Ducati Monster Forum

So I just moved to Az from right outside of DC because my fiance is in med school. We've got about two years left here in Az and then we have to go somewhere for her residency. It is supposed to be a military residency at a military hospital....so since i moved here, the deal was that i got to pick where she went for residency. I like the idea of heading to Trippler over there in Hawaii. She wants to go to Ft Sam-houston in San Antonio.  

With all that said. What to you Hawaii folks think about moving there for 3 years? how hard is it to find work? are there good places to ride? fun things to do? how is the adjustment overall (for those of you who arent from the islands) of moving to the islands? I was told from a friend who was stationed there that it's not all it's cracked up to be. thoughts? opinions? voices? boos and hisses?

thanks,
Aarash


Just found out, the Wife has been Assigned to Tripler Army Medical center for the next 3-4 years. We'll be moving to the Island in June! See you all next year!

Looks like we finally made it to the island! We're staying at the Doubletree Alana Waikiki until we find some permanent housing. In the meantime, I'll be looking for a bike to putz around on, and a job to go to when I've got nothing else to do.
Anyone want to grab a drink or a smoothie, let me know!

Aarash

First the important stuff--riding :D

What kind of riding do you like? Knee dragging? Touring? Commuting? (kidding  ;D )

You'll be on Oahu if she'll be at Tripler; not the best canyon carving on Oahu. There are a handful of "okay" spots, but most of them are very short, and you have to endure miles of traffic between them. And they are all through residential areas (with a few exceptions). Since she's military, maybe you can ride Kole Kole Pass (a canyon road by Schofield Bks), though it has deteriorated a lot over the past several years.

Our one and only race track was demolished in 2006. :(

Touring may be a little better, but there are only so many times you can go around the island. Riding is both a social and "riding" thing, but here there seems to be a lot more emphasis on the "social" part of it. No iron butting here.

As for work, what are you looking for?
Despite what the news says, there are always jobs (http://www.hawaiijobsondemand.com/open_search_blended_indeed.shtml) available, it just depends on what you want to (or are willing to) do.

Fun stuff? Yeah!
There's always surfing! Diving, kayaking, snorkeling.
GREAT hiking. Virtually all Oahu trails are short enough to complete within a day.
I don't know much about cycling, but there are a bunch of guys in this forum that do it, so I imagine that there's decent cycling here too.
Night life is basically the same as any medium sized city.

If you get the chance to go to the other islands, Maui and the Big Island have excellent riding. Maui has both touring and knee dragging stuff. From what I've seen of the Big Island, it's mostly touring, but still a lot more road to enjoy than Oahu.

Thanks for the heads up Bob!

As for riding i like canyon riding but im also a fan of just touring around and hanging out, so touring would seem to be the best solution. I've heard a lot of people talk about how terrible the traffic is. Are there a lot of one lane roads? Lanesplitting?

As for work, I'm a firefighter by trade, but those jobs can be pretty tough to come by so I'd probably be interested in whatever was available and fun. (im a computer nerd, and used to be a project manager for a construction company so I have a varied background)

How difficult is it to get between the islands?  Can I take my bike with me? Is that something that i could do every morning, say if i got a job on another island? or is it more or a day trip kind of thing?

In regards to outdoor activities, i've wanted to get back into diving for a while, I'm a big fan of hiking and i used to be a rock climbing instructor so there should be plenty to keep me busy....but, does being isolated on an island get stale after a while?

Also, is there a huge price markup on the islands on everyday items and other stuff one might want to buy (new bike, car, food) over the prices on the mainland?


'preciate the insight!

the rush hour traffic is freeway gridlock. no lanesplitting.

it's a result of all the work is in one area (honolulu) and all the houses are in the other (central/west oahu)

everyone goes one way in the am, reverse in the pm.

"touring" is a bit of an exaggeration.  I'm a fan of the go out of your way for a cup of coffee and lunch sort of thing. not alot of good carving type riding here.

outdoorsy stuff, there is plenty. if you learn to surf, you will love it here.


it is expensive.  everything. but if you're military, you can hit up the exchange, and I think it'll better than the normal stores


oh, and your only inter-island option is by plane. the locals hate progress, so the ferry didn't last very long.

So no chance of hitting the other islands with my bike, huh?


what about housing? are there good parts/bad parts? would it be worth living farther away from the military hospital, or is the commute so bad we should just look to live close?

Thanks for all the help guys

Here (http://agency.governmentjobs.com/honolulu/default.cfm?action=jobs) is the site to look up firefighter jobs (bottom half of page), but I haven't seen anything lately (err... not that I've been looking).

The hippies lynch mobbed the Superferry out of town (small mob but loud voice). So interisland now takes more planning and time and $$$.
Bikes can be shipped on a barge via Young Brothers (http://www.htbyb.com/yb/shipgoods.php?sub=Containers) and a G-van, or a larger container and split the cost with some friends. Not a day trip. Best to make it a vacation getaway type of thing.

There are lots of trails, but yeah it could get stale if you try to do them all in your first month. But there will probably be a few that you'd want to do more than once. And yes I do sometimes go cuckoo being waterlocked all the time lol. 3 years can be a long time if you're bored... but it can go quickly if you find the right bunch to hang out with.

As a general guideline, stay away from Leeward Oahu (Nanakuli, Waianae, Makaha).

Hicentral.com has listings for rentals, I don't know much about the market.
If work is at Tripler, anything around Salt Lake or Moanalua would be convenient (note: Salt Lake = high bike theft). West bound morning freeway traffic is generally light, so you could conceivably live as far as the university area and still have a quick commute. Also know that Oahu has an extremely high rate of bike theft, so figure that into your garage/security arrangements.

thanks for all the info you guys....one more question though. If your bike is stolen.....wouldn;t you just see it somewhere else on the island? or does it get chopped and shipped pretty quickly?

Aarash, is your wife in the military, or just working for the military system?  There are some VERY nice military housing areas that have recently opened up near Tripler, so the commute would be stupid easy.  Plus, they are close to town so you don't have a long drive to get to the good restaurants and such... 

