Local traditions and culture in Honolulu

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On at least half of the days during my most recent trip to Hawaii, I spotted beautiful rainbows. Some went a full 180 degrees, and one was a double rainbow. Sometimes the rainbows were in morning and sometime just before sunset. The only place with more rainbows per day is San Francisco's Castro District, but most of theirs are displayed on flags or in shop windows.

Hawaii has the perfect mix of weather, geography and location to produce simultaneous sun and rain, especially along the mountains.

With Hawaii being the rainbow capital of the world, it's no wonder some of the University of Hawaii athletic teams are proudly called the "Rainbow Warriors."

i bought one since i'm an avid shot glass collector besides being an equal avid refrigerator magnet collector. I have lots of shot glass collection in my study table and buying hawaii shot glasses is a must to bolster my collection. shot glasses in hawaii comes in different designs and kinds of glasses like the frosted glass, tempered glass, regular glass, etc. and the prices starts at $ 1.99 for a simple shot glass and goes up to $ 5.99 for a tempered glass shot glass. they are available everywhere so again for the avid collector, buy one now!

own a piece of history especially the remembrance of the pearl harbor bombings which started world war II. Again one must not leave oahu without seeing the USS Arizona Memorial and relive the history of the sacred place and also buy a piece of history and for the refrigerator magnet buffs and collectors like me, buying the USS Arizona Memorial Ref Magnet reminds me of history. the ref magnets and other collectors stuff like old newspapers or t-shirts or paper weights are available at the visitors center before going on a USS Arizona ferry boat ride. the ref magnet costs $ 3.99.

nice stuff for a souvenir, I have been an avid collector of refrigerator magnets since i've started travelling and has tons of the stuff at my refrigerator that some are just stored to my cabinet due to lack of space hehehe. here in oahu, i must buy one and the choices are endless and the prices start from $ 1.99 for a plastic ref magnet with magnetic film at the back to the magnetite ref magnets at $ 3.99. i bought this ceramic ref magnet for $ 4.99 due to the good design. ref magnets are available everywhere in oahu so for the ref magnets enthusiasts, buy one now!

The Hawaii sales tax is 4.71%. There is a hotel occupancy tax of 7.25%. You should check on your hotel rate and make sure whether or not the hotel occupancy tax has been added in when you are given a quote. Hotels are also allowed to add on a .1666% excise tax. With this, you should expect that about 11.42% in taxes would be added to your hotel bill. Again, check with your travel agent to see whether your rate includes these taxes or not.

Start out with a paper cup/cone, place a little vanilla ice cream and some azuki beans (a small red bean that is popular in Asian countries and to locals in Hawaii). Now comes the fun part.

Using a hugh shave ice machine, a block of ice is shaved so close that the resulting "snow" is a fine powder and this is added on top of the ice cream and beans. Piled high above the cup/cone and then your favorite exotic tropical flavoring is poured over the top. This is a Matsumoto's Shave Ice. The best in the world, and made to your liking, with or without beans, with or without ice cream, it is still the best. The reason being that the shave ice "snow" is shaved to perfection, and made just for you.

The Matsumoto Family has been making the best shave ice since 1951. The next generation, with Stanley Matsumoto and his wife, Noriko, is keeping alive the legacy of Mamoru and Helen Matsumoto, in giving fast, friendly and super service to all the locals and tourists, alike.

When in Hawaii, on Oahu, head for the North Shore, not just to see the great surfing, but to have a shave ice in Haleiwa, and make sure it is Matsumoto's Shave Ice. It will broke da mouth. Pure ono. Aloha

Hawaian people are very friendly, and if you ask for info, most of them share their knowledge with you. But be aware, they don’t give directions such as east, west, north, or south, only directions towards well known places ( Diamond Head, ocean, mountains, etc....). Your hotel personals are potentially the best sources of insider information. They expect you, however, if their advice is good, to give them a tip.

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LOVED CHECKING OUT ALL THE GREAT LOCAL FOODS THAT WERE AT THE FESTIVAL..HERE ARE SOME PICTURES OF THE HAWAIIAN STEAK AND SHRIMP......... ONO-LICIOUS!!!!!!!!!!! THIS YEAR IT WAS ON A FRIDAY OF THE 15 OF SEPTEMBER.......NOT ONLY WAS THERE GREAT FOOD BUT ALSO LEIS AND SHIRTS AND CAPS AND DIFFERENT CRAFTS ..IT WAS A FUN PLACE TO BE. .AND OF COURSE GREAT MUSIC!!!!!!