Hawaii consists of 8 main islands with a total of 1,211,537 people. Each island is nestled between an entirely volcanic island chain and due to the islands impressive geographical location it does not contain a single straight line along its boundary. The biggest and most populated island is Oahu where the capital Honolulu lies just near Mauna Kea This powerful volcano holds the record as the tallest mountain at 13,796 ft beating out Mt. Everest.

Hawaiian ancestry is about as diverse as any place can be. About 40% of the population consists of Polynesian and Asians. During the nineteenth Chinese, Japanese, and Filipinos immigrated to the island to find work mainly on sugar plantations. By the late nineteenth and early twentieth century Hawaii was already Inhabited by over 13,000 Hawaiian-Portuguese and Puerto Rican immigrants that came in hopes of finding work as well.

Hawaii has the largest population of Christians and the second largest number of Buddhists. Hawaiians are very in touch with nature and spiritual well being. Hawaiian's speak two major languages which are English and Hawaiian. Native Hawaiian language is a combination of Hawaii Creole and English derived from the islands rich Polynesian influences. Pidgin is the dialect in which most natives refer to as. Hawaii joined the state union on Aug. 21st, 1959 making it the 50th state.

Hawaii's State Flag

Native Hawaiian Dancers

Mauna Kea Erupting

Rich Coastal Land

Dining and San Francisco's Neighborhoods

There are so many different restaurants to choose from in San Francisco that you will likely have a hard time trying to decide which of the many places to select for your meals. One of the best ways to narrow down the options is to choose the San Francisco neighborhoods that appeal to you most. Then look for the best restaurants in those neighborhoods.

For example, if you're a fan of Chinatown, seek out great dim sum there. If you thrive on the buoyant energy of the Castro, plan to dig into some of the terrific fusion food to be found in that neighborhood. If North Beach calls your name, you know that it's probably Italian food that you're going to want on your plate. Each San Francisco neighborhood is very distinct and each offers its own taste of the city. Doing some research into which areas you like best will help you find the foods that you're craving while you're there.

8 Great San Francisco Restaurants

There are literally hundreds of restaurants to choose from in San Francisco so you aren't going to be able to try them all. If you're interested in checking out a variety of tastes from around the city, place your bets on these eight unique restaurants:

1. Estia

   
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   This restaurant is located in North Beach (San Francisco's “Little Italy”) so you'd expect it to be an Italian joint just like every other restaurant to be found there. You'd be wrong. This food comes from the Mediterranean all right but it's Greek dishes that you'll be enjoying. Estia is a family-owned restaurant where the Old World ambiance is as crucial to the experience as the delectable Greek foods on the menu are. Make sure to order the saganaki which will be lit on fire at your table for an en flambé treat.

2. Kennedy's

   
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   Also located in North Beach is a restaurant so unique that you'd be hard pressed to find anything like it. When you first walk in, you'll immediately notice that this is an Irish sports bar. Pool tables, video games, a jukebox and plenty of beer will clue you in if the sports on TV screens fail to do so. However, if you walk to the back of the bar, you'll find that there's also a fine dining Indian food restaurant here. Serving not only North Indian food but also South Indian cuisine, this restaurant is one of the best Indian food spots in the city even though it hides within an Irish sports bar.

3. Boudin Bakery

   
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   Located at Fisherman's Wharf, this is an undeniably touristy restaurant, but it's where San Francisco's famous sourdough bread bowls are made. You won't be able to miss them since the restaurant pipes the sourdough smoke out into the street to draw you in. With outrageous prices and a San Francisco history museum, it's the kind of place that locals shy away from. However, the food is deliciously San Franciscan and if pressed, locals will admit that they always love when houseguests come to visit because they get to enjoy this restaurant under the guise of being a good tour guide. The views of Alcatraz in the bay that you'll enjoy while you're eating here will remind you of why you love San Francisco so much.

