Diamond Head, Waikiki Beach, Pearl Harbor - these names evoke feeling of magic, mystery, drama and history, and they are all located in Honolulu. The capital of Hawaii, this city not only offers some of the best beaches along side big-city skyscrapers, there are also parks, fabulous shopping, the only royal palace in America, the Arizona Memorial in the harbor at Pearl City, the Polynesian Cultural Center and more.
Located on the eastern seashore of the big island of Hawaii, Hilo is an old sugar town and the second-best (after Honolulu) seaport in the islands. Also known as the flower capital of the state, Hilo boasts flower farms and Queen Liliuokalani Park, an authentic Japanese garden. You may wish to visit the black sand beaches of the Puna District. Or Kilauea, the world's largest volcano; its crater is the legendary home of Pele, goddess of fire, who keeps watch over her domain of Volcanoes National Park.
This quaint port was named for the wiliwili trees that grow here in profusion. Known as the Garden Isle, Kauai claims the wettest spot on earth - Mount Waialeale, with 486 inches of rain per year. All this rain makes lush vegetation, taro, pineapple and sugar plantations, famous Fern Grotto and a huge variety of native flora. You may also visit Waimea, the Grand Canyon of the Pacific, and Sprouting Hole, a blowhole that sends a geyser 50 feet into the air. Or, enjoy a swim at the very beach where the movie South Pacific was filmed!
In Vancouver, you're never out of sight of towering peaks--or of the sea. It is a prosperous city adorned with flowers lining the streets and lush greenery like Stanley Park. Museums offer fine collections of the dramatic Northwest native arts. Vancouver's Chinatown is the second-largest in the world. The waterfront Gastown district recalls the city's colorful past as a premier Pacific port since the days of the Clipper ships.