Bikes get stolen all the time down here, but it seems that Japanese sport bikes are the most frequently targeted.

she's in the army, so we could stay on base housing. The only thing i was thinkin was that if we stayed on base housing we lose all of our BAH (3k) so would we be able to get a better house for 3k or is Base housing the better way to go. I would hate to think if i was wasting money giving back to the government when i could buy a decent house and either sell it or rent it when we leave....thoughts?

Howdy!

It's definitely worth checking the housing out before giving up all of your BAH.  That said, there are some nice military houses. 

Definitely live near or to the east of Tripler in order to avoid commuter suicidal rage.  Instead, you'll get to point and laugh.  Most of the time.....

Right now is still a pretty decent time to buy a house here, but make sure you can afford to rent it out if necessary when you leave; there's no way to tell where the market it really going. My house is worth nicely less than I paid for it.

Come to Hawaii.  It's better than Texas over the short term, no question. 

I hear what you're saying, our house in MD is worth a lot less now :-/  when you say east do you mean somewhere off of Likelike Hwy? or Pali Hwy?
(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4009/4387882896_e8fdedafef_o.png)

Just off Likelike are Kalihi and Kalihi Valley; off Pali are Pacific Heights ($$), Nuuanu, Punchbowl. Pali & Likelike are main arteries into town from the windward side, so near the freeway they can get busy during the morning rush. Pali more so.

Kalihi is a mixed bag, my sister lives there. One street can be nice, the next one over can be ghetto. IMHO Nuuanu is nicer.

Further east are Makiki, Punahou and Manoa. Manoa is expensive but nice. Any further east than that and you'll start encountering all the town bound traffic from Kaimuki through Hawaii Kai.

Check www.oahure.com (http://) (http://) for listings. This is what we used when house hunting. From there you can also get a feel for what has a hard time selling, for when you eventually do leave Oahu.

whats wrong with Makaha? i love the 3-4 hours of riding i get in each day just to commute 70 miles to and from work...  and at less then 30 miles an hour, its make the beast with two backsing awesome... [bang] [bang] [bang]

As far as the military housing goes...  I live between tripler and the H3 (it would be about a five minute commute for you) in a three bedroom, detached house with a two car garage and fenced in yard.  My bah is $2400 a month, and there is NO WAY IN HELL you will find anything this nice without going committing to a ridiculous commute.  Plus, there are no utility payments when living in base housing and electricity is REALLY pricey here.

I appreciate everyone's input. Me and the Mrs. have decided to take a trip out there to see if it's our thing (that and it's make the beast with two backsing Hawaii) We'll be going from June 28-July 5/6, so pretty much a loong july 4th weekend. We're gonna be flying into Honolulu. Any Ideas what we should do/see? Good place to rent a car (read "cheap") Any Suggestions about anything would be welcome.

Aarash

First things first.  Erase the word cheap from your vocabulary, as nothing down here is cheap.  I'll be in DC already when you guys make it down, so I can't offer up and beers.  Shame...

it's like we're flipflopping lives. how about you take my job and I take your job :-)

Off topic:
Did you figure out your route from west coast to east?

yeah, the cheap rental won't be easy - as long as you're willing to take a chance, I'd try Priceline or Hotwire.  You won't know what you're getting, but it's generally ok. I just checked Hotwire and saw $13.95/ day in Honolulu for that time period. 

There's plenty to do/see.  We'll hook you up when the time gets closer.  [thumbsup]

let me save you the trouble and headache of 3yrs you'll want back.

Oahu when you first arrive is an amazing place.  The culture, great weather and exciting/fun things to do suck you right in  [beer]. 

Visiting here for 2 or 3wks is going to make you fall in love with this place, you'll see.  I've said it probably 1000 times, this place is AWESOME!!!!........... for vacation.

If you don't HAVE to live here, avoid it like the plague.  Especially if you're a motorcyclist.  This is the #1 motorcycle theft state in the country.  yeah most of the bikes that are stolen are Jap bikes but there are Ducs and BMW's stolen too.  As for your question, "wouldn't you see it on the island?" the answer is a hearty YES!!! but you can't do shit about it cause it's a giant conspiracy.... they all have clean paperwork within days of being stolen so once it's gone.... it's gone and you're assed out...... just pray you have gap insurance, if you don't.... GET IT! 

As far as riding goes...... paint 2 walls.... one black and one white, stare at the white one for about 30min, then turn around and look at the black one for 30min, then turn around and look at the white one for 30min, after that, turn around and look at the black one for 30min..... you get the picture??  I think I heard somewhere you can ship your bike to Maui for like $130 one way... so $260 both ways, plus hotel costs and food and you're looking at probably about $1k for a whole weekend trip, yeah.... maybe once or twice a year.... then look at the white and black walls again.

As some others have said, jobs are everywhere you look, if you wanna work at L&L or something  [coffee].  Bottom line there is that your wife will be the money maker so if I were you..... I'd find some internet type gig to make some side cash or something, that way you won't have to deal with the traffic.  Speaking of traffic, most people HATE the traffic here and rightly so.  Traffic is the same everywhere though, you don't move for like 3-5min, then you move about 3ft and wait again, that's just the nature of the beast.  The real difference here is that they give licenses out to EVERYONE.... it seems there is not even an I.Q. requirement to operate a 4 wheeled vehicle here.  as long as you know how to throw out the Shaka...... you're good to go. 

This is also the most racist place I've witnessed.... against white people.  but I guess we had that coming so whatever I can deal with it.  Just don't go "exploring" the island after like 9pm and you'll be fine.

Living arrangements.  If you can find a good safe place off base and save some cash, do it.  I thought I could do it for a year and my bike got stolen and I didn't have gap insurance so..... yeah.... bye bye all the money I saved.  On base peace of mind is worth every penny to me..... plus I know my house has AC and isn't "breezy" or "cozy".  if you see those words in an ad... that means no AC and you're going to sweat your ballz off.

