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Published: January 30th 2011
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Sunrise from Waimanalo
Sunrise our last morning on Oahu. Today is our last day on Oahu. : ( We did get plenty of sleep though and were ready to make the most of our last day. Our morning started just before sunrise, as we wanted to see it one last time before we left, after that we changed and headed out to hike up to Makapu'u lighthouse. The hike is more of just a walk as the path is a paved service road, it was about a mile to a scenic point, a mile filled with stellar views of Koko Head, Hanauma Bay, and blue whales which migrate through in the winter. Check out was supposed to be completed by 10:00 am so we hustled back to pack up and head off on our way.
We stopped at the post office to purchase one of those large flat rate boxes to send home everything we couldn't fit in our suitcase, what a bargain, sending a flat rate box from Hawaii to Omaha... Genius. We mailed the box and a couple of postcards out, ate brunch at Sweet Home Waimanalo again, and took off along the southern coast following highway 72 all the way around until turning off to
take Diamond Head road. We made several stops at some of scenic points to see things like the Blow Hole or just enjoy some scenery. The last thing on our itinerary was Pearl Harbor.
The World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument houses a few different memorials the USS Arizona, USS Oklahoma, USS Utah Memorials, and things like USS Missouri, where MacArthur accepted Japanese surrender marking the end of WWII, and the USS Bowfin submarine. More tourists visit Pearl Harbor than any other site in Hawaii, but we came late enough that parking wasn't bad and we had to wait for the current tour to end before starting our own of the USS Arizona. The tour was the most somber part of the trip, beginning with a video which included footage of that fateful day, "December 7th, 1941a date which will live in infamy." At the conclusion of the video the group filed out and loaded a boat that ferried us over to the memorial. The USS Arizona is the final resting place for as many as 1,177 Navy Sailors and Marines. The memorial is symbolic of America's strength before and after the war and shows our
Blue Whale
Blue whales migrating off Makapu'u Point. resiliency how we bent but were not broken during WWII; in the architect's own words "wherein the structure sags in the center but stands strong and vigorous at the ends, expresses initial defeat and ultimate victory... The overall effect is one of serenity. Overtones of sadness have been omitted to permit the individual to contemplate his own personal responses... his innermost feelings." Everyone is asked to stay silent/quiet during the tour which adds to the haunting feel of the place. The guide elaborated on the memorial and told how Marines and Sailors have asked to be buried with their past shipmates. One leaves with a sense of deep sorrow, but also a sense of patriotism. One of the great things about studying history is we know how things ended, it is not as heavy a feeling as living in the experience. This memorial is not to be missed. If you're on Oahu please go pay your respects to those who gave their lives on that fateful day in history. It is well worth it it. Let's us never forget.
Dustin met us at a bar near the memorial, which is close to his quarters. After splitting a pitcher and
telling him about the past couple of days he was nice enough to let us shower at his place. We then headed out for dinner and then to the airport, our flight left at 11:15 to Phoenix where we planned one night to hang out with the crew from AZ.
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Annie Smith
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These are so beautiful!