Hawaii -- Oahu

Hawaii -- Maui

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March 26, 2006
Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii
This day began very soggy. It had rained a lot of the night and it was raining this morning. I decided to hang around the hotel area and get some pictures then head over to the Arizona Memorial and USS Missouri around noon.

Here's the view from my hotel window out on to Waikiki Beach. Below that is a photo from the night before. And then a view of some people out in the water even though it was raining.

Here is a nice waterfall on the beach -- man-made, of course. Below that are a couple of the famous places on the beach -- The Royal Hawaiian and Cheeseburger in Paradise.

Tickets to the Arizona are a problem if you go later in the day. I thought I could ask for a certain time, but they are first-come, first-served, next available time only. I had already bought my USS Missouri (timed) tickets. I didn't have time to do the Arizona first, so I went to the submarine USS Bowfin. It is called the "Pearl Harbor Avenger" because it was commissioned on December 7, 1942 -- exactly one year after the attack.

At the Bowfin exhibit, they also have some other World War II (and other wars too) artifacts. This is an interesting one. It is a suicide torpedo used by the Japanese in WWII. It wasn't used much. According to the sign, only three vesels were sunk by these devices (and one of those was actually scuttled because of the damage incurred). The sign says that 96 pilots died; 16 in training -- I wonder if they forgot to tell them it was a training mission and they shouldn't blow it up!

Next, it was on to the Missouri. She was last used in the Persian Gulf War. Before that, she was re-fitted to include Tomahawk missiles (see below). She is probably best known, though, for being the ship on which the surrender was signed ending World War II.

Plaque where Japanese surrender was accepted

Then, it was on to the Arizona Memorial. I didn't get to go out to it (but I had been three times last trip to Hawaii), but I got some pictures from the visitor's center.

I flew home that evening.