Christine Hitt
On a recent stay near the Ko Olina and Kapolei area, which is where many Oahu visitors choose to stay, I was able to add the new Honolulu rail system, Skyline, to my itinerary.
The first part of the Skyline system opened in July, and it extends 10 miles from the city of Kapolei on Oahu's west side to Aloha Stadium in Central Oahu. For visitors, to be honest, there aren't a lot of benefits of using it right now, at least not until construction is completed.
We used the metro rail system to take a trip to the Halawa/Aloha Stadium Station, from we walked to the Swap Meet and Marketplace at the stadium.
A view of the Aloha Stadium and surrounding swap meet from the Skyline station. It’s about a 5- to 10-minute walk across the street and to the entrance. Photo Credit: Christine Hitt
Of course, it's not difficult to drive there yourself, but going on the train was part of the fun.
After parking at the Kualakai station, I walked to the automatic kiosk and purchased the required Holo Card for $2 and my $3 fare. The fare lasts for 2.5 hours of unlimited transfers. Attendants were there to help with the purchase. They were also on the platform and inside the Skyline train, so I always felt like someone was there to answer questions.
The inside of Skyline cars was clean, and the air conditioning was cold. We took our seats and enjoyed the views of towns we've driven to all our lives. This was the first time we got to see these places from above. We stayed on through the eight stops to the end of the line and saw agricultural fields, shops and businesses and colleges. We also had clear views of Pearl Harbor and Ford Island.
At the last stop, Halawa/Aloha Stadium, we exited the station and walked toward the sports arena. The stadium is just across the street from the station, but it's surrounded by a fence with no opening near the station crosswalk. So it's about a 5- to 10-minute walk down the street to the entrance. The swap meet booths are not much farther. The cost to enter is $2 per person for ages 12 and up.
Visiting the Aloha Stadium swap meet
The Aloha Stadium Swap Meet and Marketplace is an outdoor market that features more than 400 vendors. Photo Credit: Christine Hitt
I haven't been to the Aloha Stadium swap meet in many years, but it doesn't feel like it's changed much since then. It is held in the stadium's parking lot, with the booths arrayed in a circle all the way around it. There are T-shirt vendors selling six shirts for $20. Others are selling all sorts of Hawaii souvenirs, from stickers and magnets to candles and beauty products. There are also toys, slippers and bags.
We took our time walking around and stopped at the food trucks for hot dogs and chips. There was also Thai food, steak and shave ice to choose from. We also spent time reminiscing about Aloha Stadium and the concerts and football games we've attended there.
The stadium is slated to be demolished and redeveloped into a mixed-use stadium and entertainment district. The swap meet will continue to operate throughout construction, the Aloha Stadium website states.
We completed our loop around the swap meet within 2 hours and headed back to the rail station for our return using our Holo Card. The sun was hot and there was no shade, but I didn't mind the additional steps. The cold air conditioning and comfortable seats of the Skyline made up for it. We were able to relax while the train took us back to Kapolei.