![]() ![]() 5-0 Fan Michelle Garcia and Producer Jeffrey Downer Of course, the viewing wouldn’t have been complete without popcorn from Popcorn Express. The entire Queen’s beach area smelled like the delicious garlic shrimp coming from Giovanni’s Aloha Shrimp, and the Mahaloha Burger line was plenty long, with folks grabbing up their Big Island grass-fed hormone-free beef patties for just $6. ![]() While that was incredibly better than the live views of the red carpet, unfortunately they were not streaming that coverage to the 30-foot screen on the beach. The live coverage was on Hawaii News Now with Trini Kaopuiki. The crowd swelled to about 10,000, with people camping out all day for the viewing that started around 7pm. The premiere of Hawaii Five-0 was a much bigger deal. Movies start around sunset, but they have chairs, food vendors and entertainment that starts about two hours before the movie. The Sunset on the Beach is an evening event, hosted by the Waikiki Improvement Association. The oceanarium, which was built in 1976, gets its salty water straight from the ocean. Once down below I fed lettuce to the reef fish, and pet the manta ray. With SNUBA you can dive with the breathing apparatus tanks floating above you on a raft, and you just have a mouth piece and a tube. I suited up and went 20 feet down with Emi Sakazume and Kentaro Abiko, my ambassadors of SNUBA. ![]() The most unique activity in the hotel is the SNUBA offered inside of their oceanarium. Pampering at their Laule’a Spa is a must, massages start at a reasonable $45 for 30 minutes.If you’re musically inclined, take free lessons from Bruce Shimabukuro (Jake’s brother), who runs the ukulele shop in the lobby. Jogging or walking in the park is the way to go: it’s a beautiful area of Waikiki. Pacific Beach has a 24-Hour Fitness Gym in their building, and you can get passes at the front desk. I love the proximity to the zoo and Kapiolani Park. There was a south swell and plenty of surfers this weekend you can rent boards right across the street. The hotel is on the mauka side of Kalakaua, but just across the street is a clear view of bustling Waikiki beach. I also saw that the dining room was filled with locals in the know - clearly, this was the place to be with an appetite on the weekend. Basically, the brunch offers an insane amount of food to consume. I indulged in Sunday’s brunch, post-premiere and filled up on sashimi, oysters, crab legs, tempura and eggs benedict. When I arrived they were setting up their Aloha Friday lunch but they also serve breakfast and dinner weekend brunch starts at 11am. That’s at least partly due to their Oceanarium Restaurant, known for its amazing seafood buffet and stunning views of their tank. The lobby smells incredible the minute you step foot inside. Kama`aina rates are $119 with breakfast for up to two people to $129 for up to four people with buy-one, get one free at their buffet. Another bonus? They have a gorgeous three-story oceanarium inside the hotel replete with manta rays, moi, reef fish and mermaids. Their south end Waikiki spot on Kalakaua Avenue overlooks the ocean and is a moments-walk to Queens. ![]() A perfect place to stay with plenty of aloha was the Pacific Beach Hotel. Sunset on the Beach was held at Queens Beach, the Diamond Head side of Waikiki. Wanna choose your own? Then the price will soar between $170 and $350. It puts a new meaning on “puddle jumper.” The most economical Internet search results for cheap tickets is about $143 round-trip, when you let the airlines choose your travel dates. The most unfortunate thing about traveling inter-island is the round-trip ticket price. When I heard that Sunset on the Beach in Waikiki was hosting a red carpet premiere of Hawaii Five-0‘s second season I jumped at the chance to rub elbows with the Honolulu A-listers. Honolulu is a well-oiled machine when it comes to events, arts and entertainment, so what they may not know on the mainland won’t hurt them. As the only state in the union that’s located in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, thousands of miles from any major land mass, we often get short-changed our fair share of recognition as a refined destination of fashion, pop culture and theater. ![]()
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