Honolulu: It's a lu - lu

Honolulu, on the island of Oahu, is the big city of the islands complete with high-rise buildings and freeways (can’t really call them interstates!). It is a unique place that mixes exotic tropic scenery with urban construction; familiar US culture with a distinctly Hawaiian feel. While the traffic can be heavy, the mood is friendly and laid back in all the places that we ventured. Due to limited time and short notice, we booked a room at the Hilton Hawaiian Village, a large self-contained complex anchoring one end of Waikiki beach. This type of resort is not our usual style, and we were quickly reminded of some of the reasons to shy away from large developments.

On the brief weekend stay, we enjoyed two "bookend" experiences. The first pair involved submarines…we boarded a modern tourist submarine that took us 120 feet beneath the waves and then contrasted that experience with the opposite end of the spectrum, a tour of a vintage WWII US submarine at Pearl Harbor. The second pair were visits to the USS Arizona Memorial, a tribute to the tragic start of WWII in the Pacific and the nearby USS Missouri, whose decks witnessed the Japanese surrender.

Quick Tips:

In Hawaii, the wardrobe for almost every occasion is casual, cool and comfortable. And yes, the trademark Hawaiian shirt is really what the locals wear, so plunge in and be bold and beautiful! We were continuously impressed by the laid back and pleasant service we received, so leave mainland stress on the mainland and loosen up.

Best Way To Get Around:

Mainland visitors arrive at Honolulu International Airport. This large complex features open air hallways that immediately begin to adjust your attitude. There are also extensively landscaped gardens that can be accessed inside the secure area while you wait for a flight. If you are connecting to another island, chances are that you need to catch the Wikiwiki shuttle busses that run on special elevated paths to the Interisland Terminal.

Most hotels do not provide courtesy shuttles, but instead rely upon the regular shuttle buses that serve several major properties on regular rounds for a fixed price per person. While we almost always rent a car to free us from meeting arbitrary schedules, we could easily have managed the weekend without one. The Hilton Hawaiian Village provides multiple dining alternatives, and most any hotel along the beach has dining and shopping within walking distance. Excursions to Pearl Harbor and other island sites are frequent and reasonable in cost.

This large complex of hotel rooms, shops, restaurants, condos and timeshares occupies roughly 20 acres at the end of Waikiki beach. The buildings are impressive and lavishly decorated, and the grounds are extensively landscaped complete with waterfalls, koi ponds and the ever-present tiki torches. An open air lobby welcomes guests with views to the superpool and ocean beyond, but the roped queue for the reception desk (Hilton Honors members, be sure to find the express line) is a tip-off that this is a mega-resort that is geared to large numbers of tourists.

The desk upgraded us (due to room availability) to the Rainbow Tower, a longtime landmark of Honolulu refurbished to a high level of polish. From the seventh floor, we looked towards town over a lagoon and marina. While the ocean was visible, the rooms across the hall offered a much more impressive vista. More hints of the ever-present money machine greeted us…in-room coffee service for a price and a notice that the souvenir coffee mugs would conveniently be charged to the room if we decided to take them with us. The room itself was comfortable and clean, a standard Hilton room.

The property boasts a large expanse of beach in addition to its man-made charms. Shopping is predictably pricey as are all of the food options. There is also a steady, but subtle, presence of timeshare marketing. The Atlantis submarine tour departs from the Hilton beach area. Entertainment options for the entire family are also available each night. We enjoyed sitting at the poolside bar to watch the torch lighting ceremony at dusk complete with the Hilton rifle honor guard and a South Pacific tour of hula dances.

As a whole, the Hilton is a first rate all inclusive resort. It has the manicured appeal of a theme park. For a family with a generous vacation budget, the Village offers a great mix of activities and options. However, we typically prefer small scale, unique and local establishments.

The Hilton Hawaiian Village dining options cover a range of styles and tastes. To avoid driving after a late dinner with a touch of jet lag, we opted to eat dinner at on of two major restaurants in the Rainbow Tower. The Rainbow Lanai featured a Pacific Rim buffet at approximately $26 per person. For two tired travelers, this relieved the decision making process.

The dining area, on the ground floor, is predictably open-air. We were seated at a table next to the koi pond which placed us at eye level to the beach and ocean. The high ceiling, light colors and tall dark wooden louvers opened to the breeze create a very pleasant atmosphere. Service was excellent, but the food was not up to the standards to justify anything approaching the price. Regular menu items were also available including dishes such as swordfish ($21.95) prepared with a deviled crab crust. This dish was very salty, and the seasonings seemed heavy handed. The buffet menu items promised much but delivered less. Some items that stood out included the snow crab legs, roast beef, seared salmon steak, scallops, pot stickers and chicken with ponzu chili sauce. Unfortunately, frustration set in due to the inadequate pace of replenishing the buffet. The crowd was not large that night, but the kitchen seemed unable to keep pace resulting in multiple trips to the line in order to catch a particular item before it was all gone: not what I expect for the price, and a little disappointing for a Hilton.

