Funny that this should come up now- I'm off to Honolulu tomorrow and I bought the _Ultimate Oahu_ (from the publishers of the popular _Muai Revealed_) b/c I wanted to buy a guide produced by locals- partially for the objectivity and also to find out about non-"touristy" things (yes, I realize the irony that just by including something in a guidebook may _make_ it touristy).

While I know that guides cater to the clientle of the destinations covered, I didn't expect to open the book and find restaurant reviews of local establishments such as Cheesecake Factory, Planet Hollywood, Moose McGillycuddys, and (yup, you guessed it) Bubba Gump Shrimp Company.

While the guide has much that I think I'll find useful, it's completely useless for some things that I'd hoped for- nightlife, local resources (e.g. grocery stores), independent businesses, etc. I don't need to know that the Barnes and Noble at a mall in Honolulu has a great Hawaii section- the ones in NY probably do, too. Is there an independent used bookstore/coffee shop worth supporting (especially one w/ wireless)? I don't know from reading the _ultimate Oahu_.

I know that part of the reason people go to hawaii is b/c it's not NY, SF, LA, etc., but I like visiting cities and the amenities they offer.