Things to Do in 'Ewa Gentry

The servicemen of Pearl Harbor's naval and air base were taking some much-needed R and R between early morning repairs inside Hangar 37 when suddenly they heard a buzzing overhead. Their ears weren't foreign to the rapidly approaching sound with the humming of their own planes and battleships periodically filling the air, but this instance proved to be drastically different. Thunderous explosions soon overtook Pearl Harbor and the U.S.S. Arizona struggled to stay afloat as the Imperial Japanese Navy delivered a surprise military strike, which resulted in one of the most devastating attacks on American soil. With a mission to preserve the history of this tragic event, Pacific Aviation Museum Pearl Harbor opened that very same hangar to the public, hundreds of feet from where ships burned and men courageously fought more than 70 years ago.

Hangar 37's 42,000-square-foot space currently houses many of the museum's World War II artifacts, which include B-25B bombers, naval planes, and Korean War MiGs. Also open to the public, Hangar 79 displays the actual bullet holes that pierced its windows during the attack, while an authentic WWII maintenance shop contains an exhibit that explains how WWII planes ran on Lucky Strike cigarette materials. Visitors can experience the museum's ever-evolving collection of exhibits––which has included segments dedicated to Amelia Earhart and the Flying Tigers––through guided tours in both hangars and submerse themselves in the virtual world of the museum's combat flight simulator.

Rylan Lizares learned Brazilian jujitsu at the hands of Professor Pedro Sauer, and it's Sauer's instruction method that Lizares now shares through his studio, Gracie Technics Jiu-Jitsu Academy. Lizares focuses on providing students with the exact same education in grappling that he had, teaching everything from the basics of combat to the most advanced submission holds. Professional UFC fighter Max Halloway supplements this education with kickboxing classes, teaching students effective combinations of strikes known to make punching bags grow eyes for the express purpose of crying.

When educator Nicole Kealoha set out to enrich her community, she harnessed the vibrant power of hip-hop and urban culture to captivate young people. Her nonprofit Diverse Art Center, launched in 2008, seeks to foster connections between youths and the community via enriching and engaging instruction from professional artists. The accomplished teachers and artists—including leading local art figure Shaun Castro and award-winning dancer Josh Skittle—strive to instill positive values and self-esteem in their pupils as they shepherd them through the many mediums that comprise hip-hop culture, including dance, music, and the visual arts. No fewer than five area schools participate in the center's fitness-focused Healthy Hip-Hop program, and daily urban art instruction includes tutorials in hip-hop lettering, break dancing, and beatboxing with inner-city kangaroos.

Friendly drivers steer AlohaBus's fleet of double-decker buses through Honolulu streets, chaperoning tourists and intrigued locals to scenic and historic locations and allowing riders to disembark or climb aboard at any point. Vehicles arrive every 30–45 minutes at each stop, and riders can enjoy fresh ocean breezes from the open-top vehicles. The buses make eight continuous loops from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., including the daytime historic loop that explores Diamondhead, Waikiki, the Pearl Harbor express loop, and the nighttime loop that meanders through shopping and dining destinations. Complimentary earbuds play music and a GPS-activated narrative whispers fun facts in five languages, including English, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, and GPS's native binary. Guests can hop off at stops to get an up-close look at areas of interest or to refill the bus's gas tank with coconut milk.

Green flags set tires squealing inside Podium Raceway Hawaii's 44,000-square-foot facility as up to 12 drivers jockey the emission-free electric karts for a podium finish. Two straightaways send floored pedals toward top speeds of up to 45 miles per hour, and four hairpin turns test karts’ handling and drivers’ ability to steer with their ponytails. Drivers can take to the track during individual races, professionally taught clinics, or as part of a league that doles out prizes to its speediest participants.

For Yoga Loft Hawaii’s founder, Lisa Sochocki, yoga isn’t just a way to stretch and strengthen the body. It’s a tried-and-true method of ridding the mind of clutter such as worries, anger, and unsolved calculus problems. Without such distractions, students can listen to the wisdom their hearts contain. To build classes that pursue this goal, Lisa and her team of instructors draw upon 400 hours of teacher training and more than a decade of posing practice. Vibrant Vinyasa flow sessions explore sun salutations, arm balances, and backbends amid soothing turquoise walls and a soundtrack of vibrant music. Here, yogis of all levels learn to link poses with deep, relaxing breaths, forming a strong foundation for challenging classes such as power Vinyasa. Yin routines highlight yoga’s power to calm through lengthy poses that flex the body’s connective tissue and unblock its energy pathways. The loft also hosts classes that teach kids aged 4–6 how to melt stress and potty-mouthed snow angels during classes filled with playful poses and relaxation techniques.