The drive along Nimitz Highway / Ala Moana Boulevard winds past harbors and marinas on the way to Waikiki. Adjoining one marina we found the Fisherman’s Wharf, a vintage seafood restaurant that opened in 1952. This large complex has clearly seen a lot of Honolulu tourist history, but that is the basis for its appeal. The property embodies the kitschy nautical motif that one might imagine (or recall) from a tourist seafood restaurant of the fifties and early sixties. The interior ranges from the elegant arched wooden beams, in the manner of ships’ timbers, to the over-the-top pay phone enclosed in a clam shell. Heavy rope rigging separates areas of the floor while outward sloped windows, reminiscent of a ship’s bridge, provide a harbor view. Portholes, ship art and nautical memorabilia adorn every space. The men’s room was disappointing…it was in poor repair and not especially clean. Back on the floor, our waitress was attired in a crisp nautical uniform that she might have worn on opening day as a young employee. She was pleasant, but as the only server on the floor at that time, a bit overworked. Naturally, the menu is heavy on seafood. Starters from $6 to $10 included hot and cold options such as potato wrapped shrimp, sautéed mushrooms, crab cakes and raw oysters. Entrees ran from $16 to $26 encompassing a variety of dishes from seafood to pasta. Specials during our visit were Island Shashimi and a Gulf of Mexico soft corn taco. We chose to eat a sampling of appetizers rather than entrees: red snapper soup, crab meat cocktail and oysters on the half shell. The soup was very tasty, and the cocktail as expected. The oysters were very large, and we found the texture of this species to be a little "gummy."

Bottom line: this restaurant offers a certain nostalgic feeling that appeals, and the food was acceptable.

We ate our last dinner on this short visit to Honolulu in the Hilton Hawaiian Village complex at the Village Grill which is located in the Rainbow Bazaar. This is one of several different style eateries that range from high end Japanese to a pizza parlor. Some of the options include Hatsuhana (Japanese), Benihana of Tokyo, Hanajuben Noodle Shop, Casa Ortega, Dean’s Café and Kahuna Dog. The Village Grill is a small restaurant with both inside and outside tables and the feel of a diner or simply a small restaurant. Oddly enough, it is not listed in the Hilton website, but it is located adjacent to (or perhaps subsumed by) Café Ortega. Atmosphere is minimal, but that was not our objective for the evening. The outside tables are under an awning, but they are located in an interior walkway in the complex that is intended to feel like a village street in a theme park sort of way. Dining at one of these outside tables was comfortable despite the lack of breeze. The Grill’s menu covers a wide range from Caesar salad to pasta to curried dishes to Korean barbeque. It was the barbeque that hooked us, and we ordered the chicken barbeque and beef bulgogi. Both entrees cost $11.75 and included a plate of selected kimchees, sprouts and rice. Both dishes met our expectations, and the kimchee added an extra zing to the meal. The seasonings were just right and the meat was juicy without being over-cooked. The other menu items varied in price, up to $27 for steak. In general, though, the Grill was an economical option in an otherwise expensive setting. If you need a relief from prices without driving or taking a taxi, this is a good alternative. It is also close to the ABC store where you can stock up with items for your room refrigerator to avoid mini-bar/snack prices the next day.

Visit Pearl Harbor to be awed, inspired and entertained. Visitor centers, the USS Arizona Memorial and floating museums preserve the memory of its pivotal role in World War II. Pearl Harbor witnessed the greatest single defeat the US Navy has ever experienced with the surprise bombing attack by the Japanese on Sunday morning, December 7, 1941. These same waters continued to churn with activity as the sunken fleet of US ships was raised and put back into action against the Japanese. However, not all the ships could be salvaged. The worst stricken vessel, the USS Arizona, still lies where she sank with the remains of over 1170 sailors still aboard. In addition to the souls who perished during the attack, an increasing number of her survivors have chosen the Memorial as their final resting place to rejoin their fellow crew members.

A visit to the USS Arizona Memorial begins in the visitors’ center with a short, but very well done film that puts the Memorial and the events leading to the tragedy in perspective. Frequent US Navy shuttles then pick up visitors as they exit the auditorium for the trip to the Memorial just across the channel and adjacent to Ford Island. Additional audio over a public address system on the shuttle continues to give eye-witness and historical insights. The Memorial itself is built to straddle the sunken ship, roughly amidships, next to the base of a gun turret that is visible above the water. The brilliant white tribute has an entry, a central area with large open windows and a quiet hall listing the names of the sailors and their survivors who chose this final resting place. Oil still seeps up, drop by drop, from the ship even after nearly 60 years. It is very fitting, as one looks out of the windows across the sunken bow of the ship, to see the proud USS Missouri permanently anchored along Battleship Row…it was on the decks of this ship that Japan surrendered and ended the war in the Pacific. From the windows on the other side, one can see the USS Bowfin submarine, also a floating museum, which was launched on December 7, 1942 and nicknamed the Pear Harbor Avenger.