I'll throw out the disclaimer that I've been jaded here..... I've had a pretty bad experience overall but I will say that the first 6-9months I was here were GREAT!

If you love the beach life and wanna just "chill", you'll like it here.  if you like to party and live it up in the clubs and night life, you'll enjoy your time.  If you want to live your life, go on some good rides, save up some money, enjoy a variety of new experiences everyday and live with a populace that likes to abide by the laws/rules and not try to "screw" you at every turn out of some money...... this place is not for you.

I hear ya on the jaded thing. I grew up in the DC area and became very jaded to all the touristy things. And traffic there is just as bad - and its not even an island! Thanks for the heads up  [thumbsup]

Basically agree with everything draven said.  Loved the place for first bit, and now I can't wait to move.  I don't even want to think about how much money this island has sucked out of my bank account, and how impossible its been to save money here for my wife and I compared to the mainland.  Everything is incredibly expensive, and if you love riding there are a few good places but far more headaches than fun.  If you like vacations I hope you make a ton of money, since its not cheap to get off this rock once you're on.

I could save money not living on base, but no way that's going to happen.  I work with a guy that had 2 bikes stolen in 2 months so I'll pass on that one.  No track if that's your thing, and ridiculously low speed limits.  Also anything over 80mph is considered street racing so they'll impound your bike and slap you with a felony charge.  Obviously Hawaii lawmakers never saw a real race.  The few good riding roads will get boring before your 3 years are up, and most of them are riddled with debris, potholes, traffic, and stupid people.

Kind of like draven I had a good first 6 months to a year and its been all downhill from there.  Wife had difficulty finding a job even with a Business Management degree, when she did find one she made considerably less money than on the mainland, while everything here is far more expensive.  I'm also really jaded though and wish you guys the best in Hawaii.  I'm moving in 5 days too so won't be here when you guys make it over.

Oh, come on, offbase living isn't that bad! I live off base, and I've only had to pull my firearm one time to break up a domestic disturbance. On top of that, I save a nice chunk of change living in my "breezy" place. I just invested in a bunch of fans to make the breeze constant.

He's just mad because he finally realized how much time he had been wasting from hanging out on Ducati Spot.  ;)

ducati spot??? is that site still up?

 [laugh] [laugh] [laugh]

zing!

so for a breezy 3br place, in a decent area how much would something cost to buy or rent, ballpark

Single family home or apt?  Looking at like $2,500+ to rent a single family home in a nice area.  Buy?  Start at $400,000 and go up as high as you can imagine...

Definitely a SFH.....when you say I'm lookin at 2500+ is that nice place/neighborhood with A/C? or is that 2500 the starting point in an OK neighborhood w/ no A/C or is very cozy (and by cozy i mean it says its a 3 br but really its a 600sqft 2br they just put an extra wall into)

SQ FT here is going to be smaller than the mainland for sure.  For 2500/month on a single family home I'd say you'll be doing "ok".  Not in a great place but you won't need hobo stab insurance either.

I've got a 3br/1bath in Wahiawa (east side of Kamehameha highway) for 1300/month. Regardless of what you hear, it's not a bad place to live. All my neighbors are relatively friendly. 

single family? wow most the guys I know in Mililani are at like 2300+

1300/mo sounds damn good for hawaii! thats cheaper than our mortgage in the DC area!

How bad is the AM/PM commute from Wahiawa to Honolulu during the week?

You don't even want to think about this one.  It would suck big time!!

And even through Trey doesn't think Wahiawa is that bad, it really is.  He just doesn't see it that way because he came here from Ft Campbell, so he is used to the ghetto.  ;)

$1300 is seriously underpriced for a three bedroom place that is worth a shit in a decent part of the island.  When I first moved here, I was renting a three bedroom, two and a half bath townhome in Makakilo (great area!).  I paid $2300 a month for it, but it was about 1600 sq ft and had a two car garage.  The commute from that place really blew though, so I had to bail.  Seriously though, if you guys are looking at coming here, with your wife working at Tripler, you guys need to move into base housing at either Red Hill Mauka (where I just moved out of) or AMR.  The houses are pretty much brand new and really nice.  You lose all of the BAH, but there isn't a utility bill (electricity is REALLY expensive down here) to worry about, the location is great and the places are within a privatized housing area, so pretty safe.  Sorry for being so candid here, but you would be an idiot to not move in there.

I forgot to add, my place was built in the 50's, has termites/woodcutter ants  in the ceiling, and the floor is falling apart(i think) under the crappy tile, and my landlady is a total pregnant dog. but other than that, it's alright. My commute to Schofield is about 9 minutes. commute to Honolulu at 5am takes about 45 min to an hour and a half depending on accidents. god help you on the way home.

I hear what you're saying about base housing, and the only reason we were considering living off base is because BAH was so High that we were looking at possibly buying (it would pay for upwards of a 500k home) but we're leaning towards base housing.  Is there a difference between on base officer quarters/Enlisted?


EDIT:
I just found this site ( http://www.armyhawaiifamilyhousing.com/homes/501/community (http://www.armyhawaiifamilyhousing.com/homes/501/community) ) is this an accurate description? out of these communities, which is the best? the one you were living in seems pretty nice

Depends on what area you are looking at, and what grade the member is.  So with that in mind, what grade is the member?  I was living in a SGM unit and it was considered about the same as a field grade officer.  Quite a few people on this board came over to the house several times, and can attest to the "bang for the buck" that you get there.

In my base housing community NCOs and Officers live side by side.  I can't speak for others on the island.

she's an O3, maaaay be O4 by then


Which community are you in?

Well, you would be pleased at the properties they would offer you at the two areas that I mentioned.  Plus, less than five minutes to Tripler. 

