Sand, Sun, and Drinks with Umbrellas

Welcome to the weekend! And another installment of my You Asked, I'm Telling! A few of you asked me variations on the question "What is my favorite vacation spot?".

When I was a senior in high school, we took a trip to Hawaii. We visited the island of Oahu. I fell in love with the place immediately. What's not to love?! There's sand and perpetual sun. The temperature rarely drops below 70 and rarely rises about 90. My little 17-year-old self dreamed of living there. Little did I know, less than two years later, I would be a married, a mother and fulfilling that dream of living in Hawaii. My hubby's first duty assignment was at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii.

We lived in vacationland for three and a half years. Yes, he deployed from there, so parts of it sucked. And, yes, occasionally, I suffered from island fever (similar to cabin fever). But, looking back, those were some of the greatest years.

So, my favorite vacation spot is Hawaii. After having lived there, I know how to do it on the cheap or how to live it up if money weren't an object (you know, because someday I plan to be all rich like Britney Spears and parade around a Maui parking lot with no shoes on...) Here are a few of my fave destinations on Oahu:

• The USS Arizona Memorial. If you go all the way out to Hawaii and don't visit, you're just silly. It's free. Plus, it is amazing to see in person.
• The International Marketplace. It is simply awesome. Lots of sparkling, fake jewelry and plenty of vendors willing to bargain with you. Love it! Don't pay full price for anything!
• The Honolulu Zoo. Once, the huge turtles were, uh, mating while we were there. You could hear them all around the zoo. Talk about rude neighbors, huh?! Oh, and try explaining that to a 2 year old.
• North Shore. The views there are amazing. During the winter months, the waves can get really big over there too. Seriously, we're talking like 50 feet. Watching them really gives you a whole new appreciation of the power of water.
• The Swap Meet. We used to go and buy 10 t-shirts for $20. I'm sure prices have gone up a little, but you'll still find some great souvenirs there. Plus, walking around the Sun Bowl is a great workout. Make sure to take plenty of water with you because like every other place they will charge you an arm, a leg and your firstborn for a bottle there.

These aren't the only great places to visit on Oahu. There are many more and you'd get bored if I listed them all. One last piece of advice, if you are in the military or the hubby is, there are some great places/prices available to you (Bellows AF Rec area, the Hale Koa Hotel, etc). Do your research before going.

Ya'll got any great places to visit or fab travel tips to share?