April 9

Awoke to partly sunny, warm and nice trade winds.  The news says a surfer ran into a shark and got away without a problem.  The island info tells everyone to be safe; they do not sugarcoat the accidents and deaths that have happened to visitors  from surfing accidents and taking risks going off trail on the rocks.  There is a large homeless population.  They move among the crowds during the day and then they bed down in the parks and on the beach at night. We have one fellow who yells out ‘sermons’ on the street below our window.  He quiets down after he finishes and doesn’t bother anyone.  There are street protests between the LGBT community and fundamentalist Christians; lots of yelling and signs no physical stuff.  It’s not a long term or invasive activity but noticeable.  Everyone is in fantasy land while they’re here, no one wants to think about hard stuff!   Hawaii is a very liberal state and have made laws that give full equal rights to all citizens.  A local commented last night that the volcanic gas from the big island comes over and clogs Oahu’s air; we haven’t seen it or smelled it.  Maybe that is why the sunsets are so breathtaking!  So much of what Oahu is about is very basic, ocean, constant warm temps and winds, mountains aka nature.  Stir in food and drinks and voila!  Although we have not had any particularly good food, passable, not great.  And we have eaten at some higher level hotel restaurants.  Maybe the independent restaurants are better.  Our one Burger King meal did not disappoint!  The hotel buffet breakfasts have been good with lots of variety and an omelet station.  The pineapple is so different when it is fresh and eaten where it is grown. The papaya is okay, not very sweet.  But they make cinnamon rolls that are ridiculously good. We have seen tour groups coming and going and know the drill, same as ours.  Put on our suits and take our new inner tube headed for the ocean beach across the street.  We invented the Midwest Snorkel; taking turns we pushed each other along on the tube and were able sneak up on the fish.  Good thing we are among strangers.  But we see even more fish than we saw the time before.   Breakfast at the hotel and were able to Skype Brenna to catch up.  She is feeling better with the URI but has pain in her ribs.  She has to get more help from the chiropractor and find a way to sleep at night.  The baby is feeling fine, getting sleep, exercising and getting nutrition. It’s his mama who needs help!  They picked up their new SUV, a very nice used tricked out Highlander.  Then we walked over to the Honolulu Zoo about two blocks away.  A very pleasant smaller zoo with Hawaiian and African animals.  Next to the Zoo is a beachside park established in 1877.  We walk around a big Thai festival that is going on.  Both the zoo and the park sit under Diamond Head Crater so there are great views for pics.  We stop off at the Tiki Bar and have a couple Happy Hour drinks and an appetizer.  Then stop off at our hotel lanai for a happy hour drink and appetizers and dessert.   Meanwhile the sun is getting ready to set.  The windward side of the island is in heavy rain and cloud but we stay sunny with occasional cloud.  Other sunsets we have had were partly cloud sunsets but tonight it will be a full sunset.  We return to the room for the full vista of the setting sun over Waikiki Beach and out to the western headland..  Can’t stop taking pics of it and as the water turns to liquid silver.  We can hear people clapping all around, clapping down the sun.  We change into our bathing suits and go to the hotel warm salt pool for a night swim while the duet sings in the lanai bar.  We didn’t get the car out today but we have plans to go out tomorrow. Last day in Honolulu.  We have had such a great time all along the way since leaving nearly 2 months ago and Hawaii has not disappointed us.  We hear there is cold and snow off and on when we get home, so we’ll enjoy this as long as it lasts.  Chuck can actually start his retirement once we get home and prepare for his golf summer.  And we are excited to meet our new grandson and see Brenna return to her old self!

April 8

Awoke to some clouds but warm, a little humid until the winds start.  The mountains behind us are clouded in, they are having rain over there.  Quick breakfast at the hotel and drive over to the Pearl Harbor Historic Sites location for the day.  Luckily we booked in advance and were able to walk right in and get in the movie and take the launch over to the USS Arizona Memorial in the harbor.  They give out 1500 free tics a day for the USS Arizona but they go fast.  Worth buying the package with the Arizona included.  It is a solemn trip and everyone is to be quiet upon walking on the memorial site.  It looks like a long white tube with cut outs.  Inside is a marble wall listing all those who died on Dec. 7, 1941.  Several hundred men remain interred in the downed battle ship.  The memorial stretches over the submerged body of the ship.  Back at the visitor center there are museums that explain the history leading up to the attack and events that occurred.  We then took a bus over to Ford Island where the Naval Base is located.  We visited the USS Missouri, last big battle ship to ever be built.  It came into service after the Pearl Harbor attack so was not damaged. It has seen tours in Korea, Viet Nam and the Persian Golf before being mothballed.  From the time of Pearl Harbor more emphasis has been put on air force over navy in war.  Having the Missouri moored close to the Arizona makes delineates the beginning and the end of WWII. The Pacific Aviation Museum, more history on their action during and after the attack, Amelia Earhart and women flyers who flew in service during the war. Back to main visitor center and visit to the Bow Fin Submarine and history of its involvement. Find out they have cancelled the rest of the launch tours due to high wind, so we really lucked out.  Drove back to the hotel.  Mostly we get through Honolulu traffic very well, if we can keep out of rush hour.  The roads over the island are mostly 2 lane and locals use it as their own, so that can be slow going.  Park the car with valet and drop things at the room and walk down to the Royal Hawaiian Hotel.  An historic old hotel, candy pink adobe exterior, with a colonial Bermuda type interior with high ceilings, wood floors and open to the outdoors.  A large manicured lawn in front secluded from the noise and traffic on the main drag.  The back opens to the beach and the ocean. We sit on their patio watching the sun go down with a full view of Diamond Head and water activity.  This hotel was made famous by Elvis Presley when he made his Hawaii movie, it is where he stayed.  Walk down to Mauna Outrigger Westin Hotel.  Another beautiful old hotel with big verandas and pillars.  Sit on their beach patio and listen to Hawaiian music and hula dancing.  Back to the hotel. It’s been a big day time for sleep.  Still waiting for the relaxation part.  LOL.