Yea, I'm looking at the housing choices and it looks pretty phat.
are you in this house? :

(http://]http://www.armyhawaiifamilyhousing.com/phpthumb/phpThumb.php/aoe=1;q=95;iar=1;360x240;../files/armyhawaiifamilyhousing_com/IMG_9432.jpg)

http://www.armyhawaiifamilyhousing.com/phpthumb/phpThumb.php/aoe=1;q=95;iar=1;360x240;../files/armyhawaiifamilyhousing_com/IMG_9432.jpg (http://www.armyhawaiifamilyhousing.com/phpthumb/phpThumb.php/aoe=1;q=95;iar=1;360x240;../files/armyhawaiifamilyhousing_com/IMG_9432.jpg)

What house?

sorry, its a shitty website

http://www.armyhawaiifamilyhousing.com/phpthumb/phpThumb.php/aoe=1;q=95;iar=1;360x240;../files/armyhawaiifamilyhousing_com/IMG_9432.jpg (http://www.armyhawaiifamilyhousing.com/phpthumb/phpThumb.php/aoe=1;q=95;iar=1;360x240;../files/armyhawaiifamilyhousing_com/IMG_9432.jpg)

http://www.armyhawaiifamilyhousing.com/homes/808 (http://www.armyhawaiifamilyhousing.com/homes/808)

Yes, it is a shitty site. 

The one you linked to is a duplex.  Mine was a free standing, single family house. 

This is the one I was in.  http://www.armyhawaiifamilyhousing.com/homes/805 (http://www.armyhawaiifamilyhousing.com/homes/805)

That thing is pretty badass. Now are they as strick as other bases where the grass has to be a certain length all the time, and you have to be meticulous about every little bullshit thing, or are they pretty laid back?

The housing community itself is pretty laid back, so it all depends on your neighbors.  But I will say this, while I was deployed, my ex wife didn't do shit with the yard (or the dog in the yard for that matter) the entire time I was gone.

AH!!  Just noticed that the text in that add has the place listed as a four bedroom.  It's actually a 3 bdrm, 2.5 bth

so the biggest in that community is a 3 br?


yea, thats my only concern, we have a little yappy dog, he's an outside dog and is pretty quiet most of the time, but when people come close to our fence he lets us know they're there. I appreciate you (and everyone else) answering my questions. We're getting ready to buy our tickets to visit at the end of june  [thumbsup]

I like the fact that base housing there seems to be new, and have garages.
Any issues with the neighbors in regards to how loud the Duc is?

There are four bedroom units there as well.  Just the link that I sent you was miss-advertised as a four bedroom unit.  They look very close to the same.

You don't have to worry about the dog's barking.  My ex pretty much threw Darmah out in the yard and ignored her the entire time I was gone.  The neighbors fed her and from what they told me she barked her ass off all day and night.  Plus, one of my neighbors bred little yippe shit dogs, and they were always making noise.  No one complained. 

Never had any complaints about the bikes either.  Both of mine are... Let's say less than quiet.  ;) 

Well sir, this seems like the place for us! As far as work goes, is it more prevalent to have spouses work on base or off base? I'm a firefighter by trade and it's usually pretty difficult to get in on the FD's when you're from out of town so I may have to figure something else out. any suggestions? I used to build computers and run a construction company and be a rock climbing instructor - so i've got a variety of skills (but no nun-chuck skills)

I think most neighborhoods are pretty chill.  When I was standing Collection Officer watch on mids working 0300-1500 I'd leave my house at about 0215 and fire up my old monster with termis which was loud as shit and the neighbors never complained.  My golden retreiver has been barking constantly for the last 4 hours too while the cleaning company has been here doing my carpets and not a peep out of the neighbors.

Just to screw with you all a little, I'd like to mention that I've been in Hawaii for over 5 years now, and traffic aside, still love it.  I've never had a bike stolen, and the first year or so I had a carport.  I paid less than $2000/mo for a three bedroom house in Mililani with a nice yard and views.  I have friends in both Wahiawa and Wainae, and have gone to both places - at night - with no problems.  And I'm a tall skinny white dude. 

Point is, experiences vary.  My feeling is that as long as you don't need road trips to live, you've got a reasonable chance to love it.

You can always check with the Federal Fire Department.  I am not sure if it is actually part of DoD or not, but might be worth looking into, as they are the ones that service all the military installations here.
 

Ah-Ha!!

New name I see.  ;)

Yea I'm looking into getting on the fd at the military base here, and once I'm federal hopefully I can transfer.

As far as construction background I used to manage multiple crews for a private residential contractor. I went to school for construction management but got into the FD before I finished. I used to do takeoffs, estimates, and full project schedules. We used to do everything from basic remodels to full new home builds  [thumbsup]

experiences seem to vary. I have a feeling when we visit this summer we're gonna fall in love with the place and do everythingwe can to get there  [evil]

I love road trips but were super outdoorsy so we can spend our time climbing or hiking or kayaking....and I've always wanted to learn to surf  :P

thanks!  [thumbsup]

HD does not equate to Honda. Yes? No?  HD usually equates to Harley Davidson and even with their newfound quality control they still don't have the reliability of a Ducati or, gasp, a Honda CBR.

What's up with the Super Monster? 

there's lots of hiking to be had in hawaii. i actually go hiking w/ HTMC. here's their website.

http://htmclub.org/ (http://htmclub.org/)

obviously you can hike on your own, but this group has a lot of experience ppl including a guy that wrote a pretty popular hiking book. they have groups that clear and mark the trail before the club does the hike. they also keep try to keep track of everyone, to make sure we all get out, and have designated sweepers on the hikes. the ages range from college kids to retired ppl. so far my experience has been great w/ them and i've heard only good things about the club. definitely something i would suggest. oh, n they do get access to some restricted hikes... supposedly those are members only.

That's actually kind of sad. I know that pain having gone through it with a 999. Basically that is what, in fact, made me sell it. My old Monster was and still is as reliable as they come. So far the 848 is doing good too, knock on wood or whatever. There, now that I've actually said it the thing will bite me in the ass. As for HD, a good friend of mine has one and has spent more than I ever have on all three of the Ducs I've had (mods included) just to keep it running. Everyone's mileage varies I guess. You won't go wrong with the CBR, that's for sure.

