I had been to Hawaii in 1979 with a friend for 4 days, which was just long enough to get a taste for it and want to go back. Doug had also been in a prior life, and wanted to go again so we decided to go to Oahu. Although I would love to go to Maui sometime, the excitement of going to Pearl Harbor, Diamond Head, Waikiki, etc was one of the draws for going to Oahu. Oh, and the fact that we had purchased a time share elsewhere, and we had exchange points to use which was the deciding factor. We scheduled the Hilton Hawaiian Village.
We were to arrive on Sunday and leave on Monday 8 days later. Hawaii is beautiful, and though we were concerned about going in September we need not have worried. It is different than our adventures in Mexico in that it is not hot like Mexico, but is comfortable with a constant breeze to keep you cool. The Hilton property is beautiful with several buildings, pools, restaurants and shops. Some people hold their convention parties there because of the beauty of the grounds and area around it.
We did notice right away that things are much more expensive there than in Mexico. Our first night we decided to eat at a little bar and grill right on our property. With a hamburger each, a beer and a soda, and an order of fries to share, which by the way we had a coupon for, our bill was $40! Not much better when we went to town. We were used to having these $5-$10 meals in Mexico, so this was quite different. We did a walking tour and our guide was dressed in traditional garb.
He took us to several historic locations and was very informative along the way. When the tour was over we stayed in Waikiki and walked around the area. We rented a car and went up to Diamond Head, stopped at Halona Blow Hole
and Hanauma Bay where we went snorkeling. Now, that was an adventure! After almost drowning I finally got the hang of it. Walking with the fins was another story! I finally resorted to carrying my fins to the water, sitting down in the water and putting them on. Then I just had to figure out how to stand up. Once I felt more comfortable and figured out how to use the mask, I enjoyed swimming out to the coral and looking at the beautiful fish. That truly was fun to see. One day we set aside for Pearl Harbor. We spent several hours at the site which includes a museum, and a boat ride out to the Arizona which is forever entombed in the bottom of the sea.
It was poignant and humbling to see the memorial and read the stories of those who died that day protecting our country. We took a ride on the Pali Highway and visit the Nuuanu Rainforest
which was so different than the outer sides of the island. We climbed high up the mountain then down the other side. We also went up to Turtle Bay Resort on the North Shore of the island and had lunch at the beautiful resort. Earlier I had read a book about WW2 and knew that my great uncle John Riffel had died and was buried at Punch Bowl National Cemetery in Honolulu. He was my Father’s mother’s brother. He was a merchant marine and was on a civilian ship when he was captured on Wake Island . He actually died of dysentery while being held hostage. We took some time to go to the cemetery and I was able to find his gravesite. Riffel, John H, b. 02/22/1900, d. 12/20/1942, CIV, Plot: Q 365, bur. 06/16/1949. 
Punchbowl is a beautiful cemetery on a hill that overlooks the town of Honolulu. We went to the Dole Pineapple Plantation and learned all we wanted to know about this wonderful tasting fruit. The tour included a train ride out to the fields where the pineapples grow.
One evening we went to a Luau. Our tickets included pick up from the hotel and it took over 2 ½ hrs to get to the location because we were going during rush hour. 95% of all the cars in Hawaii are on the island of Oahu. The luau was fun, with lots of great food and entertainment. One mistake was that they had the tables set up on the sand and in the evening the “no see ums” come out and by the next morning my legs were covered with bites which shortly turned into very large, red blotches that looked like bruises and stayed with me for a couple weeks. Note for next time – remember the bug spray! To see more pictures click below:
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