H1 H2 H3 … 
So many who had traveled to Hawaiii before us offered one common piece of advice – rent a car. We rented a car, and some days it felt like we spent more time in the car than on land during our Hawaii visit. Oahu is such an easy island to travel around though, because all we had to do was connect to one of the three interstates, H1, H2 or H3, to get almost anywhere we wanted to go.
Waikiki, Aloha Bowl, Pearl Harbor, North Shore, Polynesian Cultural Center, Diamond Head, the Marine Corps Base Hawaii, and more, took us from one of the end of the island to the next to the next. Interestingly enough, everywhere we went, a Roberts Tour bus seemed to be parked right next to us. And, it was a long drive from one place to the next. I wish we’d spent more time on the beach!
So, if you’re headed to Oahu, plan your days carefully to avoid lots of windshield time. And, you might want to consider a tour bus instead of a car rental. Just a thought!
never been there yet, so we headed out one morning for the visit. We arrived about 9:30 am, and the parking area for Diamond Head was already filled, and folks were parking from a distance and walking in. We waited patiently for a parking space in line behind others, and we pulled into a space within 15 minutes. I was so glad we hadn’t parked out and walked in after the climb. More about that later! 
At the beginning of the trail we were told it was just eight tenths of a mile, and I smarted off that I could do that easily. Little did I know what lay ahead, or I wouldn’t have been so glib. I knew it was going to be steep in places, but we saw family escorting frail older people and small children, as well as one mother pushing her son in a wheelchair, so I figured, how bad can it be? 
perfect Pooka Dog for you. Your first choice is do you want a polish sausage or a veggie dog. We all picked the polish sausage, but each of our Pooka Dogs were unique after that. The next choice is the heat in the Garlic Lemon Secret Sauce, which ranged from Mild to Hot Hot. Eric and I opted for Mild, Rachel chose a mid-range spicy, while Roger chose the Hot Hot Habanero sauce. Each of us chose a different relish. I opted for the pineapple relish – when in Hawaii, pineapple seemed like the right thing to choose. There was one more choice after that, but the Puka Dog staffer paused only a moment before making a perfect recommendation for each of us. We watched as our personal Puka Dogs were prepared. They start with a small loaf of bread, which is pierced on a vertical hot metal spike, creating a toasty warm “puka” hole. The seasonings, relishes, and sauces are piped into the “puka” hole, and the dog is added at the last, with one last drop of the sauce on the top pof the dog. We loved the Puka Dog so much, we wondered if there was anyway to open a Puka Dog stand back home. 
the Sheratan Moana Surfrider and the Outrigger Waikiki, and it’s open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. 
