Oahu Travel Tips for Avoiding Tourists and Exploring Like a Local
The trick? Let go of the itinerary. Follow the clouds. Watch where the locals go. Because Oahu's charm isn't just in its beaches and hikes, it's in knowing when to pivot.
Oahu is shaped by its trade winds and terrain, and the island's weather often changes by the hour. The leeward coast (west) tends to be dry and sun-drenched, while the windward side (east) is lush, breezy and frequently drizzled in mist. The North Shore can swing from surf paradise to stormy retreat in a flash.
Apps like Windy, RadarScope, or Surfline will quickly become your best friends, showing real-time weather, swell size and where the sun's likely to linger. Microclimates mean that if one beach is cloudy, another just 20 minutes away may be basking in golden hour light.
Avoid the Crowds Without Missing the Magic. Instead of heading straight to Hanauma Bay or Lanikai Beach (both stunning, both packed) try these alternatives:
Weather-based routing is the best-kept secret in Hawaiian travel.
Oahu's best meals aren't necessarily found on a beachfront patio. Sometimes they come from a strip mall or a side street, served with a paper napkin and a smile.
And don't leave without trying:
Pro tip for drivers: Renting a car is key to weather-chasing freedom, but parking costs can add up, especially in resort zones. Look for free lots at public beach parks, like Kapiolani, Makalei, or Ala Moana, and check signage for overnight allowances. Some residential streets near beaches allow free overnight parking if you arrive early and park respectfully.
What one day might look like if you follow the sun:
8:00 a.m. – Wake to gray skies in Kailua? Check the weather, sun's peeking on the west side.10:00 a.m. – Snorkel in the calm, fish-filled lagoons near the Four Seasons Oahu.1:00 p.m. – Lunch at Monkeypod Kitchen, paired with shaded patio views.3:00 p.m. – Sun peeking out in town? Settle in at Makalei Beach Park or Kapiolani Beach Park to catch late-day rays or read under the trees.6:30 p.m. – Dinner at Romer House, where Waikiki meets neighborhood-style calm.8:30 p.m. – Grab a nightcap at Green Lady Cocktail Room, a low-lit speakeasy-style bar known for intimate vibes and imaginative drinks. Hidden behind an unmarked door in Honolulu, it's the kind of place that feels like a secret you're glad you found.
Oahu isn't a place that rewards a rigid schedule. The best days here aren't overplanned; they unfold. One beach might be cloudy while another is bathed in sun. A trail could be too wet to hike, but a quiet courtyard bar might turn into the highlight of the trip. If there's a secret to enjoying the island, it's this: stay flexible, follow the weather, eat like a local, and leave space for detours. That's where the real magic tends to show up.
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Los Angeles Times
8 hours ago
- Los Angeles Times
Oahu Travel Tips for Avoiding Tourists and Exploring Like a Local
While Waikiki may be all mai tais and high-rise hotels, just an hour's drive in any direction can land you on a shaded coastal trail, a nearly empty beach, or a family-run eatery serving the kind of food you'll dream about long after your return flight. The trick? Let go of the itinerary. Follow the clouds. Watch where the locals go. Because Oahu's charm isn't just in its beaches and hikes, it's in knowing when to pivot. Oahu is shaped by its trade winds and terrain, and the island's weather often changes by the hour. The leeward coast (west) tends to be dry and sun-drenched, while the windward side (east) is lush, breezy and frequently drizzled in mist. The North Shore can swing from surf paradise to stormy retreat in a flash. Apps like Windy, RadarScope, or Surfline will quickly become your best friends, showing real-time weather, swell size and where the sun's likely to linger. Microclimates mean that if one beach is cloudy, another just 20 minutes away may be basking in golden hour light. Avoid the Crowds Without Missing the Magic. Instead of heading straight to Hanauma Bay or Lanikai Beach (both stunning, both packed) try these alternatives: Weather-based routing is the best-kept secret in Hawaiian travel. Oahu's best meals aren't necessarily found on a beachfront patio. Sometimes they come from a strip mall or a side street, served with a paper napkin and a smile. And don't leave without trying: Pro tip for drivers: Renting a car is key to weather-chasing freedom, but parking costs can add up, especially