4. Asia SF

   
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   San Francisco is known for being many things but one of the most common of those things is that it's a diverse city. That diversity is represented not only racially but also in San Francisco's open acceptance of different sexual orientations. In order to truly understand the city, you have to understand this aspect of it. And Asia SF is a restaurant where you can get a taste of that understanding while also enjoying the great tastes of a multiple-course meal. That's because AsiaSF is not just a restaurant; it's dinner-and-a-show where the show is put on by transgender entertainers who will welcome you to the city with dazzling wit and beauty. Reservations are almost always necessary to get into this San Francisco restaurant.

5. Lime

   
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   Seeking a little bit of gay culture without the whole song-and-dance? You'll want to head up to The Castro where the gay bars and pride stores are located. After doing some shopping in the area, head to this restaurant which provides California fusion food that you'll want to write home about. Like any good Castro restaurant, it also offers strong cocktails at a decent price. Unlike many other spots, Lime has awesome heated outdoor seating for you to enjoy.

6. Yank Sing

   
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   This is a dim sum restaurant located in the Financial District of San Francisco. It's the kind of place that is good for people who have never had the dim sum dining experience before because it's considerably less overwhelming than the dim sum restaurants actually located in San Francisco's Chinatown. Of course, there are lots of those, too, so if you're feeling like being authentic then you might check out a different dim sum place. However, this one is guaranteed to have a great selection of different traditional Chinese foods for you to sample and enjoy.

7. Pancho Villa Taqueria

   
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   All of the restaurants on this list are great but most of them are in the “fine dining” (or at least nice casual dining) category. If you're looking for something that's a lot more laidback but tastes just as good as the others, head to The Mission where this large taqueria can be found. The food tastes like it came straight from the kitchen of a great Mexican family household. And the prices are so low you might even think that you're really in Mexico! They don't skimp on selection either - there are so many different types of meats and beans that you'll have trouble figuring out what to order!

8. Bangkok Noodles

   
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   Another casual dining place where you can get great food is Bangkok Noodles located on Powell Street just steps away from the cable car turnaround and right around the corner from Union Square. You would think that a restaurant in this location would be touristy but you'd be wrong about this place. This is just great Thai food at a really low price. Another perk of this restaurant is that it's open late so if you've been wandering around at night and are headed back to your downtown hotel, you can stop here for some great midnight meals.

Editor's Pick: Cafe Claude


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A lovely little French bistro hidden in a rustic alley near Union Square. The French onion soup is a must have starter and the creme brulee is a necessity, so save room. Try the daily special, it's always a great choice. Try to grab a seat outside if it's not to chilly.

Finding Other Great San Francisco Restaurants

It's not difficult to find other great San Francisco restaurants if these aren't quite the ones that you had in mind. Here are some additional resources and tips for locating the dining experience that you're in search of:

• Yelp

  People in San Francisco are active on the Yelp review site so you can search out restaurants by cuisine or neighborhood and read the reviews that others have posted.

• MenuPages San Francisco

  These are professional reviews of local restaurants.

• Citysearch San Francisco

  There are both professional and local reviews listed here.

• Craig's List
  

  Post a note in the “community” section of Craigslist asking for advice on where to dine and random local residents will give you their opinions.

• Consult the cabbies

  San Francisco is a place where you're probably going to want to take public transportation. When you're in a cab, get advice from the driver on where to dine.

• Sniff it out

  You can't go more than a block in most San Francisco neighborhoods without passing a restaurant. Just see what sounds good to you and be daring enough to go in and try it out.

San Francisco has all of the foods that you'd be interested in trying during your trip. It has touristy foods local to the area (like clam chowder in a sourdough bread bowl) and culturally diverse foods ranging from Peruvian to Persian. Take the time to really enjoy the meals that the city offers while you're there whether you're on a day trip or living there as a resident.

