Looking For a Fun Family Destination? Hawaiian Islands
Looking For a Fun Family Destination? Hawaiian Islands
Family Adventures in the Hawaiian Islands
While some families are perfectly content relaxing and playing on Hawaii's stunning beaches, others seek adventure. Parks and sites dotting each of the Hawaiian Islands deliver perfect spots for families to connect with nature, history and each other. Here are a few favorites:
HALEAKALA NATIONAL PARK (MAUI) | From unparalleled sunrise views high atop Haleakala to the Kipahulu District's ocean vistas, cultural areas and awe-inspiring waterfalls, this park has something to thrill every family.
WORLD WAR II VALOR IN THE PACIFIC NATIONAL MONUMENT (OAHU) | History comes to life at this collection of Pearl Harbor sites. Always a moving experience, it's also especially inspiring for kids studying WWII in school.
KOKEE STATE PARK (KAUAI) | Budding explorers can venture to lookouts on Waimea Canyon Drive and Kokee Road for views of the island's wonders. A stop at Kokee Natural History Museum adds an educational and cultural element to the trip.
HAWAII VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK (ISLAND OF HAWAII) | For a full day (or several days!) of otherworldly adventure, families can navigate the park's 333,086 acres of active volcanoes, craters, lava tubes, trails and rainforests.
You will visit the following 4 places:
Kauai
Maui
The island of Maui is the second-largest of the Hawaiian Islands at 727.2 square miles (1883.5 km2) and is the 17th largest island in the United States. It is part of the state of Hawaii and is the largest of Maui County's four islands, bigger than Lānaʻi, Kahoʻolawe, and Molokaʻi. In 2010, Maui had a population of 154,834, third-most populous of the Hawaiian islands, behind that of Oʻahu and Hawaiʻi. Maui is a leading whale-watching center in the Hawaiian Islands due to Humpback whales wintering in the sheltered ʻAuʻau Channel between the islands of Maui county. The whales migrate approximately 3,500 miles (5,600 km) from Alaskan waters each autumn and spend the winter months mating and birthing in the warm waters off Maui, with most leaving by the end of April. The whales are typically sighted in pods: small groups of several adults, or groups of a mother, her calf, and a few suitors. Humpbacks are an endangered species protected by U.S. federal and Hawaiʻi state law.
Oahu
Oahu, known as "The Gathering Place", is the third largest of the Hawaiian Islands and most populous of the islands in the State of Hawaiʻi. The state capital Honolulu is located on the southeast coast. Including small close-in offshore islands such as Ford Island and the islands in Kaneohe Bay and off the eastern coast, it has a total land area of 596.7 square miles, making it the 20th largest island in the United States. In the greatest dimension, this volcanic island is 44 miles long and 30 miles across. The length of the shoreline is 227 miles. The island is the result of two separate shield volcanoes: Waiʻanae and Koʻolau, with a broad "valley" or saddle between them. The highest point is Mt. Ka'ala in the Waiʻanae Range, rising to 4,003 feet above sea level.
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states (August 21, 1959), and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of Australia. Hawaii’s natural beauty, warm tropical climate, inviting waters and waves, and active volcanoes make it a popular destination for tourists, surfers, biologists, and volcanologists alike. Due to its mid-Pacific location, Hawaii has many North American and Asian influences along with its own vibrant native culture. Its capital is Honolulu on the island of Oʻahu.
