Hawaii adventures

What's Hawaii without some time on a beach? Depending on how you look at it there's lots of 'eye candy' to be seen.

I'm told that usually the beaches are a lot more crowded. A sign of the economy. But I've been there twice now and both times I was told the same thing. Maybe it's because I don't travel during the holidays and spring break.


And you have to attend a luau. Roasted pig in a hole, lots of costumed dancers and lots of laughs.

Then you get dragged up on stage to do a hula. Which was more fun then I thought.

Ken, me and Mekenna. Who says Ken can't get into the spirit of a luau?

I did not know you could go into the Dimond Head crater via tunnel. The old volcano is long extinct.

Inside the crater there are lots of hiking trails, what's left of an old miltary outpost, and loads of geologic things to explore.


From the top of Dimond Head lookout, Honolulu looks really crowded and developed.

Me and Mckenna. We had a good time.

I got the chance to spend a day diving, which was the one thing I wanted to do. I got spooked in Mexico and it was nice to see I could still do it, and enjoy it.

Arizona Memorial

We spent a morning at the Arizona Memorial. This was my 2nd time here. The museum and the memorial are very powerful reminders of Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941.


The Memorial sits across the sunken battleship Arizona where it sank within minutes of being hit by Japanese torpedoes. The majority of the crew died with the ship.

Various plaques relate the names of the crew and the valiant efforts made in Pearl Harbor that Sunday morning.

The battleship itself is visible in the shallow waters. In the 60 years that the hulk as sat on the bottom of the harbor oil has leaked in droplets, rising to the surface and creating rainbows and sheens on the water.






The drops of oil known as 'Rainbows of Tears' add to the legend of the sunken battleship. The battleship is a tomb, containing the remains of the crew. Now there are concerns about the rusting metal and the volume of oil that may still be in the hull. The memorial is sinking as the hull collapses. Efforts are being made to secure the memorial more firmly to the bottom of the bay.

If the hull still contains thousands of gallons of fuel oil, an environmental disaster may happen if the hull ruptures before the oil can be removed.

Hawaii scenery

These beautiful dolphins are sculptures outside one of the most famous art galleries in Honolulu. Hang onto your wallet if you walk in. I can never walk into an art gallery with my purse in hand.

These photos are of the National Cemetery on Oahu. I didn't know such a place existed but it's one of the largest military cemeteries outside of Arlington in D.C. There are thousands of military members buried here from WWII and the Korean War.

The graves are all marked with identical plaques in the ground. Several years ago various religions were protesting the white crosses marking the graves. To ease all the furor over "Christian" crosses, they were all removed.



The memorial is beautifully landscaped with incredible blooming trees. I would love to see it when everything is in full bloom.

Honolulu cityscapes

Anybody that knows me very well knows that one of the things I love to photo are buildings and things around cities. While I wasnt able to wander the city like I wanted to, I did get some nice shots. Lewers Street and Royal Hawaii Ave. have some great artwork and wide sidewalks to stroll. The only drawbacks are people and buses spoiling the frame. I guess people just don't get a person kneeling on a sidewalk with a camera, waiting for a light to change so that traffic is stopped in all directions.

Views from our 23rsd floor balcony.

Sunrise around 7 a.m. I am not a morning person. However, for whatever reason, I was up with the sun every morning this trip. I would have a cup of coffee and juice on the balcony (they call them lanais over there) and spend the first hour of the day watching the sunrise and reading. The rest of my travel companions would be snoring away so I had some peaceful mornings.

From my perch on the 23rd floor I watched freighters and cruise ships disappear over the horizon.
I took a bus ride around the city one day. It was the easist way to see a lot of the area. It's just amazing to see these tall towers standing in the sun from the oldest parts of Honolulu. When you think about how expensive it is to get building materials to the islands it's even more mind blowing.

Hawaii Interlude - October 2009

Before winter moves in some friends and I went to Oahu for a week to soak up some sun and warmth. I'd been there about 10 years ago. This trip was a little more laid back then the previous one. Unfortunately surfing was not in the cards for me.

But the waves were easy and light so surfers were everywhere.



The main hang out on Waikiki Beach. The statue is covered with lais everyday from local surfers.

Anybody remember the movie "From Here to Eternity"? Remember the beach make out scene? Nice beach.

Hanauma Bay. This is one of the best places in Oahu for snorkeling. Great reefs and great fish. There are different areas among the reefs for the beginner snorkeler and the advanced snorkeler. Wonderful park with grass to lie on under the palm trees, showers, bathrooms, gear rental, etc. It's a little outside of Honolulu so you have to catch a shuttle or bus to go there.