Waikiki Wow

So I am incredibly far behind on my postings. As I had promised a few months back, I was going to document our stay in Waikiki. So here it goes!

So after a week in Maui, we took a short flight over to Honolulu, or the island of Oahu. David & I both had not been to Honolulu in years, and it definitely shows. If you've never been, aside from flying in over the water, and seeing the glistening beaches, you feel more like you're in New York then in Hawaii. Honolulu itself is a bustling metropolis. There are skyscrapers that highlight the skyline, and people everywhere! We took a quick ride share to our hotel, The Royal Hawaiian. The Royal Hawaiian is a historic hotel, most notable for its pink color. It was built in the 1920s, and is located on Waikiki Beach. We opted to stay in Waikiki because there were more things to do.

The hotel itself was amazing! We stayed in the newer tower, the Mailani Tower. I chose a King room with an Ocean view, because we're on vacation, so why not? When we arrived, our room was not yet ready, so we headed to their bar that is right next to the pool, and right on the beach, called the Mai Tai Bar. We munched on a couple appetizers and had a quick drink. We were then notified that our room was ready, and proceeded to check in. The views were amazing! We had a great view of the beach, with a small balcony that you could walk out on to, with unobstructed 360 degree views. You could see Diamond Head in the not too far distance. It was perfect. We spent the rest of the day walking around, getting the lay out of the hotel, enjoying a few cocktails, and having a nice dinner at the nearby Hard Rock restaurant. On our way to dinner, we stumbled upon a Pearl Harbor Day parade (we flew in on Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day), and took a few moments to take in the attractions.

The next day, we had booked an 11 hour tour of Pearl Harbor. At first when I learned I was spending my entire day at Pearl Harbor instead of on a beach somewhere, I wasn't too excited, but believe me, it was WELL WORTH IT!! We met our bus to pick us up, and were promptly taken to Pearl Harbor. With the tour, we were granted tickets to the Bowfin Submarine, the USS Arizona, the Battleship Missouri and the Aviation Museum.

We toured the Bowfin first. There are way too many pictures to post in this blog, so check out my photography page, where I will have a slideshow of all the pictures I took while at Pearl Harbor. I was overwhelmed by how small the quarters were, and how our friend who is over 6 foot, had a heck of a time going through the entrances, and oftentimes having to duck so as not to hit his head. I was not aware of the historical significance of the Bowfin, but this submarine is credited with nine war patrols, being deployed exactly a year after the attack on Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1942. It is definitely worth the tour, giving you headphones to put on, and you can walk through at your leisure, checking out everything from sleeping quarters to torpedo hatches. This submarine was nicknamed the "Pearl Harbor Avenger," assisting in multiple retaliatory attacks that assisted in the peace treaty that ultimately ensued to end World War II.

After that we did the ever somber tour of going to the USS Arizona. The Arizona was a battleship stationed in Pearl Harbor that fateful day of December 7, 1941. It was sunk by Japanese torpedo bombs, killing almost 1200 people. It still lays at the bottom of the harbor, with its beautiful memorial laid over the top. Taking the ferry over, you can still see the remains of the ship, as it lays in its final resting place.

After the Arizona, we took a shuttle bus over to the Battleship Missouri. This battleship is symbolic, in that it is the battleship where the peace treaty was signed between ourselves and Japan, ending the war. Touring the ship, most of it is open for you to walk through. You can see all the bunks, kitchen areas, meeting rooms, and a lot more. We probably spent a couple hours walking around through the whole thing. Some steep stairs and narrow spaces, but definitely worth checking it out if those things don't bother you. Another really unique thing to see on the battleship is damage to the ship, where a Japanese kamikaze pilot hit the battleship when it was in service. The damage was left as a reminder, and there is signage placed there, giving the name of the pilot and showing the formal military burial at sea he received from the soldiers onboard.

After that we headed over to the Aviation museum that was filled with planes that were recovered from the war. You can even walk around the old hangers and see all the bullet holes and damage that remained from the day we were attacked. They have a movie that plays in one of the hangers that is definitely worth watching if you have the time.

The rest of our Waikiki vacation consisted of visiting the beaches, bar hopping, and even a round of golf at the Waialae Country Club, where they host the Sony Open. Waikiki is a beautiful area, with so much history and a lot of fun things to see. I would highly recommend checking out Pearl Harbor, and making a trip up to Diamond Head. It doesn't have the relaxing and slower vibe like Maui, but there is a lot of shopping, and no shortage of things to do. If you do plan a visit to Waikiki, I would definitely recommend the Royal Hawaiian. It is a very cool hotel, with great hospitality, and the happy hour at the Mailani Tower is a nice touch.