One day car trip out of Honolulu....route?

[muffin]

cruise has overnight in Honolulu. We plan on renting car for first full day. Where to pick it up and return with least traffic and bother?  Hope to hit these sights....dole factory, north shore to enjoy surfers, lunch at Turtle beach?  Wander down east coast and back through town?  question also about traffic and direction. Clockwise or anti Clockwise on this route. ? Thinking pick up at 9 am, return 6 or 7 pm? Should we forget back through the hanama Bay Area, and go/ return over the mountain pass?  When is traffic coming and going from downtown Honolulu?  Any other must do stops? Not interested in Pearl Harbour or Polynesian center ( done before) . Thanks for insider knowledge of traffic patterns!  Sometimes it really matters! Have second day to do the museum, Waikiki, dukes etc.  thanks.

[princeton123211]

10 hours ago, muffin said:

Hope to hit these sights....dole factory, north shore to enjoy surfers, lunch at Turtle beach?  Wander down east coast and back through town?  question also about traffic and direction. Clockwise or anti Clockwise on this route.

Sounds like you have a pretty good idea of what you want to do. Have done this a couple times over the years. Head out of town along H1 to H2 north to Kamehameha Highway to Dole. Then continue north to Turtle Bay Resort for lunch which is a favorite of ours. Then I would go clockwise (make a left out of the resort) and head on 83 south along the coast back to Honolulu. You can extend by headed towards Waimanalo but we usually just take the more direct road home. 

 

10 hours ago, muffin said:

Where to pick it up and return with least traffic and bother?

We usually rent from Avis. There is a smaller location at the Sheraton and a larger location at the International Marketplace Mall which has better selection. Either are super convenient if staying in Waikiki and if you do it for a day you obviously have the benefit of avoiding expensive overnight parking. 

 

10 hours ago, muffin said:

When is traffic coming and going from downtown Honolulu?

Traffic was always not great coming back to Honolulu at the end of the drive so plan for that. But it's really only as you are getting back to town. The drive itself can be done in less than 3 hours if you didn't stop so you'll have plenty of time to stop at Dole, Turtle Bay Resort, and then one or two other spontaneous ones if you choose. 

[muffin]

Thank you Princeton. Very helpful info. Would you rent downtown over airport from aAlohaTower beginning? 

[princeton123211]

1 hour ago, muffin said:

Thank you Princeton. Very helpful info. Would you rent downtown over airport from aAlohaTower beginning? 

Yes-- especially if downtown/Waikiki is where you want to end up that night. It will save you the need to Uber to and from the airport on both ends. 

[KeepCalmBearOn]

I think you mean the Dole Plantation, the Dole Factory is long gone. I think it is movie theaters and shops now.

 

It is fine to that direction first, but I would come back using the Pali Highway, so you can stop at the Overlook. Here is the route.

 

https://goo.gl/maps/FffcfFS2XqzZSVir8

[muffin]

Thanks for the note....yes, I meant plantation! Looking at the website now it has changed significantly. Will decide if we want the new?  improved? Rendition.  Reviews are very mixed and it is not up to speed since covid it seems. The map was great...outlook is lovely and always the chance of seeing those wonderfully crazy hang gliders!  Thanks for your take on the high  points.  

[KeepCalmBearOn]

I always stop at the Dole Plantation, if only for a Dole Whip, some t-shirts (which make great workout shirts) and tchotchkes.

[muffin]

Have no idea what a tchotchkes is.   I will buy one if we find one!  (chocolate? Hot Cakes? ).  Help me out here! I understand Dole Whip and am sure they are delicious. Would certainly give a thumbs up for a stop to  buy one....can’t say I recall having one before. 

[KeepCalmBearOn]

13 hours ago, muffin said:

Have no idea what a tchotchkes is.   I will buy one if we find one!  (chocolate? Hot Cakes? ).  Help me out here! I understand Dole Whip and am sure they are delicious. Would certainly give a thumbs up for a stop to  buy one....can’t say I recall having one before. 

 

Tchotchkes is NY-speak for cheap knickknacks, bric-a-brac, curios, bauble...

[muffin]

Learn something everyday!  No doubt I will see lots of them throughout our cruise at the ports. Some even become a Xmas tree ornament for happy memories.   Thx for the info. 

[paml]

On 8/16/2022 at 1:56 PM, scottca075 said:

I think you mean the Dole Plantation, the Dole Factory is long gone. I think it is movie theaters and shops now.

 

It is fine to that direction first, but I would come back using the Pali Highway, so you can stop at the Overlook. Here is the route.

 

https://goo.gl/maps/FffcfFS2XqzZSVir8

Where is Pearl Harbor on this map. We were looking for sightseeing, beaches, snorkeling as well as Pearl Harbor. 

[KeepCalmBearOn]

4 hours ago, paml said:

Where is Pearl Harbor on this map. We were looking for sightseeing, beaches, snorkeling as well as Pearl Harbor. 

 

Pearl Harbor is the giant body of water as you start to head north out of urban Honolulu. You want to use the H1 instead of the H201 cutoff. I've modified the map below.

 

https://goo.gl/maps/6Bs4csWpwnq5QMSD7

 

Or you can zoom in on the original map.