If you have never been to Provincetown, I must tell you, it is a delight! It first became famous a hundred years ago as an artists' colony. In the last quarter century, it is also a haven for gays and lesbians. You are as likely to see same sex couples walking hand-in-hand or arm-in-arm as a male/female couple, and it is totally relaxed. It makes you wonder why some people make such a big deal about the issue. Gee, how can you hate people for loving each other?

But aside from that, it is a wonderful place to vacation. It is at the very end of the arm called Cape Cod, and about 2 hours from the bridge connecting the Cape to the mainland. There are no malls, no freeways, not really even any supermarkets. There are small shops of every kind imaginable: gifts, jewelry, candy stores, art galleries (some phenomenal), tourist junk stores, the ever-popular t-shirt stores, resort wear boutiques, toy and puzzle shops, and I even saw a witchcraft supply store. Oh, and leather shops, as well as those that sell the "toys" that are popular with the more eccentric residents. One store had a mannequin in the window dressed in leather straps and chains, he was holding a whip.

There are clubs for men, for women, for "queens", and there are "leather bars". And many for us "regular" folks.

There are wonderful restaurants, all casual, where you can get the best fried clams in the world. And while you're eating, you can look out at the sandy beaches, the fishing boats, the endless Atlantic Ocean.

I may be a radical at heart, but I am in appearance a glaringly ordinary middle-aged housewife. But I felt remarkably at home in P-town. I was in awe at times ny how ordinary it all seems (at dinner a gentleman was seated next to my husband who could quite accurately be called a "princess", and yet we were at ease, as was he).

It's a funny place. Totally "out there" if you will, but free. There are, apparently, no prejudices against anyone. Including chubby, middle-aged broads walking with handsome grey-haired gentlemen.

There is no pretense, no need to try to fit.

It really got me thinking. This is what our country could be like if people would stop comparing themselves to others. If they did not dislike, or distrust, anyone, based on some trait or characteristic that has nothing to do with character. If a gay couple could live next to a Chinese immigrant, who lived next to a transvestite, who lived next to a Mormon, who hung out with a Christian, and they all shopped at the Jewish deli and the Asian market. We could have teachers who were Philippinos, and doctors who were midgets, and maybe a minister who was a Martian.

And no one would care!

Sounds kind of like "liberty and justice for all", hmmm?

Perched precariously atop a too-tall bar stool, I was sipping my Martini in a stylish bar in the city's bohemian Norrebrø district when the bartender I'd been chatting to asked: "So, do you want to come clubbing with me and my mates from the Fire Station later?" The Fire Station: obviously the name of some trendy drinking establishment. "My mates - they're firemen," he clarified. Choke, splutter, cough. Danish firemen. (Boys, read: nurses or air hostesses.) I silently thanked every god I could think of and tried to repress the urge to do back flips. You might not get as lucky as I did in Copenhagen, but you're sure to be treated to some delightful sights.

Denmark's small town capital suffers from a severe multiple personality disorder. It oozes Scandi savvy, but is colored with Dutch liberal attitudes and has even been said to seem a bit Japanese. Maybe it's Copenhageners flair for design and technology or its cavalier approach to shopping. Or maybe it's the countless sushi bars. With a population of 490,000 in Copenhagen proper - 1.5 million in Greater Copenhagen - the city feels like a giant Benetton advert: all fresh faces and astute fashion senses.

Let's Chill

Like the inhabitants of any northern city, Copenhageners make the most of their summers. As soon as the weather shows signs of warming up, they're out in the many parks and squares with picnics and puppies and the compulsory football to kick about. And when the weather isn't up to scratch, the locals are loathed to go inside if they can help it. Even at more posh restaurants, you're likely to find rosy-cheeked Danes wrapped in blankets, hovering over candles at outside tables well into the wee hours.

A night in Copenhagen must start with a hearty meal. As cutting edge as the city is, mealtimes are as old-fashioned as ever with huge spreads and boisterous banter - in the Danish eateries, anyway. (Actually, Danish food has just recently become de rigueur again after that horrible health kick we all went on in the Nineties.) Although the city has endless international options, you really can't pass up the opportunity to sample the local fare. Heaps of pickled herring might scare you, but less exotic choices are available; lots of pork and fresh fish.

