Waikiki, Honolulu
I'd already had a brief experience of Honolulu on the way in, having had to make a connection at its airport. In doing so I got a ride on the Wiki Wiki bus to the terminal, the bus service whose name (which means "quickly quickly") was the inspiration for the wiki web concept pioneered by Wikipedia. I also experienced the only airport terminal I've heard of with a tropical landscaped garden adjoining the departure lounge. Take hint, airport designers, these areas make waiting so much more relaxing than those lines of leather chairs.
I couldn't go back through the famous city again without checking it out so on the way back and Californiawards, I stopped off at a backpacker hostel for a night. The scenery was similar but for the dense high rise buildings mauna, but the atmosphere was totally different, everywhere packed with people.
On the beach, the 2007 Duke's OceanFest, a colourful surf contest and festival, was underway, drawing hundreds of wannabe surfers into the water amid some impressive displays of both regular surfing and tandem surfing, one of the main heats while I was around. The main street along the coast was lined with colourful shops, markets, bars and restaurants, and at night street performers and artists filled the torch-lined sidewalks. All in all it made for a wonderful night out at the end of a visit to a wonderful state.