After two plane flights and a 5-hour layover in the San Francisco airport, we arrived in Honolulu. We, and our friends, Anne and Dave, stayed at the Outrigger Waikiki Beach Hotel in Honolulu/Waikiki Beach on the island of Oahu.
The Outrigger is named for the canoe that is located in the center of the A-Frame at left.
The stitched photo below shows the view from our balcony.
The room was one of the nicest that we ever had. The view from the balcony (see it above) offered a glimpse of pampered casual living.Life in Hawaii is truly "casual" and it doesn't take long to acclimateto the surroundings.
Pearl Harbor
The first stop on our bus tour was to Pearl Harbor.
Shanon O'Brien is a professional tour guide and bus driver. His research produced maybe 20 looseleaf binders with the history of Hawaii.
Shanon's mother was Polynesian and his father was Irish. He told us that the majority of people born on the islands are of mixed heritage. He laced his informative and humorous comments with fluent Hawaiian language.
The trip aboard the boat at the top took only a few minutes to reach the memorial seen a at the right of the right photo. The white structure was open to the sky and we had our photos taken with the Missouri between us in the background. The rusty circle is the base of a gun turret of the Arizona.
The photo below memorializes those who lost their lives on December 7, 1941 when the Japanese attacked the United States at Pearl Harbor.
State Capitol and Liberty Bell Replica
Liberty Bell replicas were ordered by the U.S. Department of the Treasury from a foundry in France in 1950. Of the 55 that were ordered, 50 were eventually placed in every state. See this site for more fascinating information: http://www.libertybellmuseum.com/exhibits/statebells/index.htm
This bell is located in the front of the Capitol Building in Honolulu.
Historical Sights
More to Come!
