HONOLULU, HI

See where surfing began. Enjoy temperatures that average an oh-so-comfortable 75-85 degrees all year long. Sunbathe on white-sand beaches overlooking clear blue water. Visit – as in hike to the top – a real volcano crater.

You can do all that and so much more in Honolulu, capital of the State of Hawaii.

One of the first things you’ll see in Honolulu – other than the beach and the ocean – is an extinct volcano known as Diamond Head. Named by British sailors in the 1800s because they believed they had found diamonds on its slopes (ancient Hawaiians call it Leahi, which means “brow of the tuna”), Diamond Head’s crater was formed more than 100,000 years ago. Since then, it’s been a military lookout and is now a favorite hiking destination – the top of the crater gives breathtaking views of the beach at Waikiki.

Speaking of Waikiki, many consider this beach to be the birthplace of surfing. Hawaii’s Duke Kahanamoku surfed there as a young boy before going on to winning gold medals in the Olympics of 1912 and 1920. Waikiki also offers visitors a wonderful beach walk, where you can shop for Hawaiian art and crafts, as well as sample authentic Hawaiian cuisine (poi, anyone?). The Waikiki Beach Walk also beckons tourists and locals with fabulous nightlife, from nightclubs to intimate restaurants.

One of the most powerful sites to see – yes, even more so than gazing into the mouth of a volcano – is the USS Arizona and USS Missouri memorials at Pearl Harbor. Named for the pearl oysters that once flourished in the bay, Pearl Harbor is the site the attack by Japan in December 1941 that drove the United States into World War II. A huge armor-piercing bomb hit the battleship USS Arizona, causing one of its ammunition magazines to ignite and explode. That explosion sank the ship, entombing more than 1,700 sailors. The bodies of most of those servicemen still lie within the Arizona’s hull, and so the USS Arizona Memorial – built directly over the ship – is a powerful testament to the awful realities of war.

Honolulu has a thriving Chinatown neighborhood near the city’s business district. It’s here that you can walk by the area’s historic buildings in which you’ll find lei makers, antiques, temples, herbalists and, of course, authentic Chinese restaurants (watch Chinese noodles be made before your eyes).

Another must-see Oahu site is the island’s North Shore. Winter waves bring the world’s best surfers to this legendary surfing Mecca each year. Visit in November and December and you’ll have the fortune to see the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing (three separate surfing events make up the Crown) in person.

While on the North Shore, visit Waimea Bay, home to some of the largest waves in the world. Did we say large? How about Huge! Gargantuan! Waves 20 feet high are considered tiny at Waimea, that’s how large Waimea Bay’s waves can be.

Visit Honolulu in June and enjoy the annual Pan-Pacific Festival/Matsuri in Hawaii, a celebration of the ties between the Japan and Hawaii. Festival events include an art and craft fair, an annual hula festival, the Kaze (Wind) Festival, the Pan-Pacific Matsuri Parade and a performing arts showcase.