Honolulu is rich in military sites and history, and although at time it can be painful to think about, these sites should be on every visitors list of things to see and do.  The islands and the country were shaped by the events of Pearl Harbor, and whether you choose to go on your own or as part of a tour, I think any trip to the islands should include a stop at one of these locations.

Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor:  This site is administered by the National Park System, and in my book is the must-see historical site on the island.  It’s about 45 minutes from Waikiki, and is an easy drive.  It’s also served by several public transportation, and is a stop on many tours.  Like most visitors to the site, I was profoundly touched and moved by the experience.  There is no charge for admission, and the tour includes a brief video followed by a ride to the memorial.  You can read about my experience at the Arizona Memorial in a previous post.

Punchbowl:  Officially the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, this reverent site is the final resting place for veterans of both World Wars as well as Korean and Vietnam.  Courts of the Missing are especially somber, as these marble slabs list the name of military personnel who were lost or buried at sea or who were missing in action.  There is no charge for admission, and the site is reachable by car or on one of many tours.  You can read about why I prefer to experience Punchbowl in solitude in a previous post.

Pacific Aviation Museum:  This museum chronicle the history of the attack on Pearl Harbor with original film and photos, and a tour of Hangars 37 and 49.  Aviation buffs will love the collection of US and Japanese aircraft.  Tickets for the museum require jumping through a bunch of hoops as this is an active military base.  You can read what I thought about the Pacific Aviation Museum in a previous post.

Battleship Missouri Monument:  The “Mighty Mo” has a history filled with lots of stories starting with World War II, and continuing through right up to Operation Desert Storm.  The site now offers multi-media tours, combining footage and narration from some of the men who served onboard this ship, in an attempt to portray a realistic feel for what life onboard was really like.  This is the only one of the sites that I’ve not yet visited, and it’s on my list for the next trip. 

Photo credit:  wikimedia

Post from: Fly Away Cafe

In fact, that type of vacation is one of the reasons people love Hawaii – sun, sand, surf, and stepping on the treadmill of ordinary life.

But at some point, you’re going to want to do something else.  I had a handful of ideas of those “other things” and one of the top of my list was whale watching.  Only problem — I was there on the very early end of the season, and the whales weren’t in town.

It didn’t take but a heartbeat to come up with another idea – if I couldn’t see whale, how about some dolphins?!  I remember watching these graceful and playful creatures as they’d swim alongside a cruise ship.  They’d play in the water, jumping about, almost like they were mocking us.

But I’m also sensitive to not disturbing marine habitat.  They were there first, after all, and I was just interested in viewing, not disrupting them.  Find a tour that appreciated the delicate and important balance between man and nature was important.

The Hoku Nai’a Wild Dolphin Watch Cruise offered by Star of Honolulu seemed to offer a good choice.

The day started off with an early morning pick up (a little after 7 am) at my Waikiki hotel.  "Pick up" meant transportation to west Oahu (our cruise departure location), and was in a comfortable air-conditioned motor coach.  There were a couple of guests from my hotel booked on the cruise, and we picked up a additional guests at stops at other Waikiki hotels.  If you have a car and want to drive, you can meet directly at the harbor, but it was easy and comfortable to just leave the driving and timing to someone else.

The morning ride occurred during morning commute traffic — yes, such a thing exists even in the islands!  The time passed easily as people napped. chatted, or watched an island video played on the motor coach player.   I appreciated that our hosts were available to point out a few sights along the way, answer questions, but did not barrage us with silly puns and inane patter.  Silence is golden at that time of morning.

We were all awake and ready to board by the time we reached Wai’anae Boat Harbor in west Oahu. 

The Hoku Nai’a is a new two-deck catamaran (in photo above), and was custom built to allow for viewing marine life without disturbing them.  On the day of my cruise, there were only about 25-30 passengers (it was off-season), but the boat will hold 149 passengers.  I’d expect it to be much busier during peak season.

As we all wandered around checking out the boat, and locating a spot to sit for departure, we were briefed in some safety information, told a little bit about where we would be going and what to expect, and served some beverages.  Once our crew had everything in order, we were on our way.

But did we see dolphins?  Keep reading. . . .

Riding out to the spot where dolphins had been sighted allowed us a great chance to relax, enjoy the weather, and look for all sorts of other wildlife.  We were given a handout showing a variety of marine life that we might encounter.  We saw a variety of seabirds and fish, but the schools of flying fish were a favorite of all of the guests.

The boat skipper had a general idea of where we were going, and as he was in radio contact with scouts who could point him to the right area with a little more precision.  The crew continued to interact with all the guests, answering questions, pointing out things, and generally making us feel like welcome guests rather than annoying tourists.

When we approached the sighting area, the boat slowed and everyone gathered at the railing to watch.  It wasn’t long before we saw Spinner dolphins swimming, jumping, and playing.  We could see them in the distance, watching as they swam closer, seemingly as curious about us as we were about them.  The crew was great about continuing to point out where we could see them, but it didn’t take must looking at all — they were all over the place.

