There was so much to see today, I can’t possibly go over everything. After the Bowfin we saw the USS Arizona where it sank. The white memorial is something I’ve seen in books but to take the ferry over and really see the wreckage was incredible. The wall of names is very moving. To have such a horrible event occur in this beautiful place is somehow inconceivable. However it was a naval base at that time, and still is. The various museums did such an excellent job reconstructing the event, I t makes it come alive and you really understand how everything happened.
USS Arizona Memorial
Wall of names of soldiers lost on the USS Arizona
After the Arizona we boarded a bus to go on the Naval base and go through the USS Missouri. This is the actual battle ship where the Japanese signed the Surrender and ended WWII. They have a seal set in the floor where the table sat. It is an impressive battleship and our guide was so knowledgeable, I thought it’s too bad history classes have to be so dry and boring. This is the way to learn History! This ship had been used in the recent wars and only been decommissioned about 11 years ago. She can be put back into service very quickly if needed.
Lee, Jacky and me
From this ship, we boarded the bus again and went to the Pacific Aviation Museum. This is a very new Museum and they are still adding to it. First we had lunch – I had sautéed fish of the day which kind I don’t know. None of the species I’m familiar with! But when he said it was similar to catfish, I jumped at it. The fish was wonderful (the Mahi Mahi was gone when we got there). What’s interesting is everything has an Asian flare to it. The salad that came with it had an Asian dressing with Chinese noodles on it. The cole slaw Jacky got was also different and more Asian. Very good food.
I loved all the airplanes. Took a ton of pictures, and to pick just one for the blog is hard. They are still adding planes, restoring planes, and hoping to add one more hanger next year. One hanger showed the bullet holes from the war. Well worth visiting!
Cowboy let me have 10 minutes to go to the gift shops and pick up hat pins which I collect. I wasn’t the only one wanting to shop around. We were so busy we didn’t get to see a lot of exhibits. Then we loaded up and went back to Waikiki. On the way, Cowboy drove us around Honolulu and gave us a quick motor tour. Other than the rain burst that made pictures hard, it was great because no one had to watch traffic and figure out what road to take. LOTS of one way roads here that make driving difficult.
After we got dropped off at the hotel, we tried to find a place to eat. Walked and walked and walked....every place we tried had a 40-60 minute wait! Loads of people everywhere. We finally went to a cute pub that didn't have a line. Turned out really good - fish and chips! With Mahi Mahi! It really was delicious. Now I've had Fish and Chips in England, in Alaska (Salmon), and Hawaii. We also finally found the ocean! It actually was quite beautiful with the city lights shining on the water. Can't wait until tomorrow!
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