Some useful information:
General Information (808) 422-0561
Administration (808) 422-2771
Open Sunday through Saturday 7:30 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. Interpretive programs, including the film about the attack and the boat trip to the USS Arizona Memorial, begin at 8:00 A.M. (7:45 A.M. in summer). The last program each day begins at 3:00 P.M. Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years Day. Our overall visit to take in the USS Arizona Memorial, the USS Missouri and the USS Bowfin lasted about 5 to 6 hours.

The USS Bowfin and the USS Missouri can be toured starting in the museum that sits next to the Arizona Memorial visitor center. We purchased a ticket for both vessels, including a guided tour of the battleship. Time is a factor since the "Mighty Mo" is anchored at Ford Island and must be reached using a open trolley.

The USS Missouri led multiple lives since she earned her first battle stars in World War II. As the last and biggest battleships ever built, a member of the Iowa Class, the Missouri served late in the war. She continued to serve in the Korean War and was even recalled during the Reagan administration. Her last battle action, launching cruise missiles against Iraq during the Gulf War, ended a long and distinguished career. The ship’s later roles resulted in many changes to the ship, so a visitor will find a mix of armaments, from the original 16 inch guns of WWII to a more modern Combat Information Center where the admirals quarters originally were located. The guide for our tour did an excellent job leading us through the ship and helping us mentally recreate the path of McArthur as he, with dramatic flair and symbolic meaning, led the Japanese surrender ceremony. The exact spot of the signing is marked by a circular brass marker in the deck. One can stand just behind it and look down the sides of the ship to see the USS Arizona Memorial…beginning and end to an epic struggle in one glance. The USS Missouri carries her own scar from WWII. A kamikaze attack barely missed her decks, but the plane dented her armor plating. The Captain of the ship, against the sentiment of many crew members, paused to give the kamikaze pilot’s body an honorable burial at sea. The dent in the armor was never repaired.

USS Bowfin, the Pear Harbor Avenger, also earned WWII battle stars. The submarine's living and working spaces contrast sharply with the battleship. Cramped is a generous description, particularly when you realize that most of the crew sleeping areas are bunks folded away in the very same spaces that you walk during the tour. A self-guided audio tour features the former Bowfin commanding officer describing the ship and actions that it fought as he leads you from compartment to compartment. A daring raid during the war placed the Bowfin in Japanese waters as part of a group of submarines, one of which never returned. The closeness of the quarters combined with the stress of battle comes alive as the Captain speaks. During the tour access to the spaces inside the conning tower is restricted, but a stand alone cut-away of a similar conning tower is located on the museum grounds. The museum is also worth a visit. It traces the history of the Silent Service from the first attempts at submersible craft as early as 1776 to the nuclear Navy of today.

Go to home.att.net/~merylh/misc/Missouri for hours and ticket prices.

Sunken ships and airliners, tropical fish and the sheer thrill of diving below 120 feet await the brave souls who take the Atlantis submarine tour. Actually, the trip is comfortable, and the excitement of spotting fish in and among the obstacles on the sea bed leaves little need for bravery. If you don’t have a scuba license, then this is the best (and only?) way to experience the deep and bring home pictures to prove that you were there.

After booking your tour through the internet or a hotel concierge (or simply buying a ticket at the information booth near the Atlantis pier at the Hilton), you congregate on the pier at the designated time. A motor launch picks up the group for a ten minute ride out to rendezvous with the submarine off Waikiki. Following a short safety video briefing, passengers may go topside to enjoy the view or ride inside. As you approach the rendezvous, a bright green roiling appears on the surface of the ocean where the submarine has released air as a warning where it will surface. Things happen quickly, so be prepared if you want to snap a photo of the sub as it breaches. The shuttle then quickly approaches and ties off next to the submarine. Returning passengers disembark first, then the new "crew" is invited to cross over a gangway, walk along the sub’s deck and enter down a ladder either fore or aft. Inside, the pilot has a large bubble window ala Captain Nemo. On the 64 passenger sub, the largest of the fleet, a long seat divides the cylindrical body of the vessel allowing passengers to sit on either side and look out the numerous large viewing portals. All seats have equal views, but sitting near the pilot also provides a forward view. Watch the depth displays (one each forward and aft) to check your depth, and watch the colors fade from your clothing as sunlight is increasingly filtered by the ocean.

A few tips. The trip lasts two hours from start to finish including the shuttle rides to and from the submarine. Before you arrive, be sure to buy some high speed film (ASA 400 is the minimum, faster is better) or plan to pay a premium at the Atlantis desk. Because the colors from sunlight are almost completely absorbed at the depths of the dive, only high speed film can really capture what you will see with any fidelity. On the other hand, you may want to keep a few frames of daylight speed film handy for the trip out to and back from the rendezvous…it’s fun to capture the sub just as it is surfacing.

Our flight from Dallas landed at about 1:30pm, so we booked the last (4:00pm) tour on our day of arrival. This worked well, though we were advised to call ahead if we experienced a significant airline delay.

The tour is well managed and boasts a perfect safety record.