A Californian's guide to Hawaii travel

Earlier in September, I took a weeklong vacation and traveled to Hawaii. It was gorgeous and lush and wonderful except for one thing — I met too many Californians.

State of play: It felt like almost every Californian looking to take advantage of post-Labor Day flights was out in Hawaii.

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• On our parasailing tour, I met a San Francisco-based mom and son and a young couple from San José — one of whom went to Gunn High School like me.
• In my group surfing lesson, the two other first-timers were a pair from Santa Cruz.
• And upon texting a childhood friend about reconnecting back home, I learned she was also in Hawaii, just an island over.

So, if you are one of the Californians making your way to Hawaii sometime soon, here are my recs:

Favorite dessert: Shimazu Store

• The roadside shop has a wide range of shaved ice flavors, with unique options like like pickled mango, as well as a smattering of toppings that include condensed milk and li hing powder.

Photo: Shawna Chen/Axios

Favorite museums: ʻIolani Palace and Hawaii's Plantation Village

• ʻIolani Palace was the was the royal residence of the Hawaiian Kingdom's rulers. It's been restored to reflect the way the monarchs lived before Queen Liliʻuokalani was overthrown and imprisoned.
• Hawaii's Plantation Village, on the other hand, takes visitors through the lives of the earliest sugar plantation workers with replicas of homes and structures.

Left: The quilt Queen Liliʻuokalani embroidered during her eight months of imprisonment. Right: A replica of a hut on a sugar cane plantation. Photos: Shawna Chen/Axios

Favorite meal: Da Ultimate Grindz Hawaii in Waipahu (honorary mention to Honolulu Skewer House !)

• This was the best loco moco I've ever had in my life. I can't even really put into words why, but the patty just melted in my mouth.

Photo: Shawna Chen/Axios

Favorite coffee: Island Brew Coffeehouse

• Cold brew powered by Hawaiian beans plus lavender foam on top? The only combo I want now.

I drank the coffee so fast I forgot to take a picture of it so here's one of a random chicken that was hanging out around the coffeehouse. They tend to roam around on the island to their heart's content. Photo: Shawna Chen/Axios

Favorite spot off the beaten path: Spitting Cave

• This cliff shoreline is a bit hard to find because you have to hike down a narrow strip of rocky terrain in the middle of a suburban neighborhood, but it wasn't overwhelmed by tourists like all the popular spots.
• I sat on the cliff for a while just observing waves crash into the cave, which is named thus because it "spits" out the water.

Spitting Cave. Photo courtesy of Shawna Chen

Favorite surfing school: Uncle Bryan's Surf School

• Not to brag but I stood up on the first try. Not everyone in my group did, but our instructor helped us commit form to muscle memory as much as we could, which ultimately helped me in the moment.
• I had so much fun trying to catch waves over and over — their prices are also more affordable compared to other schools in the North Shore area.

The bottom line: Keep an eye on those flight prices, because you never know if a trip to Hawaii could be in your future!