Thanks for the tip! The site is definitely bookmarked. I find group hiking, climbing, riding are good ways to get to know people so it would be especially good for when we first get there!

Yea, it's sad to hear that the RS is giving problems.  Post up on here though if you think you will end up selling it.  One of the guys who rides with us used to have an S4R, and he misses it.  ;)

My monster was experiencing those same symptoms and it turned out to be a bad fuel pump...~$2000 later it was fixed...and then traded but that had more to do with people than the bike...I do miss my Monster though...

Nah...  We're all a bunch of asses really... 

i know i am... nobody likes me  [cheeky]

Speak for thyself.  I'm more of the son-of-a-pregnant dog type myself.  [laugh]

Thats fine, you're moving to DC, you'll fit right in there!

[laugh] [laugh] [laugh]

I'm about to.  What area does your brother live in?

Tickets are purchased. We'll be flying in on the 29th and we'll be there until July 6th. Were gonna stay with some family and head over to trippler and talk to some people abiut residency. Any ideas about things goin on on the island for the week we're there?

Rumor has it that there might be traffic while you are there.   ;D

Only between the hours of 0500 to 0345  ;D

Hmm... not offhand.  I'll have to do a little looking around.

Ha! should we rent those mopeds and zip around the island?

Rent one of these bad boys (http://www.dbahawaii.com/), a lot more fun than a scooter...  [thumbsup]

A dune buggy would be AWESOME! but their prices leave room for improvement

Where would you take a dune buggy here on Oahu? are there any beaches your allowed to drive them on? or forgotton plantation grounds that you can go and play in? from what i can tell hawaii is too hot for a topless car without A/C... but then  thats just me.

I kept the S top down almost the entire time I had it.  Guess you're just a wuss. 

  ;D

The Superbeetle top only goes up when it's parked outside overnight.  Hot is a state of mind, or something...

Hot? HOT???? I've got 110 degree direct sun, don't complain to me about HOT!  :P

It's funny, there are a precious FEW places...but, they even say at the rental place that those are for on road only.  [roll]

i can sit on my 848 in my full riding gear on the H1 during peak rush hour traffic with a 6 car pile up slowing traffic to hardly a crawl and be ok, but put me in a car with no A/C and yeah i can be kind of a pregnant dog hahahahahha

It's not full gear until you do it in leathers.

Just saying.

lol... ok fine my leather jacket and gloves... but damn it jeans can be very hot also and so are my steel toe boots

The Miata I had had broken A/C and unless it was just pouring rain the top was down. And no, Barbie wasn't included in the price of purchase.

FAIL!

barbie wasnt included... then i do believe you over paid my friend.

Well, my Tennessee Barbie got all pregnant and stuff after I bought the car....does it count if I brought one here with me?

Only if I get her sister.   ;D

hmm, you should fly her to the big city and give her a tour. Make sure Darmah is present as she is the keeper of the Game.  ;D

Thanks for the suggestions! I got a few good ideas via the thread and from some PMs.  Any other ideas would be great. So far we're gonna try to hit North Shore for a day and go to Ola at the Turtle bay resort. Maybe head up and go to Pokai Bay and Waimea Bay.

Other thoughts? Things to do for 4th of july weekend?

Drink.

I threw a big 4th of July BBQ down there last year, but those days are over...

ha, yea; over. Oh no! What will you do in dc??? There aren't any bars or hot chicks there. Oh no!!!!


Hit up Georgetown or Bethesda or Clarendon. (depending where you are gonna be living) and you'll find some good brews and some ladies. If you get a chance. Head to the dogfishead brewpub. Great eats and better beer

I'm going to be living in the Fairlington/Shirlington area.  I've already hit up a fair number of places around Shirlington, and I am close enough to Old Town so...   [thumbsup]

Old Town is quite nice!


As far a places in Hawaii, any food recommendations? fancy and culture-y food is cool. I really like hole-in-the-wall/dive places. Local diners, things like that.

Alan Wong's

Not very fancy, but...
Try 'Young's Kalbi' in Pearl City, best meat jun on island, imho.  'Nico's - Pier 38' - great place for lunch.  Local plate lunch, try Bob's Barbecue in Kalihi.

Local Hawaiian food - best places are either Helena’s in Kalihi or Highway Inn in Waipahu.

Take your girl to 'Cream Pot' for breakfast, slightly fancy but chicks love it and the food is great.  Another kinda fancy trendy place is '12th Ave Grill' in Kaimuki, great food and a nice place.  Another nice place is Bluewater Grill in Hawaii Kai - food is pretty good and your right on the water - nice place for dinner and drinks with the lady.

Super fancy?  Alan Wong's has been mentioned.  Could also try Chef Mavro in Mcully or Hoku’s in Kahala (nice for sunset dinner).  Bring your wallet to those places. ;)

Oh, if you're gonna be at Turtle Bay, 21 Degrees North is a nice fancy restaurant too.  [wine]

awesome! fancy's cool, we'll prolly do one night fancy, the rest shady or small time places. we like little outta the way places with cheap good food - non-touristy stuff. we'll check out those places, and we love random little breakfast places! thanks for the input!

Maybe we can do a 4th of July BBQ. I've got a place and I know a guy that makes killer margaritas.  [beer]

Literally. 

I will, of course, have duty on the 4th.  Doesn't mean I can't attend, I just can't drink.

Jen may or may not be around at that time.

Naturally  ;D Buuuuut we'll be around all week!

Also, How are the prices at the Exchange vs at the grocery stores/retail stores/etc?

Depends on what you need.  Most goods can be gotten for about the same price on or off base.  Groceries are a different beast, and dairy is especially hideous to buy in town. 

btw, "especially hideous"="$7+" for a gallon of milk.  Commissary is closer to $4.  But, that's what COLA is for!

