Oahu: Five things you don't know

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Jan. 7, 2008
By Ceri Mobley, PGATOUR.com Associate Site Producer

With attractions such as Pearl Harbor, Waikiki Beach and Diamond Head, Oahu is the most visited of the Hawaiian Islands. Its balmy climate of 70-80 degrees on average makes the third-largest of these isles a popular vacation and wedding spot year round.

As the second week of the 2008 PGA TOUR season tees off, the players are headed to the Sony Open in Honolulu, so here are a few fun facts you probably don't know about the beautiful island of Oahu.

BY THE NUMBERS

1	Famous for surfing, Oahu is the home of board lover’s paradise, the North Shore. But while this bulging beach boasts swells of up to 25 feet in the winter months – highly dangerous to amateur surfers and wandering tourists – the very same waters are quite still and a haven for snorkeling and swimming during the summer.
2	Think the Oahu scenery is a little familiar? If you’re a fan of ABC’s LOST, then you’ve definitely seen this island before. The hit show is filmed on Oahu and its stars live on the island for most of the year. Even Oahu landmarks such as Waimea Falls have made cameo appearances on the ABC favorite. You have to wonder why the survivors of Oceanic Flight 815 want to leave so badly…
3	As America’s 50th state, Hawaii brings much to the USA’s resume, including the nation’s only true palace. Built in Honolulu from 1879 to 1882, Iolani Palace was first home to King Kalakaua and was intended to enhance the prestige of what was then the nation of Hawaii. And much to the surprise of many, Iolani had electricity before the White House and Windsor Palace and was the first palace in the world to install flushing toilets.
4	Diamond Head, the prominent peak in Waikiki Beach and a popular spot for amateur hikers, did not gain its name because of its gem-like shape. The beacon of the bay was actually named by British sailors in the 1800s who spotted the mountain from the ocean sparkling in the sunlight. The glistening crest excited the sailors, who believed its soil had to be lined with diamonds to flicker that way. Unfortunately, Diamond Head’s sparkle was really due to calcite crystals in the lava rock, but the name still stuck.
5	Like eating tropical fruits? Oahu is home to the Dole Plantation, tourist display of the major pineapple producer to the world and operational since 1989. The now multi-million dollar industry grew out of a simple pineapple stand in 1950, but do you know how a pineapple itself grows? Underground? On a tree? Not so. The tangy, juicy fruit with the funky hairdo perches atop a shallow bush that resembles the top of a pineapple itself. It sits so awkwardly and appears so unattached that it looks as though someone just placed it there as they were walking by.