Trip to Oahu (March 7-14)

Sometimes, good deals on airfare and a hotel room are too much to resist.  Which is how we ended up in Honolulu for a week in early March. 

This quickly became our photographically-challenged trip.  When we got to the airport, we discovered when had left our camera at home.  So we decided to buy a replacement, which we got at a Walmart about a mile from our hotel.  The camera worked fine and took all the photos you'll see here.  However, we did discover that it has one major flaw -- it doesn't work if you leave the battery in the charger back at the hotel.  Which is what happened on the day of our bus trip around the island...the day that offered the most photo opportunities.

Still, there is much to show.  A highlight of any trip to Honolulu is Pearl Harbor and the Arizona Memorial.  Our only other visit to Honolulu was in the 70's.  We weren't able to go on the Arizona Memorial then, so the closest we got was in a tourist boat that cruised by it.

This time, however, we were able to witness the memorial first-hand.

When you're on the floating memorial, you can see quite a bit of the Arizona below.  Some parts of the ship are above the surface of the water.  This is the base of a gun turret.

Even though it's about 70 years since the attack on Pearl Harbor took place, fuel still leaks from the Arizona.  Each day, about nine quarts of fuel comes to the surface. 

Near the Arizona Memorial is the USS Missouri.  The Missouri was launched on January 29, 1944 and was last used in 1991 during Operation Desert Storm.  This photo was taken from the Arizona Memorial.

The Missouri is probably best known as the location of the Japanese surrender to the Allies at the end of World War II.  This photo shows the location where that ceremony took place.

Another interesting discovery on the Missouri was this dent on the side of the ship.  It's from a Kamikaze attack on April 11, 1945.

We also decided to hike up to the top of Diamond Head.  It wasn't quite as difficult as we had feared, though it definitely gives you a good work-out.  But the view at the top makes it worthwhile.  This photo is an example of "panoramic" shots that our new camera can take.  Click on the photo, and a larger version should open up.  Waikiki is on the left, and the interior of the Diamond Head crater is on the right.

Near the end of our trip, the Honolulu Festival was taking place.  There were several stages set up.  We were at a stage that featured performers from Japan.  This was just a couple of days after the earthquake and tsunami hit their country.

As you may recall, there was some concern in Hawaii about a tsunami.  We were told that it could be as high as 6 feet.  Since were on the 10th floor of our hotel, we were in no immediate danger.  To be on the safe side, we did go to a nearby grocery store and stocked up on some food.  Fortunately, it turned out to be unnecessary.  There was some minor damage in other parts of the islands but not in Waikiki.