On the fabled North Shore of Oahu, far away from Honolulu, traffic jams, noise and crowds is the tropical Turtle Bay Resort. It's the only resort on this side of the island, so if you want to stay up here, you must stay at Turtle Bay. And why wouldn't you want to? It's fabulous and is the "True Hawaii."

While I thought Turtle Bay Resort would be mainly for couples, I discovered a lot of families enjoying the resort during my recent visit at the "True Hawaii." As Keoki Wallace, public relations manager at Turtle Bay Resort, explained, "Families want to be together." One third of the resort is usually occupied with families, another third by honeymooners and couples looking for a romantic getaway, and the last third is made up of the rest of the traveling population (business, vacation, etc.).

Visitors to Turtle Bay Resort are welcome to select which kind of accommodations they desire. First is the three-winged hotel that sits on a peninsula, thereby giving every room a view of the ocean. There are villas which are fully furnished condos and are used by hotel guests when the owners are away and rent them back to the resort. And there are 42 cottages. The resort was built in 1972 and is the only place to stay on the North Shore which some believe to be the "True Hawaii." As Wallace claims, "We're totally alone up here." Talk about getting away from it all!

Besides having beautiful accommodations, there are plenty of things to do at the resort. Of course you can take advantage of their spa, but there are even more things to do. There is a small bay which is conducive to snorkeling, and guests are given an hour of free equipment rental. And there are definitely fish to see in the bay.

Also, there is a Monk Seal that regularly uses the warm sand on the resort property for afternoon naps. It doesn't care when people walk near and take his picture. But to keep him safe the resort puts out markers so guests won't disturb the peaceful animal. 

There is a stable on the property as well, and two miniature horses which young kids ages 2-8 (depending on their weight) are able to ride. There are full size horses available to ride as well. Turtle Bay Resort is a rescue shelter for horses providing care for hurt or abandoned horses. 

Two golf courses on the property give golfers plenty of challenges. There is an Arnold Palmer course and a George Fazio course at "True Hawaii." Not being familiar with golf, all of this went over my head, but golfers will undoubtedly recognize the importance of courses designed by these golf professionals.

Other activities include tennis, moped rentals, Segway tours, and surfing and stand up paddle board lessons. If you've ever wanted to try surfing, this is the place to do it. Who knows? Perhaps you will turn into a Gidget or a Moondoggie. 

To put it bluntly, this resort is huge. It lies on 840 acres. Compare that to the 660 acres that make up Waikiki. Take a walk around the grounds and discover all kinds of cool things. There is a World War II bunker, which one can only imagine sitting in while watching for enemy planes to approach the island. There are many great spots for exploring and photographing.

You might recognize the area that was home to the mermaid lagoon as well as other locals in Pirates of the Caribbean 4. The resort also hosted the filming of Soul Surfer, and has been used for Lost, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, and other films and television shows. I recently watched Soul Surfer again and there's no doubt Turtle Bay Resort is front and center in the film.

Several restaurants provide a variety of dining options at this "True Hawaii" Resort. 21 Degrees North serves food that is locally grown and completely organic. Palm Terrace serves breakfast via a menu or buffet. You decide what you want to eat. And in the evening it turns into Leonardo's, an Italian restaurant with scrumptious offerings. And I have to recommend their Eggplant Parmigiana with baked eggplant, tomato, basil & mozzarella. Even thinking about it makes my mouth water. Ola is an outdoor dining restaurant on the bay. If you dine here for lunch, I recommend the Hamuka Mushroom Orzo which contains Sautéed Ali'i Hamakua, Crimini, and Shiitake Mushrooms, Watercress, Kahuku Sea Asparagus, Hau'ula Tomato Concasse, Orzo Pasta, Porcini Mushroom Vegetable Stock, Topped with Hamakua Enoki Mushrooms and Truffle Oil. Can you say "delicious"? These are a few of the places you can eat at the resort. Of course, you can always order room service or dine poolside.

And speaking of pools, there are a couple at the resort. One is quite large, and the smaller one has a waterfall and a slide. This slide is very appealing to young kids. I watched them go down over and over again. And adults enjoy sliding around and into the water too. It's not strictly for the young ones. Okay, I admit I went down the slide about a half dozen times during my stay at Turtle Bay. 

All right, so you might want to get out of the resort and explore some of the North Shore. Not too far down the road are three important surfing spots: Waimea Bay, Banzai Pipeline, and Sunset Beach. If you're there during competition season you can stop and watch the best surfers in the world compete.

A little further down the road is the historic town of Haleiwa with its cute shops and cafes. I can personally recommend a veggie burger at the Grass Skirt Grill. Yum. There are plenty of places to grab some grub in Haleiwa.

So, to sum up, Turtle Bay Resort is a peaceful place to get away from it all and experience the "True Hawaii," while still having all the luxuries, food, and activities with none of the large, overly crowded, noisy, hectic atmosphere of the big touristy resorts. With 450 rooms, occupancy is small, which is perfect for a quiet getaway. And, being on the main island of Oahu, you don't need to take an inter-island flight. Just fly into Honolulu then either rent a car (car rental is also available at the resort if you don't rent one at the airport and decide to go sight-seeing), or take another transportation option from Honolulu International Airport. Just get up to the resort and enjoy the serenity. As their logo claims, they are "True Hawaii."