April 7

Awoke to sunny skies and balmy breezes.  We are back in the northern hemisphere where spring has sprung and left autumn in the southern hemisphere behind.  We put on bathing suits and walk across the street to the manmade ocean pools.  The hard-on-the-feet lava stone has mostly been removed and we walk and float in ocean waters behind stone walls that the ocean invades with high tides. The water is refreshing, the sun is hot and the trade winds blow.  We are walking in clear water with a white sand bottom.  What a nice surprise, there are clam holes in the sand and several kinds of coral fish swim around our feet, including eels.  There are small black crabs moving across the seawalls. The beach is white sand. We venture to the next pool and it has less rock and less fish but it is open to the ocean and tide so we get to hop some waves.  The surfers and outrigger canoes are all around us.  Stop off at the hotel buffet breakfast where our table sits by the pool.  Get the car and take off to explore the island.  We will drive the full circumference, minus the roads the rental agency won’t let us drive.  We drive east coast East coast passing Diamond Head crater on two lane road past very upscale properties and golf courses we pass by beautiful Maunalua Bay and Koko Head Crater.  Then a stop at Hanauma Bay, striking isolated bay that is part of the whale conservation area.  A beautiful bay carved out by the pounding of the waves with white sand beaches, clear green waters; swimming and snorkeling here.  We drive up to the Halona blow hole with rocky beaches and a hole where the waves pop up through the lava rocks where the water has carved through.  There are large container ships moving toward the Honolulu port and we can watch them from a distance at the hotel.  As we travel North West on the easterly coast, there is a change from calmer waters to big wave country.  The mountain range is a solid wall near the shoreline and we are in rain forest.  This is the windward side and more rain and the foliage shows it.  There are shallow coral reefs just off shore that take the brunt of the force of the waves.  It’s eerie to see it.  The road literally rides where the shore meets the ocean and we have waves coming up on the road spraying the car.  North shore is agriculture and hippy territory.  Lots of roadside stands with food (mac nuts, coffee etc. and crafts etc.  We try their famous garlic shrimp, we’re not wild about it but not bad..  Wild chickens all over.  Lush forests and foliage; traveling between high mountains and ocean, walls of jagged foliage covered peaks. Rain has been through here but we have missed it. Traveling down the west side, northwest direction, we stop at Sunset Beach and Waimea Beach.  Huge waves are the specialty, lots of surfers, the water is aquamarine and fierce.  The agro in this area is sugar cane and pineapples, papaya.  Lots of controversy over loosing farmland to more housing developments.  We can’t continue down the west coast, the rental agency forbids so we cut through the mountains in high plains with crops growing on either side.  We decide to drive the west coast coming up from the south where we are allowed to drive.  It’s slow going with rush hour coming out of Honolulu.  We have seen where real Hawaiians live today, out of the city.  The beaches in this area are broad white sand and tame surf.  Lots of locals fishing and swimming.  Campers all along the road.  What is really striking is the wall of mountain that parallels us.  Jagged tops with carved steep sides.  Foliage makes them look sage green.  The highest mountain on the island is here at 3100 feet.  That’s from sea level.  The official is 18000 feet if it is measured from the bottom of the ocean floor.  Hawaiian families tend to live more communally which we have seen today. Back to Waikiki hotel room and down to the poolside café for dinner.  A large extended Hawaiian family of entertainers are playing their music, singing and performing hula; some of them are from other Hawaiian islands.  A 96 year old family member who fought in Europe in WWII sang for us.  One of them is Mrs. Hawaii International and is in competition later this year in Jacksonville Florida. Time for bed.  Spending tomorrow at the Pearl Harbor Historic Sites.