in resort zones. Look for free lots at public beach parks, like Kapiolani, Makalei, or Ala Moana, and check signage for overnight allowances. Some residential streets near beaches allow free overnight parking if you arrive early and park respectfully. What one day might look like if you follow the sun: 8:00 a.m. – Wake to gray skies in Kailua? Check the weather, sun's peeking on the west side.10:00 a.m. – Snorkel in the calm, fish-filled lagoons near the Four Seasons Oahu.1:00 p.m. – Lunch at Monkeypod Kitchen, paired with shaded patio views.3:00 p.m. – Sun peeking out in town? Settle in at Makalei Beach Park or Kapiolani Beach Park to catch late-day rays or read under the trees.6:30 p.m. – Dinner at Romer House, where Waikiki meets neighborhood-style calm.8:30 p.m. – Grab a nightcap at Green Lady Cocktail Room, a low-lit speakeasy-style bar known for intimate vibes and imaginative drinks. Hidden behind an unmarked door in Honolulu, it's the kind of place that feels like a secret you're glad you found. Oahu isn't a place that rewards a rigid schedule. The best days here aren't overplanned; they unfold. One beach might be cloudy while another is bathed in sun. A trail could be too wet to hike, but a quiet courtyard bar might turn into the highlight of the trip. If there's a secret to enjoying the island, it's this: stay flexible, follow the weather, eat like a local, and leave space for detours. That's where the real magic tends to show up.
Miami Herald
19 hours ago
- Miami Herald
Heed the siren call of Crockett, the Bay Area small town that time forgot
Crockett is a small town with an oversized pull. Its intriguing history threads through the cross-Pacific sugar trade, perilous smelting of precious metals and strange crimes involving an "Ocean's Eleven"-style gold heist and intricate networks of underground tunnels. With charming restaurants and a bustling music scene, it's also a great place to have a day trip. But where to begin? Filling up the caffeine reserves will be Priority No. 1 for many folks. In town, the new Calaca Coffee pours strong java with a Mexican twist. Try a cafe de olla cold brew with cinnamon and piloncillo (raw sugar) or a Xoco latte with cacao and espresso - and if you're feeling naughty, top it off with banana or tres-leches cream. Glommed onto an old church like a retro barnacle, Revival Coffee is a trailer-based operation sporting a bohemian open-air porch with comfy furniture and board games. "Liquid pie" is a good way to describe the coffee. There's a Cherry Jubilee with white chocolate, a Coconut Cream Pie Latte and a Huckleberry Mocha, giving customers the chance to slyly comment to their significant other: "No, you're my huckleberry." The fruit-forward drinks seem cast down from the berry-rich fields of Oregon, and for a breakfast snack there's biscuits and gravy. The sweet offerings around town seem appropriate given its raison d'etre for a long while was sugar. The California and Hawaiian (C&H) Sugar Refining Company celebrates its 120th year in Crockett – whose nickname is "Sugar City" – in 2026. While C&H recently stopped importing from Hawaii, it's still a major player in the market, producing 14% of the cane sugar in the United States. In local vintage shops you'll find its logo emblazoned on Hawaiian shirts, also in timeworn cookbooks with recipes like Hawaiian coconut pudding and frosted grapes on pine boughs. Hungry for more history? Head down to the Crockett Historical Museum, squeezed into a former railroad station by the sugar factory. (Note: it's closed for repairs until July 7.) Inside you'll find treasures like California's last telephone switchboard and a 468-pound taxidermied sturgeon, the largest ever caught in San Pablo Bay. There are informative news articles like one whose headline reads, "UFOs Buzz Crockett Six Say Soberly." That's probably not true – the "soberly" part, as Crockett is a historical hotbed of drinking. Among the 45-plus bars that hung their flag in this tiny community during the last century were Chuck & Henry, Dick & Johnny, Toots and Gully and the by-comparison lonely-sounding Ray's Corner, which poured booze for 103 years until closing in 2004. A train car transporting wine parked in Crockett in 1920, the year Prohibition started. The result was like something out of "28 Days Later" with locals scenting blood in the air. "When the car was discovered on a recent Sunday many of the populace dashed madly to the railroad yards equipped with spigots, garden hose