It seems particularly fitting that Oahu, which is known as "The Gathering Place," should be home to the Polynesian Cultural Center. At this impressive 42-acre complex on the island’s north shore, the lifestyle and history of seven distinctive Pacific cultures (Fiji, Hawaii, the Marquesas, New Zealand, Samoa, Tahiti and Tonga) come alive.

Through our hotel we arranged a ticket package which included roundtrip transportation as well as admission to the Cultural Center’s grounds, dinner, and reserved seating for the spectacular evening show. We arrived shortly after noon, just as the gates were opening. The place is so huge that you aren’t aware of crowds. Ambling from village to village, we paused frequently to watch fascinating craft demonstrations and to enjoy the unique music, dances and camaraderie presented by members of each island group.

A palm-shaded canal crisscrossed by small footbridges twines through the grounds. Well before its starting time of 2:30 we found a good vantage point along the waterway’s banks to sit and watch the Canoe Pageant. Fortunately, we’d brought along plenty of extra film. The water-bound parade was a photographer’s dream, with costumes as eye-catching as the talented dancers who wore them. Later, we treated ourselves to citrus coolers, then headed for the IMAX theatre to watch an engrossing film about the Polynesians’ ambitious voyages across the Pacific.

Following dinner, there was time to do a little souvenir-shopping before finding our seats in the vast open-air theatre for a spectacular Polynesian revue called "Horizons." More than 100 performers from all corners of the Pacific entertained with dances, songs, and a dramatic exhibition of fire-walking.

Before our flight home on Tuesday afternoon we took time out for a nostalgic visit to the beautifully refurbished Moana Hotel, where we had spent a romantic second honeymoon in 1957. Alas, the famous hula show is now held in a different venue, and broadcasts of "Hawaii Calls" have long since been discontinued. The Banyan Court remains, however, serene and timeless, and mere steps away lies Waikiki Beach with its stunning views of Diamond Head curving into the broad, blue Pacific.

Changes and all, Hawaii is still our favorite tropical paradise.

Admission to the Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor is free (the Memorial and its Visitor Center are part of the National Park Service). Call (808) 422-0561 to request more information.

Closed Sundays, the Polynesian Cultural Center, about 40 miles from downtown Honolulu on Oahu’s North Shore, offers various ticket packages. Access their website at www.polynesia.com.