from Waikiki Wall I found South Shore Grill, which looked like a nice local seafood shack. When I went inside I was greeted with a warm “Mahalo” and was asked what I wanted. I asked the employee what the most popular item on their menu was and she said it would be their fish tacos. I did not argue with her and said I will gladly try 2 of your famous fish tacos ($12 plus a drink). After just a brief wait for the fish tacos to be finished I heard my name being called. I threw on some of their hot sauce they had on the counter and walked over to the bar to test out these fish tacos. They did not disappoint! My mouth was watering the entire time while eating these delicious fish tacos. It was great that they had an indoor eating area since it was getting warmer outside. I thought to myself that I will have to definitely come back here and bring Sierra along.
The Adventure Continues
After my stomach was all filled up I felt it was time to get up and do something really fun to work off those calories. I decided to hike up the famous Diamond Head State Monument! From the South Shore Grill to the Diamond Head main entrance it was only a 1 mile walk. You find a nice pathway along Monsarrat Ave. where you will have to go through Diamond Head Tunnel to the Diamond Head entrance. I got to the entrance at 03:45 PM UTC. At the entrance I paid a fee of $1 since I was walking in (it is $5 if you have a car). Make sure to bring along water as there will not be any fountains once you’re up on the trail. The hike could be difficult if you are not used to hiking or have shortness of breath. To me the hike was fun and challenging at times. I was enjoying the island and ocean views when climbing Diamond Head.
04:30 PM UTC: I made it to the top of Diamond Head, after going through a series of upward trails, lots of stairs, and a couple of tunnels. There was breathtaking panoramic views of Honolulu and the Western portion of the Island of Oahu. This was a great work-out and amazing hike! Diamond Head also has a lot of history behind this beautiful crater as well. Diamond Head was used as a US Military Outpost to overlook Honolulu to prevent attacks on the city. Once up on the crater, you can see the old bunkers the military used during World War II.
After I enjoyed the beautiful views I headed back down the trail. Once I got down back to the base I refilled my water bottle at the water fountain by the restrooms. The base of the crater also offers multiple benches shaded by trees. It was nice to sit down and just relax after the hike up and back down the crater.
My journey was coming to an end here in Hawai’i. So I headed back to the International Market Place which was about a 3 mile walk. I stopped by the Honolulu Zoo as I saw an open bench underneath an Ancient Banyan Tree. I sat there for a few minutes to think how grateful I was to do this day trip and to just live in the moment of the beautiful scenery of Honolulu.
I got back on my feet and proceeded back to the International Market. At the market I found a Hawaiian ice cream shop called Magnolia Ice Cream & Treats. They have yummy ice cream and Hawaiian shaved ice. They ha a variety of interesting flavors; I chose to have Rocky Road and Kona Coffee ice cream in a cup ($8). The ice cream was a great treat after walking 11 total miles during the day.
While figuring out what kind of transportation I should take back to the airport I ran into a free performance at the International Market Place. I was in luck to see some Hawaiian dancers performing traditional dances. These talented artists perform every week on Wednesday inside the International Market and you should definitely check it out for some great entertainment! It was a perfect way to end an epic day trip.
Journey Back Home
08:15 PM UTC: I decided to take an Uber back to the airport since The Bus was taking a different route due to road construction. The Uber driver was a local and super friendly guy on the 30 minute drive back to the airport ($22). Honolulu International Airport is broke up into 2 terminals. Terminal 2 is for anyone going within the State of Hawai’i between the different islands and Terminal 3 is airlines going either International or to the Continental United States or Alaska (the mainland). If you plan to check luggage make sure to have the Hawaiian Government Officials screen your luggage prior to check-in, to inspect that you will not be bringing back anything that is supposed to stay in Hawai’i (Ex. fruits, vegetables, plants, etc.). Honolulu offers TSA-Pre which is nice for those travelers who have the service. I got to my gate to claim my boarding pass and was ready for my redeye flight to Seattle, Washington.
11:30 PM UTC: My flight took off on-time and after 12 wonderful hours in Honolulu, Hawai’i my time came to an end as I needed to go back home. I landed at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport at 08:34 AM PST after a 6 hour and 4 minute flight. My connecting flight was right next door to the gate I arrived in as my next leg went to Las Vegas, Nevada. I departed Seattle at 09:29 AM PST and went on my way to Las Vegas which was a 2 hours and 3 minutes. I then made it to McCarran International Airport at 12:08 PM PST. I was planning to stay in Las Vegas to meet with some friends in downtown but was unbelievably tired and ready to finish up my 5th and final leg of my trip. I took the airport transit system from Terminal 3 to Terminal 2 to hop on a earlier flight to Phoenix, Arizona. With my luck I was able to catch it at 01:10 PM PST! I was so relieved to make it back home after such an amazing day trip. I landed in Phoenix at 02:20 PM PST.
I got to spend 12 hours in Honolulu, Hawai’i. I spent a total of 23 hours traveling (including layovers) from Phoenix to Oakland to Honolulu to Seattle to Las Vegas and back to Phoenix. I was finally home after 35 hours. Many of my family members and friends asked me afterwards if it was worth it? I did not hesitate and said “Absolutely!”. I had an amazing experience that I will remember for the rest of my life. I was able to spend less than $50 total for the whole trip! Now the question is: Where should I go next?