and hand axes," the Los Angeles Herald reported. "The car was entered and some 3000 gallons siphoned into buckets, bottles, kegs, demijohns and all manner of containers." There's fun history to be gleaned here about the old Selby smelting works, once the largest refining company in the West for gold, silver and lead. It was bulldozed in the 1970s, but locals keep it alive sharing memories on the public Crockett-history Facebook page. "When you woke up there was always a layer of gray dust on the porches," recalls one person. Laments another: "(M)y great grandfather fell into a smelting pot I believe never made it home soo sad." Selby was the scene of one of the biggest gold heists in contemporary U.S. history. In 1901, a former worker named Jack Winters spent 6 weeks tunneling through dirt and brick to reach the company's vault and he absconded with half a ton of bullion. He lowered the treasure into the muck of the Carquinez Strait, planning to retrieve it bit by bit. Instead, he was quickly caught and divers recovered the haul, though that doesn't stop fortune-hunters from seeking the gold to this day. A nice way to burn off some calories is to explore Crockett Hills Regional Park. From the staging area, the Crockett Ranch Trail trail leads up a beautifully forested path to a long tunnel under the Cummings Skyway. Pass through this dark orifice and you'll emerge on the other side of the hill with blazing sun and a panoramic visage of the San Francisco Bay that can only be called stunning. The random cow that sometimes grazes here might agree with an appreciative bellow. Cocktail hour approaches, and beckoning hard is surf-and-turf institution The Dead Fish. Named after the owner's nonna - she couldn't always recall the species of sea creatures she cooked, so she called everything "dead fish" - the restaurant offers roasted Dungeness crab and Omaha prime rib in a kitsch-filled compound on the cliff. The views of huge ships passing through the Strait are unbeatable, as are the "Drink-Like-a-Fish" cocktails for only $10. A Crabby Mood Martini or Bloody Shark served in a chilled wine glass? Delightful! Many of Crockett's hidden charms reveal themselves to those wandering with no real purpose. The Epperson Gallery is a spacious showcase for California landscapes and quirky animal sculptures. The Cat Vintage offers antiques and clothing and plans to open a Cat Museum this summer, full of priceless artifacts - to cat lovers, anyway - like feline dolls, trinkets, shirts, staplers and more Garfields than you can shake a pan of lasagna at. Ask nicely and the owner might pull back the curtain on the in-progress museum. Club Tac is a sleepy dive bar with drink specials and a wall of certificates that, upon closer inspection, turn out to be from E Clampus Vitus, a men's-only organization devoted to the history of the Western Gold Rush. Among its purported members were Gene Autry, Ronald Reagan and the famous San Francisco eccentric Emperor Norton. For dinner, The Sicilian serves up traditional Italian plates like penne amatriciana or antipasti with burrata-stracciatella and marinated artichokes. The restaurant may or may not be named in tribute to the eponymous 1987 movie starring local tough-guy actor Aldo Ray. Lucia's Craft Sandwich closes in the afternoon, but if you were fortunate enough to pick something up, they're sizable enough for dinner. It's no exaggeration to say Lucia's is one of the best sandwich shops in the Bay, focused on local produce and top-quality meats. The mortadella with artichokes and fresh ricotta dances between delicate and decadent, and the specials are always worth consideration: a porchetta with orange and fennel-pollen salad, say, or a croque madame with Mornay sauce, squash blossoms and runny egg. Crockett may have had dozens of bars in its history but today is down to a handful, a great one being Toot's Tavern. Said to be the longest continuously operating bar in Contra Costa County, the wood-shrouded watering hole switches from sleepy neighborhood hangout in the afternoon to high-energy music joint at night. Patrons might stumble upon a thrash-metal band, a Van Halen tribute, an electro DJ or a 17-piece jazz ensemble - here, anything's possible. There's also rumored to be a tunnel in Toot's basement that smugglers used during Prohibition to get resupplies from the waterfront. Some locals say it's a myth, but the resident bartender swears it's true. "All of Crockett has tunnels under it," he said on a recent visit. "There were tons of bars during Prohibition and you can see the holes open up by the water. Most are bricked over, and I wouldn't recommend seeking them out. Yeah, it's kind of a weird old town." If you go ... Calaca Coffee: Open 7 a.m.