HONOLULU -- HONOLULU -- As our plane circled, making its final descent into the Honolulu airport, the woman in the seat next to me asked, ``Which of the outer islands are you going on to?''

When I answered that I planned to stay in Honolulu, on Oahu, she looked at me in disbelief and said, ``Oh, I never stay there. I just find it too touristy.''

Well, everyone has a right to an opinion, and the outer islands are indeed spectacular, but I couldn't help but think that her comment was akin to saying, ``Yes, I'm going to France, but I'm skipping Paris because it's too touristy.''

In some respects, my seatmate's observations are correct: Waikiki Beach is now known more for its high-rise hotels than its sand; a stroll through the upscale shopping district along Kalakaua Avenue might put one in mind of New York's Fifth Avenue or Beverly Hills' Rodeo Drive, and the city has become a hot spot for restaurants, thanks to the fusion cuisine of chefs Alan Wong, Roy Yamaguchi and Sam Choy.

But Honolulu is more than the sum of its parts. It is the heart of the island chain, the ``Gathering Place,'' the scene of King Kamehameha's victory over warring chiefs and subsequent uniting of the islands. It is the repository of Hawaii's history, art and culture, and to miss it is, to me, unthinkable.

WHERE TO GO

An ideal place to get an understanding of Hawaii's history and a sense of its vibrant culture is the Bishop Museum. The fourth-largest museum collection in the United States, its 1.2 million cultural artifacts tell the stories of Hawaii and the rest of the Pacific Islands.

Founded in 1889, the museum is Hawaii's answer to India's Taj Mahal, a testimony to the power of undying love. From the first time he set eyes on Princess Bernice Pauahi Paki, Charles Reed Bishop knew there would be no one else for him, and although her parents opposed the match (he was a commoner and a haole, or non-Hawaiian), the couple enjoyed 35 years of wedded bliss. After Bernice's death in 1884, her husband set about building a museum to house her personal belongings and to serve as a monument to their love.

Although today's visitors can marvel at an eclectic collection of objects -- elaborate feather fans, plant and animal specimens, and the restoration of a hale pili, the only surviving example of an authentic Hawaiian grass hut -- the real centerpiece of the museum will be the restored Hawaiian Hall, to be completed sometime this year.

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the hall houses the most sacred treasures of the Hawaiian people and has allowed five generations of children to get a glimpse of their royal heritage. The Hall's exhibits will be embellished with native Hawaiian voices, emphasizing the oral tradition of the Polynesian people, and scientific perspectives that will provide context and reference for the various objects.

ROYAL PALACE

Along with the Bishop Museum, Honolulu's most iconic structure is Iolani Palace, the only royal palace on American soil. The official residence of King David Kalakaua and Queen Kapiolani from 1882 until the king's death in 1891, and after that, of his sister and successor, Queen Lili'uokalani, until her tragic end, the palace exemplifies the expression ``if these walls could talk.''

If they could, they would tell visitors happy tales of grand balls in the Throne Room, where elegant guests danced until dawn to the music of the Royal Hawaiian Band, and sad tales of Queen Lili'uokalani held prisoner in an upstairs bedroom after being accused by the new republic's government of conspiring in a plot to restore the monarchy.

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