We did not encroach upon the dolphins’ area, stopping far short.  The crew was very clear that we would only go so close, and that was a matter of protecting them.  Some companies give a sly wink and a nod to environmental rules about man meeting marine life, but this cruise makes clear its commitment to an eco-friendly encounter.

Although we had quite awhile to watch the dolphins, if you love these guys, it could never be long enough.

On the sail back to the harbor, we had lunch (included in the price of the cruise).  The crew fired up the barbecue, grilling burgers for guests.  You picked up your burger and then continued to a table with all the fixings you could want.  I opted for the Hawaiian approach, choosing a Taro bun, and adding grilled pineapple, along with the more standard choices.  Add some chips (there were a variety) and a brownie for dessert, and it was a perfect shipboard lunch.  A refreshing punch was always available, and additional beverages are available for purchased.  (NOTE:  vegetarian option available with 24-hour notice.)

We had no young children on the cruise, but when there are, a keiki program is offered for the young ones.  I took a brief look at some of the activities, and it was almost enough to make me wish I was six years old again.  The Hawaiian culture honors family and children, and that carries over into many of these activities.

Honolulu Star offers a "Dolphin Check."  If you don’t have a dolphin sighting, you receive a free return sailing. (lunch and transportation optional).

The Wild Dolphin Watch cruise operates year round, with a daily sailing at 9:30 am, returning at 11:30 am.  Cruise price is $65 for adults and $39 for children, and includes lunch and non-alcoholic beverages.  Hotel pick up can be added for $20 roundtrip from Waikiki hotels.  Hotel pick up starts at 7 am, returning around 1 pm.

Your hotel will be happy to book the cruise, however, I’d recommend making reservations online before your arrival.

I enthusiastically recommend this activity.  The company is reputable and responsible, managing the difficult balance of providing a quality experience for guests and protecting sea life.  Even a somewhat jaded guest, prepared to dislike anything that seemed remotely like a "tour" was overheard to say, "I’d do this again!"  I’m with him!  I’d do it again, too!

Photo credit: personal collection

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Post from: Fly Away Cafe

A couple of my favorite highlights are the Science on a Sphere exhibit and the Science Adventure Center.

• Science on a Sphere is a 68 inch, 200 pound fiberglass sphere suspended from the ceiling.  It serves as a sort of 3-D movie, displaying full color, satellite and animated images.  You can watch a hurricane forming, a dust storm, violent solar storms, or any number of phenomenon occurring on our planet or in space.
• The Richard T. Mamiya Science Adventure Center is focused on helping visitors understand the environment of the islands.  You’ll find exhibits and research on such diverse topics as volcanology, oceanography, ecology and biodiversity.  The Hawaiian Origins Tunnel was fun, but nothing tops the walk-through volcano!  And for another view of the volcano, climb up to the tree house and get a birds-eye view of it erupting.

The Bishop Museum is also home to Hawaii’s Sports Hall of Fame, honoring athletic excellence of islanders.

The museum is located at 1525 Bernice Street in Honolulu, and is open daily (except for Christmas) 9 am – 5 pm.  Admission if $15.95 for adults, $12.95 for seniors (65 and older) and youth (ages 4-12), children under 4 are free.  Special rates for local residents and military personnel, and their guests.  On-site parking is available.

I’d recommend allowing around two hours for a visit.

Photo credit:  flickr

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Post from: Fly Away Cafe

On my recent trip to Honolulu, I had the opportunity to enjoy both aspects of island life, and today’s post touches on a more serious side of island life.

Overlooking the city of Honolulu, is the extinct volcano Punchbowl Crater, home to the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, frequently referred to as Punchbowl Cemetery, or simply the Punchbowl.

In addition to its tremendous views of the city, Waikiki, Diamond Head, and Pearl Harbor, the Punchbowl is the final resting place for veterans of World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War.  During holidays, the individual graves are decorated with small flags, making a sobering view. 

Marble slabs called the Courts of the Missing list the names of military personnel who are missing in action or who were lost or buried at sea (in photo above). At the base of the staircase leading up to the Courts of the Missing reads the following inscription:

In these gardens are recorded

the names of Americans

who gave their lives

in the service of their country

and whose earthly resting place

is known only to God

The Punchbowl was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.

The Punchbowl is located at 2177 Puowaina Drive, Honolulu (map it), and is open daily.  Visiting hours are 8 am – 5:30 pm, September 30th – March 1st, and until 6:30 pm, March 2nd – September 29th.  On Memorial Day, visiting hours are 7 am – 7 pm.  There is no charge to visit.

There is no charge to visit.

The Punchbowl is accessible by car, and a number of tour companies make it a scheduled stop on their itineraries.  I much prefer the solitude of a personal visit, rather than visiting with a gaggle of others, who are sometimes unappreciative of the reverence that should be demonstrated while visiting.  There is an e-tour available for those unable to visit in person.

Photo credit

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Post from: Fly Away Cafe