No COLA in DC, and it's really no cheaper than Hawaii.  :(

thats what i figured, and since i'm used to DC prices then i'll fit right in on Oahu

Housing isn't much cheaper, but food, etc sure were.  We went to a gourmet grocery that everyone said was super expensive, and that was just like shopping here. 

Are you talking about DC or Hawaii?

Housing in DC isn't much cheaper than Hawaii, but foodstuffs, etc, are.  At least in my limited experience.

I don't know, since getting here I have been into a Giant, Safeway and Harris Teeter.  From what I saw, things were very close to the same when comparing locational prices.  Maybe a touch cheaper here, but not my much at all.  The commissary on Bolling brought the price down a touch, but some of the stuff was the same as well.

No problem, let me know what you think if you hit up any of those places.

Oh, here is a local food blog (http://akueats.com/), good resource for finding good eats - the guy that does it is pretty much on the money with his reviews...

Great site! I was looking on a travel site and found a place called The Cream Pot (http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g60982-d1214487-Reviews-The_Cream_Pot-Honolulu_Oahu_Hawaii.html) anybody been there? We really like low key diner/breakfast places and this seems to have that style. And if anyone wants to go grab a beer or anything at their favorite watering hole let me know!

Cream pot is a pretty great French breakfast place that caters (mostly) to Japanese tourists.  Very good food, great coffee, I recommend it.

Oh, and convincing this bunch to grab a beer is like convincing peanut butter to make out with jelly. 

Agreed.  That Aku Eats site has a great review on it (http://akueats.com/cream-pot-a-closer-look.asp) djrashonal, so you can get an idea what it's like...

thanks! i was reading through the blog last night and found the breakfast page!i spent a good two hours drooling on that site! We're getting super excited for the trip. We usually go to the same ole same places for vacation so this is gonna be quite a treat!

on another note. we're stayin with her cousin, and she has two motorcycles (not sure what kind) so we may be able to go out for a ride if anyone is interested. Again, not sure if they're good for two up or what.

Hit this road (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=HI-72&daddr=21.326637,-157.685308&geocode=FWClRAEdjJ2Z9g%3B&hl=en&mra=mi&mrsp=1&sz=14&sll=21.314884,-157.670374&sspn=0.047256,0.077162&ie=UTF8&ll=21.293693,-157.688141&spn=0.094526,0.154324&t=h&z=13), fun on a bike and the view is great.

Also, bike or car, this is a fun road too with awesome views (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=Round+Top+Dr&daddr=21.316143,-157.831864&geocode=FWQsRQEdQ72X9g%3B&hl=en&mra=mi&mrsp=1&sz=16&sll=21.314164,-157.827315&sspn=0.011814,0.01929&ie=UTF8&ll=21.319841,-157.821522&spn=0.047255,0.077162&t=h&z=14), very picturesque.

While that road does take you through some stunning scenery, it is usually VERY congested with tourist traffic (read buses) and you will be quite lucky if you can go more than 25 mph on it.  If you want to hit that road, I suggest doing so very early in the morning. 

 Ok cool. I'll try to get her up super early but she's Mexican so anytime before noon is a tough sell. We just landed in Oahu and were stayin on hickman AFB. We were gonna hit the beach but it's kinda blah so we're just gonna grab some food and hang out. Anyone wanna meet up shoot me a pm!

ALOHA!

Ill be working late today and tomorrow but wouldnt mind meeting up with you folks thursday or friday sometime for happy hour some where.

Sounds like someone should organize another Thursday night dinner night... 

you're off til Tuesday right?... ;D

Welcome to the Island! You can wave to me and the rest of my guys when we fly to Kuwait tomorrow ;D

PM sent!

So what, you guys are going to wait for me to call down at make the reservation?   ;)

Friday?  Saturday?  I'm down, I am.

Don't look at me.   I'm pulling 13 hr days now that the boss is off to Italy for a month. Then there's what's left of my life waiting at the end of the day.

Yow. 

I mean, yow.

Aloha Everybody!

reviving the old thread because we just got word we'll be there for a month long pediatrics GI rotation at trippler. Dates are august 6- sept 3.
Hopefully this will give us a better idea of what island life would be like (aside from a week long tourist trip). We're still waiting to get her orders along with the information packet but I'll soon be looking for a 1 month rental home/condo/hotel room that can be up to $170 per night, any ideas would be welcome.

I'm also going to be poking around in the job market there, to get an idea of what is (and is not) available. We find out at the end of december where she will be sent to residency, and our anticipated arrival date would be early june 2012

thanks for all the help already given, and the advice to come

Aarash

Aarash,

For the short duration, I'd recommend staying in Waikiki...which will keep a reasonable commute to/from work (aprox 20min).  This will give you the opportunity to enjoy downtown life w/ all the shops, restaurants and beach...all within walking distance.  We stayed at the Hilton Hawaiian Village Resort at the Per Diem rate this past Sept while house hunting on the island...we ended up renting a new condo a block away :-).    The "Hale Koa" is the military hotel...nice rooms, located next to the Hilton resort and shares the same beach.  PARKING: it can be pricey while in a hotel...you can purchase a 1x month pass through the Hale Koa parking garage for ~$90...even if you aren't staying there...must have a DoD ID.  If you are more comfortable in a furnished condo, there are few to choose from...but will likely have to wait until you get closer to your travel dates...most of the decent executive furnished condos in Waikiki will go for 3200+.  Good luck w/ the upcoming move and let us know if you have any questions.  

Semper Fi,
Majdi

Thanks for the help! You said you got a condo about a block away.....how far is your commute? how long does it take?

I'm stationed at Camp Smith (which is further than Tripler).  It takes me ~20min in the morning, but somehow it becomes an hour drive back into Waikiki in the afternoon.  I typically hit the road at 0630-0645 in the morning and return around 1700. 

