Kailua is often touted as the ultimate scenic day-trip from Waikiki, a lovely beach town with stunning endless sands, no (well, one) high rises, lots of bike paths, windsurfing, bird sanctuaries -- you get the picture. Too bad that Kailua is about to turn into a giant parking lot. The City and County is planning (yet another) massive sewer replacement project in Kailua that promises to snarl traffic for years. My advice to day trippers? Avoid rush hours (morning and evening). Arrive and leave from the Hawaii Kai side of Oahu (combine with trip to Hanauma Bay or Sandy Beach). If you are going to stay in Kailua, make sure you are staying very close to the beach or have a bike to get around. And don't count on getting over the Pali Highway back into Honolulu very quickly.

—Alex, 04/22/08