- 2 p.m. at 605 Second Ave., Crockett; Revival Coffee: Open 5 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday, 6 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and 7 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday at 1 Rolph Park Drive, Crockett; Crockett Historical Museum: Closed until July 7, then open 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Wednesday and Saturday at 900 Loring Ave., Crockett; Crockett Hills Regional Park: Summer hours through August are 8 a.m.-8 p.m. daily at 1300 Crockett Blvd., Crockett; The Dead Fish: Open noon-9:30 daily (last seating 8 p.m.) at 20050 San Pablo Ave., Crockett; Epperson Gallery: Open 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday-Sunday at 1400 Pomona St., Crockett; The Cat Vintage: Open noon-6 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday at 720 2nd Ave., Crockett; The Sicilian: Open 6 p.m.-9 p.m. Thursday-Sunday at 601 2nd Ave., Crockett; Lucia's Craft Sandwich: Open 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Friday-Sunday at 611 2nd Ave., Crockett; Toot's Tavern: Open noon-1:30 a.m. daily at 627 2nd Ave., Crockett; ______ Copyright (C) 2025, Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Portions copyrighted by the respective providers.
Boston Globe
3 days ago
- Boston Globe
Maura Healey loves TripAdvisor, values a good souvenir, and would travel with Oprah if she could
Do you prefer booking trips through a travel agent or on your own? I like to have input and give direction, but I'm terrible at booking, so I need help. And it saves time. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Thoughts on an 'unplugged' vacation? Books and books. Sitting by the beach on the water. And without our phones, except for taking pictures. Advertisement What has been your worst vacation experience? Turbulence over the Pacific on a flight to Fiji about 25 years ago. I was white-knuckling it and saying a few prayers. What is your favorite childhood travel memory? We didn't really have a chance to take vacations as a kid — my mom had her hands full with the five of us kids — but we did go every day to the beach, either to Hampton or Plum Island (Sandy Point). My favorite memory is being on my grandfather's shoulders in the water and jumping off, and him teaching us to body surf. Do you vacation to relax, to learn, or for the adventure of it all? All of the above. I do really love to absorb the sensibility, history, and culture of the place. I try to avoid touristy locations and seek out where the locals go. You learn more about a place that way, but you also get a better memory. Advertisement What book do you plan on bringing with you to read on your next vacation? Oprah leaves a hotel during celebrations for Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez Bezos's wedding in Venice Saturday. Luigi Costantini/Associated Press If you could travel with one famous person/celebrity, who would it be? Oprah. Number one, because she's been everywhere, knows everyone, and would have the best recommendations. And number two, is there a person with a better aura to travel with and be around than her? What is the best gift to give a traveler? A book about the place they're going – more a travelogue type book than a guidebook – but something that gives them a sense of the place. What is your go-to snack for a flight or a road trip? Honey mustard pretzels. What is the coolest souvenir you've picked up on a vacation? A Koa Outrigger canoe paddle given to me by a Hawaiian racer. What is your favorite app/website for travel? I love using TripAdvisor for suggestions on where to go and what to do. Not only is it a Needham-based company, but I find it to be a helpful tool for discovering new things in new places. What has travel taught you? Traveling is knowledge and it's learning. Learning about new places, cultures, people, and ways of living. Travel has opened my eyes to the world and also has given me a broader perspective and understanding of the human condition. What is your best travel tip? Follow the locals. And always bring back something – even if it's small and inexpensive – but that has meaning to you and reminds you of that travel experience. Advertisement Juliet Pennington can be reached at
