To me, Honolulu is a big city much like any other big city, and most of the times I've been here it's been for work. But once you get outside the city, Oʻahu is a beautiful place, filled with all the things that makes Hawaii such a great State to visit. It's a shame so many people come here just to hang out at Waikiki and don't make an effort to explore everything the island has to offer.
I had to make a quick trip into Honolulu, and didn't have time to see much else, but I did make it over to Pearl Harbor. I hadn't been there in 22 years and wanted to see the USS Missouri (which had been added as a museum ship in 1998). Japan's bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1941 caused the USA to enter World War II... and it seems only fitting that the site of Japan's surrender on "The Mighty Mo" should come to rest here.
The Arizona Memorial is just as beautiful as I remembered...
Back at the Arizona Visitor Center, you can meet Pearl Harbor survivors. When you buy the museum book, their pictures are in the back, and you can get them autographed in person. On top of being real-life heroes, the two survivors I met were also incredibly nice guys with a great sense of humor...
The USS Missouri was a fascinating tour because the guide for our group actually served aboard the ship during the Korean War. Not only did he have all the major details about the ship, but loads of personal details you can only get from having lived there (more than once he referred to The Missouri as "my home")...
The USS Missouri... powered by Macintosh! I guess the US Navy doesn't want to risk a Windows "Blue Screen of Death" in the middle of battle...
I did wander down to Waikiki Beach, of course. You can't go to Honolulu and not visit...
Sunset was spent at the airport waiting for my flight back to Maui...
And thus ends my all-too-brief visit to the island of Oʻahu.
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Okay, it’s like the ORIGINAL Macintosh. Yikes! And of course you’ll remember what I did on my journey to Waikiki:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/alewispdx/sets/72157602857120796/
SHAME ON ME….and, plus, see how much more fun you’d be having with me there??
Damn… those pictures and stories are so great. Making me jealous, but excited.
That memorial is truly mesmerizing as is seeing the Arizona underwater. Katie and I were there during our honeymoon. Yeah, I know, I’m a crazy romantic, right? Taking my new wife to a war memorial. But, when in Hawaii…
We met a couple vets there as well. One was signing his own book and they were so incredibly nice. I think they just enjoy being able to tell their story and still have people who are genuinely interested enough to care. And, believe you me, I was interested.
After seeing that Mac, I can say our military clearly does have a brain. Is that a II-GS? That’s the first computer I ever used in school.
Part of me never wants you to come home because I live vicariously through your awesome pictures. The other part of me says hurry up cause you are missed. 🙂
How cool that you found a Mac on board! That particular model was the first one I ever owned.
I love the way you detail the things you see and do. Thank you for making me feel like I’m there in Hawaii too.
I have been enjoying the pics you’ve been taking with the new Nikon. I especially like the beach shots.
Glad you are having a good time! Really jealous, it’s been really awful rainy weather here until today.
Very cool. Never been. Thanks for the tour.
You seemed to have had far fewer Japanese tourists at the Arizona than the last time I visited.
You are getting a lot of use out of your new camera, and the results are quite impressive. You’ve really mastered the D-Lighting! P.S. I’ve been to Hawai’i (Honolulu) four times. Unfortunately, I’ve never left the airport!
I think your pictures can make me get over my fear of flying to get to Hawaii one day. Beautiful.
I’m going to sound like a stuck record but, wow, amazing photos. You are potentially costing me some amount of money you know. First you sell me on the whole Nikon D90 idea. Now a vacation to Hawaii as well. Good grief, where will it end Dave?
ahhh the Mighty Mo. We saw her one time when she came to Sydney when I was a teenager. I sat on a pulse dial rotaty telephone redialling for about an hour and a half just to get tickets. Sooo worth it. But she was still on active service at the time so didn’t get to see that much of it. The Bunker Hill tour we did the same day was a better tour on the day. Would love to see her at Pearl Harbour though (we went there in 1983! eep!)
Love the shot of Waikiki with Diamond Head in the background.
Bret was living in Hawaii at the time the Arizona Memorial was built. Their backyard overlooked Pearl Harbor.