Housed in a turn-of-the-20th-century Spanish compound, the Honolulu Academy of Arts (900 South Beretania Street, 808-532-8701) has stunning Asian art, including the James Michener Collection, one of the most impressive collections of Japanese art and furniture in the world. The Hawaii State Art Museum (250 South Hotel Street, 808-586-0900) has a rotating collection of contemporary art from local artists that includes stunning photography of the islands, delicate raku pottery and finely wrought naturalist paintings of Hawaii flora and fauna. Punchbowl Memorial is the largest military cemetery in the Pacific and the western cousin of Arlington in Washington, D.C.

Kailua Beach

Three of the best beaches for bathing and walking--Kailua, Waimanalo and Malekahana--lie along the Windward Coast on the opposite side of the island from Honolulu. Each offers miles of powdery sand, no hotels, minimal development and plenty of shady ironwood trees. On the North Shore of Oahu, the best surfers on Earth paddle into critical barrels only 20 meters offshore at the Banzai Pipeline. When the surf is huge, Waimea is the place to ride, and crowds line this amphitheater bay to witness the daredevil antics of heroic North Shore watermen. Mere mortals can learn to surf in Waikiki (surf boys offer lessons for $20 per hour in front of the Duke Kahanamoku statue on Kuhio Beach).

To the west of Honolulu at Pearl Harbor, the USS Arizona Memorial (1 Arizona Memorial Road, 808-422-2771) is a moving monument to the men and women who died on that infamous day. Visitors take a boat ride out to the site of the sinking, where the outline of the ship is clearly visible. A newly revamped visitors center also has a fascinating film and audio-visual offering covering Pearl Harbor. Nearby, a visit to the USS Missouri (1250 South Drive, 808-423-2263) provides a unique first-hand view of what life was like inside an actual battleship.