I could barely sleep a wink last night in anticipation of arriving in Hawaii. I woke up before dawn because I had this brilliant idea that I would photograph the sun rising over Hawaii. The only problem was, Hawaii was to our west and the sun was coming up in the east. So no sunrise over Hawaii. But it was great seeing land again and we watched the sun come up.
The Harbor was bustling with activity from large barges to small submarine type watercraft. Linda was in Hawaii nearly 50 years ago and was amazed at all the changes. From the pier, I was hard pressed to see this place as a tropical oasis. It had more the grit of any mainland urban area with the exception of the aqua blue waters.
We ate breakfast in the dining room this morning which was far better for my waistline. I ordered pancakes, which were about the size of a DVD and they only gave me two. I also had a half a grapefruit and a tiny pastry.
I’m not much for the ship’s shore excursions. I had booked tickets to tour the Arizona at the Pearl Harbor War Museum back in August and our scheduled time was at 2:30. We had plenty of time to kill so we hopped the city bus and headed to Waikiki.
Waikiki was not exactly what I expected. The water at the beach was beautiful but the avenue was lined with high rises and the streets were crowded with tourists. I was glad I went to see it but it would not be my idea of a vacation spot.
After a brief walk on the sand, we stopped at a Kona coffee shop for coffee and cake. I had a pumpkin latte and a pumpkin scone.
We needed sustenance for our 1-1/2 hour bus ride to the Arizona tour. Thank goodness we had plenty of time because that was a really long bus trip through some very colorful neighborhoods on the island.
My father was a WW II Navy veteran who served in the South Pacific. I think that is why I always wanted to visit the Memorial dedicated to the men who died but also to the men who served.
We spent an hour or two wandering around the Pearl Harbor Visitor Centerprior to our tour of the Arizona. The history of the attack on Pearl Harbor is detailed on plaques around the park as well as 24 minute film presented prior to boarding the launch to take us to the Arizona.
The USS Arizona Memorial is the resting place of 1,102 sailors and marines who died on December 7, 1941. The Memorial was designed by Alfred Preis, an Austrian immigrant, who had been a detainee during WWII. The structure has two peaks, connected by a sag in the midsection.
The Memorial was erected above the submerged USS Arizona, which you can see parts of from the side windows and an opening in its floor above the sunken decks.
This was a memorable experience and although it was 76 years ago, it was a time that should not be forgotten.
Our day ended with a soak in the hot tub, a delicious dinner and me writing this blog while everyone sleeps!
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