Thanks for the info! I told the wife and she's already dreading the commute, but I don't mind driving so it wont bother me too much. Did you have the option to live on base? O did you have to find off base housing? Our BAH is gonna be around 27-2800 so we'll probably be looking for a condo or small house for around 2500ish. If things were a bit cheaper I'd like to buy, but i doubt prices will come down far enough by the time we get out there.

Does the constant crowd of tourists become bothersome living right in Waikiki? Any issues you've found aside from astronomical parking? (those are like DC parking prices there!)

We moved from NW DC (lived in Penn Quarters on Pennsylvania Ave), so we are used to being swarmed by tourists...parking has not been an issue since we walk to 99% of the events in Waikiki...they also have a decent public transportation system.  We didn't want to live on base (I prefer my personal & work life separate), however the wait list depends on rank...03/04 list is a 6-12 month wait!  If you PCS, one of your options Kailua (30min) or Kaneohe (20min); both are quaint beach communities...you would be able to commute to Tripler via H-3, which never has traffic (unlike H-1).  We decided against looking at Eva Beach area...while the houses are newer construction and reasonably prices, the commute would have killed me...traffic going/coming from there is beyond ridiculous during rush hour!  If you are considering bringing your pet(s)...that requires a bit of planning ahead (vet appointments, shots and documentation) to avoid the 120 day quarantine law...if it applies, PM me your email address and I'll send you the checklist.  

If this is your first time here, prepare for a different life style...things are much more laid back, people are friendly, family oriented and drivers let you over when you have your turn blinker on!!!  On a negative note, simple tasks typically take longer to accomplish, pronouncing street names feels foreign, there's always traffic some where and groceries are expensive!  After 16 years, we finally shop at the commissary, and pay extra for specialty foods in town.  While we have not experienced "island fever" we feel disconnected from the mainland when watching the news...while we are obviously in the US, we initially felt as if we were living overseas  :D  Overall, living here is paradise, the beaches are amazing and and the weather begs for you to play outside...we feel very fortunate for being assigned here.

I'd still say find a place in Kailua or K-Bay if the Mrs is going to be working at tripler. The H3 will be so much easier to deal with at rush hour and you'll have the recharging view each time you punch out of the tunnel on your way home.

Amen to the recharge but please don't advertise that too much. Kaneohe & Kailua are no where as "quaint" as they used to be and are getting worse all the time. I can remember when Kailua had only one stop light in the middle of town, when half the cars in town were VW Bugs and we rode bicycles to the movies. Half the time we didn't lock our cars or our houses. All of that is way gone now.   :'(

No, No, feel free to keep your houses unlocked  [evil]


thats actually what we love about Kailua. We went last summer and fell in love with the area, it just seemed more peaceful. Not to mention Boots and Kimo is there (the best breakfast place on the island as far as we've found!)

I've talked to her about Taking the H-3 from Kailua and she loves the idea...now we just need to find a house under 500k!

Sure Rick, but that was in the late '40s.

 ;D

kailua is a very nice area, but tends to be more expensive. if you want an enclosed garage, not sure your price range will work. we've been house hunting for a couple weeks, and our original budget wasn't going very far. we've ended up in makakilo, but the hubby leaves at 5:15 in the morn. our soon to be neighbors say they do the same thing.

if you haven't found this site yet, it's one of the more comprehensive for oahu. also has alerts and etc to use.

http://www.oahure.com/index.php (http://www.oahure.com/index.php)

Thanks for the heads up! I've been browsin around the site a bit and found a few I wouldnt mind putting a little bit of work into. If I can get a 1 or 2 car carport I can invest a bit of time and money and enclose it myself. Good luck on finding something!

Ok, Time to Re-Revive this thread, with new info! We've got our final dates and the wife ended up getting an extension of her TDY and we're staying for 6 weeks, from August 6-Sept 17/18

We can spend up to 177/n (or $7,434 for the entire 6 weeks) at a hotel, but would prefer to rent a condo or house somewhere down by Waikiki, or in Kailua. I've been looking on www.vbro.com (http://) to find some long term vacation rentals. we'll be renting 1 car and I may look into renting a bike or scooter just to get around. Preferably something within walking distance to most things, so I'm not stuck in the house all day until she gets home.

Also, I'm going to take the opportunity to scout around for jobs as well as fun things to do to keep myself busy, so if anyone has any advice on either of those that would be great!

So, recap:

We'll be on Oahu from August 6- Sept 17/18

Looking for:
Hotel <=177/n
or
House/Condo <= 7.4k for 6wks
Preferably on the beach, but not required
Close to Either Waikiki or Kailua (but open to other suggestions)

Needs:
fairly safe parking included/close by
walking distance to food and or things to do
Any advice/connections for jobs
Fun things to do (it will be just me by myself for most of the time)
local hangouts/less touristy spots
long term bike/scooter rentals?

Anything else you guys could think of?
Anybody wanna meet up and grab a beer?

That should be pretty easy - almost any hotel can hook you up with a govvie rate to meet your needs.  As for the condo, VRBO is a good way to go, but I don't know of any personally.


Hmm.  Maybe.   [thumbsup]

Most of your requirements actually dictate Waikiki or nearby. There's lots of fun things to do here but the walking distance part kind of limits things.

I suppose it doesn't HAVE/b] to be walking distance, because I can take her to work in the AM and have the car, or i can see a man about a horse (or renting a bike/scooter) to get me around. Plus, I don't mind walking a lot or public transportion......
But we'll see what I can find as far as rentals.

As far as a things to do go, I'm going to compile a list of things for us (read: me) to do. I could use your input on the things you guys like to do in your spare time (in addition to whats already posted)
I was thinking:
Cool Hikes- (diamond head?, haiku stairs, etc)
Cool snorkeling/diving spots-
Cool areas to Kayak- (decent kayaker, nothing crazy though)
Any other ideas?

There are far better hikes to go on than Diamond Head or Stairway to Heaven. Wackie can fill you in on that.