When you head on to the bars after your meal, you might come across a few rowdier types swigging jugs of Windex-blue liquid in the queues outside the clubs. Drinks in Copenhagen aren't any more expensive than in the UK, but young ones still find it necessary to stock up on moonshine before having to pay for booze inside. And, again, this is a common sight well past midnight. Queues for clubs (especially on a Saturday night) don't begin to reasonably shrink until way past 3am.

Which brings us to the hour most tourists will throw their hands up, defeated by the relentless Copenhagen nightlife. Although kebabs and burgers are available, you'd do better to head for one of the unassuming hot dog vans usually a convenient few steps from the club. The infamous Danish dog with onions and pickles is a must-try at the end of a big night. Many of the clubs and bars are near Sankt Hans Tovr in Norrebrø, although there is a quaint cluster of more commercial establishments in Boltens Gaard, a hidden piazza by the main square of Kongens Nytorv. Both of which both have their own resident vans.

Danish Delight

One of the most common myths harbored by tourists is that Copenhageners avoid the main attractions. We know that Londoners are loathed to head for Oxford Street and Parisians hate to make the trip to the Champs Elysées - although they inevitably do - but natives of Copenhagen are happy to visit Tivoli a few times a year. In the summer, they can be seen strolling through the theme park, especially at nights, horsing around or just taking in a romantic stroll.

Surely the most interesting day out is a trip south of the center to Christiania. Strangely enough, it also feels like an amusement park, with the outside gate crowned in a psychedelic, multicolored painted wooden sign. There's a strict no-photographs rule in the Free Town, but you should eventually overcome the urge to snap at every oddity you come across.

Founded in 1970 as a rebellion against "the man," Christiania now has its own bars, restaurants, music, art and shops. (You'll see the Christiania bikes-cum-carts all over the city - they're incredibly popular with young, yuppie families.) The stalls that line the main path through the town sell various herbal "refreshments" and are manned by some of the most bona fide hippies you're ever likely to encounter.

"So what does "lukke" mean?" I asked a stringy-haired crusty, displaying his array of products. "It means lucky, man. You buy the joint, then you smoke the joint, man. Then, when you get to the filter, mean, you unroll it. If it says you're a winner, you could win another joint, man." "I see." "Or a gram of skunk, or a hash cupcake, man, or another joint..." "I see." Enterprising, real-life hippies.

The whole of Copenhagen seems geared toward the navigation of the city. For the warmer months, communal bikes are available via a trolley-style coin-drop system. (You get the coin back when you return the bike.) However, if you're likely to be tempted at all by any of the countless big-name or independent-designer shops, you'd do best to leave the bikes and foot/cab it.

Copenhagen can keep any range of shopper happy - from the upmarket antiques aficionado to the slinky, customized jeans junky. As for me, I fell somewhere in between. In between a few firemen, that is. For just one weekend, boy, was it ever good to be me.

New Zealand is made up of the North Island , South Island and Stewart Island . There is much diversity in this land between the inhabitants and the landscapes. You could find a place that gratifies your senses, a little something for everyone. There are the snowy mountains in the south to the sub tropical beaches in the north.

It is diversity that has helped this nation grow. Being an Island , almost every item is imported but from the harshness of economic reality has come an ingenuity of a people. They shine in many areas of global consciousness because they have to. From the sporting achievements of the All Blacks (in Rugby), Black Caps (Cricket), Silver Ferns (Netball) and many other sporting arena's to our Arts achievers in the film industry, Literary notables and Educational fields. The Environment Issues are of concern and our scientists have stepped up to the plate to leave their mark on the world too.

Being here is like being in a clean, green, playground. There are many things to do but with a laid back feel to it all. Much like the volcano activity, it all seems to be happening under the surface.