Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #33428 in Books
• Published on: 2006-12-15
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 256 pages

From the Publisher
From gohawaii, about.com, July 2006:

Oahu Trailblazer is the long awaited companion book to the authors' excellent books covering the Big Island of Hawaii, Kauai and Maui. Jerry and Janine Sprout are the definitive experts in hiking in Hawaii. Their books are essential "books to pack" when planning a trip to Hawaii.

So much of the beauty of Hawaii must be seen on foot by exploring the numerous ancient sites, beaches, botanical gardens, rainforests, ridgetops, valleys, and waterfalls of each island. As a bonus, the authors give their suggestions for walking tours of some of the more urban areas of the island.

As the authors indicate many folks who want to get away from the hustle and bustle of Waikiki and explore the island of Oahu often get frustrated not knowing where to go or what to do. This book provides help in planning those adventures away from the comfortable confines of your hotel or condominium rental.

This 256 page book is an amazingly easy read. The reader is able to use the tips provided by the authors to select the hikes, snorkel or surf locations that are right for them considering their age, health and willingness to be truly adventurous.

So, on your next trip to Oahu, pack your backpack, hiking stick, camera and above all else your copy of Oahu Trailblazer and you're all set to discover the Hawaii that many visitors never get so see.

From the San Francisco Chronicle, February 26, 2006:

This self-described "all-in-one adventure guide" is more than that, much as the authors' earlier Kauai, Big Island and Maui guides have been. Though organized as a series of trailheads emphasizing hiking, snorkeling and surfing, the book has Hawaiian culture, history and attractions to spare.

The famous Aloha Towers, the significance of Iolani Palace or the novelty of swimming with dolphins at the Kahala Mandarin Oriental Hotel figure as large as the grueling 7-mile hike along the ridges of the wild Mokuleia Coast or surfing with the tough guys on the West Side's Makaha Beach.

The book is marvelously flexible. If you aren't sure what you're looking for, the Best of Oahu list outlines top attractions, hikes, snorkeling and surfing, organized "to suit your mood and the day" and keyed to trailhead and page numbers. For the more focused, a directory lists each trailhead with available activities and page number. The full trail descriptions, repository of a wealth of information, are organized into four geographical regions, each beginning with an overview of the area's offerings. The What's Best note opening each trail description lets you quickly gauge which routes suit you.

Readers are escorted not only to all of the island's glittery attractions, but also to the jungle waterfalls, panoramic ridges, and ancient sites that are off most tourists' radar.

Veteran authors Jerry and Janine Sprout have again delivered their personal touch, with concise directions and a gallery of photographs that are the trademark of their Trailblazer series. Adventurers won't get bogged down in tourist traps or hopelessly lost trying to find the hidden spots.

From the Author
The authors have explored the American West together for more than 20 years. This book joins five others in their adventure guide series: Kauai Trailblazer, Maui Trailblazer, Hawaii the Big Island Trailblazer, Golden Gate Trailblazer, and Alpine Sierra Trailblazer.

From the Inside Flap
OAHU TRAILBLAZER is dedicated to the beauty of land and the sea and to all the people working with aloha in their hearts toward a vision of a new Hawaii.

Customer Reviews

Highly Recommended A++++
We took two guidebooks to Oahu, this one and No Worries Hawaii planning guide. They made a good pair. The one in color (NW) clued us in how to plan our itinerary and decide which island we really wanted to visit first. Hotel decisions were made so much easier. My husband was inspired by the surfing, so Oahu won out.

The Oahu Trailblazer was very detailed and motivated us to explore a chunk day by day. They cover all the beaches and trails in a well thought out format. There are driving maps in each section which make it easy to skip through the pages and still know exactly where you are on the island. There are hundreds of photos so you can picture where you're going.

Surfing was as good as it gets. Put their walking tour of Honolulu on your agenda. The architecture and history and restaurants and museums were very interesting and we're glad we spent one whole day cruising around downtown and following it up with the Pearl Harbor tour.

Recommended
This is the one with the most adventure outings and the one that is the most accurate. We went to Oahu with another couple and this guide provided all the fun.

Way to go...
I'm glad we brought this book with us. It's the second in the Trailblazer series that we own.

It's very comprehensive and covers all the highways and offshoots, places that our friends who live there didn't even know about. Everyone knows about Waikiki, but there are better beaches to be found right in this book. The tone is positive and a splash of humor comes along with their valuable advice.

We do a great deal of hiking and this one contains just about every recreational activity you can think of. It sure beats researching on the internet. Having all the info collectively right by our side made all the diff.