I guess the best kayaking is in Kailua Bay, Waimanalo Bay and Kaneohe Bay. Portlock to Waikiki is good too but on most days you have an offshore wind working against you if you get in any kind of trouble.  [roll]

I haven't been in the water with tanks on for over 40 years but I used to love Sharks Cove and the Makua/Yokohama area ( which might not be safe for you these days ). People still dive & snorkle Hanauma Bay but I bet that's tired after one or two outings.

Do you play golf?     There's lots of fun places to play here.

well i doubt i'll be doin much diving since the wife isnt really big on swimming in general (we snorkeled in Hanauma Bay and she barely stuck her face under to look at the fish. we may go back there, but we'll see how comfortable she gets in the water.

I actually juuusssst bought my first set of used clubs and am starting to go to the driving range and teach myself how to play, so when I get there, I'll be able to hit the ball more than patches of grass

I heard there is a lot of anger/racism towards tourists/non-hawaiian kaima-aina (sp?) that go to "locals" beaches and watering holes. Is there much truth to that? any areas I should stay away from so I dont get my ass kicked over something silly?

You need to get this, to understand this. It is not so much about a local vs. white thing as it is about attitude & perspective. To be sure there are possibly moments, in certain places, where no matter what, your ass will be handed to you. Same thing as if you were in east LA or Birmingham or Detroit or Oakland. But as in all cases a certain heads up and true appreciation and realization of who you are and where you are at helps a lot.  There is a valid stereotype of military folks who get over here and immediately start in on how stupid this place is and how stupid the people are and so on.  This type of expression gets you exponential negative points. Go easy and stay easy works like you can't believe. A lot of folks never get that and have horrible experiences here.  A few get it and get treated like family to the point that some never leave. Like all things in life it's exactly what you make it.

All that being said I would recommend staying clear of the Leeward coast until you begin to master being local. Just saying........  [cheeky]

whoa cuz whats wrong with the leeward side? we just like talk story and drink beer and grind good kine food you kno... hahahahhaha i think ive been in Makaha for too long

It's gorgeous up there, no doubt, and I have never had a problem, but then I don't tend to go around like I own the place. 

Like the Mad one said, MOST of the time the problem starts with a haole being stupid, but it sure doesn't hurt to get the lay of the land first.

I try not to be an asshole to people I really don't know. The people I'm an asshole towards are my good friends and you guys on here because your on the computer and you can't get me  :P

I like getting the lay of the land to help me orient myself and not have to refer to a map too much, and so I know what neighborhood to avoid, and who not to piss off!

Be mellow, be cool. Try to avoid using phrases like "back where I come from we'd do it like this" and "that's stupid" etc.. You'll do fine.  [laugh]

Try not to piss off the guy wearing the "Tap You Out Den Tap your Chick" t-shirt... ;D

i think hiking is one of the best things about hawaii, the other being ocean sports. you have the check out hawaiian trail and mountain club. at least do one hike with them and see how you like it. typically they're really organized. they have a leader and sweeper, so they can keep track of when everyone is out. i think one of the advance trails we were the last ones out, with the leader waiting and walking out with us. but we've met some pretty cool ppl hiking with them, including visitors that were on their honeymoon. hehe. 

they hike almost every weekend. if you're not a member, it's like $3 a hike. you can join after so many hikes. but i highly recommend it. the safety factor and that the club can get into hikes that access is restricted, make them a really good option.   just be prepared to get muddy/wet and have bug repellent!

http://www.htmclub.org/skeds/index.html (http://www.htmclub.org/skeds/index.html)


agree with mac on this. it's all about attitude here. my husband gets along well, but every once in a while i have to tell him to cool his jets. ppl here are pretty laid back. prepare for things to take extra long and move slower. if you start getting frustrated with things, it won't help. you'll probably end up pissing someone off. just try to go with the flow, that's how things tend to work around here.

here's a pic of the husband on kaau crater trail. you see the poles by his nose and chin, that's where the trail leads you. it takes you around the rim of the crater. it's an amazing hike, since you have to climb up the side of waterfalls. but there were parts that scared the poop out of me, that's part of why i recommend going with a group.

(http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x218/kahokulani50/cacd0139.jpg)

Wise words from the geezer.   ;D

The time is approaching! Just wanted to drop a line saying that I've got about a month and a half until we touchdown. Rental car is set, tickets are being finalized and rental is being split amongst 4 places (2 hotels on waikiki, a condo on the beach by diamond head, and a weekend at a fancy resort TBD). Keep in touch if anyone wants to: hike, kayak, hang out, grab food/booze.

Hey All.
Plans are set. We fly in about noon on sunday. we're staying at a couple different hotels in waikiki until August 21 when we go to The New Otani on Sans Souci beach until sept 17th. The wife will be at Trippler during the day in a Peds and Peds GI rotation, while I hang out and look for things to do. I'll be looking around to rent a bicycle, kayak and maybe a surfboard. Additionally, I'll be trying to make some contacts and scouting for a possible job. We find out in december where we'll be sent for her residency, but it's a 75% probability that we'll be going to hawaii.

So, If anyone wants to meet up for drinks, food, hikes, various outdoor activities or maybe a ride (if i can find a decent enough rental) let me know.

my email is - afakhori@gmail.com
my cell # is 240.426.7787

Lookin forward to seeing more than the touristy side of the Island!  [thumbsup]

Aarash

Sunday, eh?

I'm going to Kauai next week, but I can usually be talked into a beverage or two.  [thumbsup]

Touched down and sitting on the beach. JC - let me know when you get back into town and we'll head somewhere fancy for a a drink - like applebees!  [laugh]

I am dumb - I'm actually going to Kauai next week.  Duh.

Oh, um, I don't think we have Applebees here....  ;D

Just found out, the Wife has been Assigned to Tripler Army Medical center for the next 3-4 years. We'll be moving to the Island in June! See you all next year!

Nice.  See you in a few...6x months will fly by.

Made it to the island with our dog and baby on the way!

Aloha...Congrats on the baby.  Let us know if you need anything or help house hunting.