From Kauai or Maui, you can take a day trip over to Oahu. Inter-island air is fairly reasonable at the moment (less than $80 roundtrip.) Alternatively, there are plenty of organized packaged tours you can take to see Oahu.

A final suggestion would be to get a free quote from a travel agent. Sometimes they are able to get better packaged deals on the multi-island itineraries.

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St. Simons Island, Ga.: Does Hawaii have a more-affordable off-season? If so, when is it, and why is it the off-season?

Sheila Beal: Yes, Hawaii does have more affordable off-seasons. You can generally find the best rates at around these times:

- May
- September (after Labor Day)
- October
- November (except for around Thanksgiving)
- December 1st though about the 20th.

These are the least crowded times, mainly because children are in school and it's not bitterly cold on the US Mainland. The optimal times for visiting Hawaii for best prices, least crowds, and the least amount of rain are late April, May, September, and October.

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San Francisco, Calif.: Dear Sheila, I'll be visiting Honolulu during Thanksgiving week with my elderly mother and 11 year old niece. We're staying at the Hilton Hawaiian Village in Waikiki. We'll be visiting family most of the time, but I wonder if you could suggest some activities that would peak the interest of an 11 year old? Mahalo, Sandy

Sheila Beal: Aloha Sandy. Here are some ideas for you to consider.
- There's the free Friday night Polynesian dance and music show followed by fireworks display at the Hilton Hawaiian Village. Kids aged 5 to 12 can participate in the parade that leads to the show. You can find more information about it here.
- The Bishop Museum in Honolulu has something for everyone with many exhibits plus planetarium shows. You can take a look at their daily schedule here. (It is open over Thanksgiving.)
- If you have an entire day available, then consider going to the Polynesian Cultural Center which appeals to kids just as much as adults. Plan to get there when it opens to explore all the Polynesian villages, go to one of their luaus, and onto the evening show. Their evening show is the best I've seen. If you don't want to drive from Waikiki, you can arrange your transportation with the Polynesian Cultural Center Note that the center is closed on Thanksgiving Day and on all Sundays.

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Oceanside, Calif.: We are going to spend a week on Maui at our time share on Jan. 3. If possible, we would like to come over to Oahu early and spend New Year's Eve. Do you have any ideas for what to do for New Year's Eve? We are in our 60's and enjoy dancing and having fun.