Oahu, Hawaii - coming and going

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Jan. 10 & 11, 2007 and Friday evening, Jan. 19, 2007

We got up early to drive to the Phoenix airport for our flight to Honolulu on Jan. 10. We figured that since we were part way to this exotic part of our country, why not go a bit further! The flight to Hawaii took 6-hours and moved us into yet another time zone (5 from the east coast.) We were welcomed to Oahu by nice warm temps and a lovely blue ocean, but wow! what traffic! During our first 48 hours in Honolulu we visited a terrific Polynesian Cultural Center, rode the public bus nearly all the way around the island, visited the Pearl Harbor memorial, saw great surf, walked in the sands of Waikiki and were amazed at the buzz that surrounds Honolulu.

At the other end of our week, we took the short flight from Kauai back to Honolulu at 3:00 in the afternoon, leaving ourselves time for a last “night on the town” before an 11:30 PM red-eye back to the mainland. We had a nice walk, poked around some shops in the International Marketplace, and then headed for one of the big hotels along the beach to have a drink, listen to some local musicians, and watch an absolutely picture-perfect sunset. The bonus was some young girls who were part of the free entertainment at the poolside bar and were doing a variety of traditional dances. The dances were like some we had seen at the luau and at the Polynesian Cultural Center, but these kids were SO CUTE, and that added to the enjoyment. A lovely dinner nearby capped a great evening. The flight was smooth and we slept a little but were still pretty wiped out when we got back to Tucson about 1:00 on Friday.

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Photos

FIRST IMPRESSION
Honolulu & Waikiki beach from our hotel

TONGA DRUMMERS
The Polynesian Cultural Center

TAHITIAN DANCER
Another view at the Polynesian Center

OAHU - PEARL HARBOR
The Pearl Harbor memorial - at the site where the U.S.S. Arizona sank.

PEARL HARBOR
An "oil belch" from the U.S.S. Arizona happens periodically during any given day and has since the memorial was built. Some say it is the tears of the sailors entombed below.

FEATHERED FRIENDS
While walking the streets of Honolulu, we were approached by two members of the tourist bureau.

SUNSET
at Waikiki Beach