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Aloha ... and welcome to the tour of downtown Honolulu. Before we get underway, if this is your first tour of Hawaii, you might want to look at some basic information about Hawaiian words . I'll be your guide for this tour. How's your stay at the Sheraton Royal Hawaiian Hotel ? It's a great place, isn't it? Luxurious accommodations with a great feeling of old Hawaii -- and right on Waikiki Beach. There's a lot to see on this tour, so let's get started. Click here for a note about your comfort on the tour. 1. Leaving the Hotel People who haven't been to Honolulu before often think that Waikiki is essentially a downtown Honolulu waterfront area. But Waikiki is really quite a distance and quite distinct from "downtown." It's way too far to walk as we'll see on this tour. We'll go out through the main entry. Looks like a great day, doesn't it? We'll wind our way out of Waikiki to Kapiolani Boulevard that's a main east-west road street between Waikiki and downtown Honolulu. 2. Tokai International College 3. Kapiolani Playground 4. Hawaii State Convention Center 5. Crossing the Ala Wai Canal 6. Kapiolani Boulevard Apart from Bishop and Alakea Streets in the very heart of downtown Honolulu, Kapiolani Boulevard is "the" street of attractive, upscale office buildings. Although older buildings are mixed in, many of the highrise office towers are as elegant as anywhere in Hawaii. Above, two views along Kapiolani Boulevard, both in the Ala Moana area where to the left of our route is the Ala Moana Shopping Center and Ala Moana Beach Park (both on the Honolulu Waterfront Tour). The closer image on the right is that of the 1601 Kapiolani Building one block past the Hawaii Convention Center. The image on the far right is that of the Bank of Hawaii Building. It has louvers on all sides that adjust with the angles of the sun. It also has a revolving restaurant at the top from where there are spectacular views (counterclockwise) of the ocean and Ala Moana Beach Park, Waikiki, Diamond Head, the Koolau Mountains, and downtown Honolulu. In the picture on the left is a side of the Ala Moana Pacific Center. The picture in the middle shows the Pacific Guardian Tower on the right side of Kapiolani farther ahead. The picture on the right is of the distinctive American Savings Building still farther ahead on the left. 7. Neal S. Blaisdell Center 8. McKinley High School 9. Academy Art Center In a fairly small area on both sides of Beretania are a nice park and a couple of older and interesting buildings. The Academy Art Center that is an attractive stone building that faces onto a park, Thomas Square across the street. There are quite a few stone buildings in Honolulu. Most of them predate modern concrete and are constructed of bluestone, a hard granite-like volcanic stone from right here in Hawaii. This stone building is enhanced by the divided-lite windows and rounded entry lanai ("lanai" is the Hawaiian term for porch). The building has served a number of purposes since its construction in 1908. At one time, it was part of nearby McKinley High School, then the College of Hawaii, and later Lincoln Elementary School. After extensive renovation, it was opened as the Academy Art Center in 1990 as the art education center of the Honolulu Academy of Arts. Art classes and exhibitions are provided by the Center. It is also the home of the Honolulu Printmaking Workshop and the Academy's Lending Collection. 10. Thomas Square Thomas Square occupies an entire block. Large Banyan trees make it particularly shady -- and inviting. Usually there are only a few people in the park at any time. Parking can be a little tight in the area. On weekends, however, there are frequently craft fairs held in this park, and those are always popular. The park is nicely situated in front of the picturesque Academy of Art and the Academy Art Center at one side. Across King Street on the Makai side of the park is the Neil S. Blaisdell Center that includes a performing art center, and small convention and exhibit facilities (no pictures available). In center of the park and rather buried in the large trees is a fountain. Your patronage of our sponsors is appreciated.