WELL.  What with all the exciting’ baby coming early’ news and all…which I am not complaining about, you understand……. my posts about our trip got put aside.  And, rightly so.  I mean A NEW GRANDSON certainly trumps a TRIP TO HAWAII !  There are still some things about the trip to talk about, so I’ll pick it back up.  HOWEVER, Sweet Levi may break in at any time! 

Let’s go to Honolulu!  Honolulu and Waikiki are on the island of Oahu.  This is the most populated and most commercial of the islands. 

We went there mainly to see how it had changed since Joy and I were there in the early 70’s.  We also wanted to go back to the Polynesian Cultural Center.  We remembered it being so good back then.  And, Patty really wanted to go to Pearl Harbor.  We knew we had an ocean front room in Maui, so we took a city view room in Honolulu.  The hotel was right on Waikiki.  It is the oldest hotel on the beach, built in 1901.    Much renovation, though.  However they are now deemed a historic site and can make no more changes.  It is a beautiful place, for sure.

Someone has to have the yucky view rooms in hotels in Paradise…and we knew ours was going to be poor.  So, it was OK…we didn’t spend much time there anyway.  But, just a peak at how faaaaaaaar away from the beach it was…here are Joy and I practicing our synchronized waving on our balcony…

…then we made this photo of Patty…..way down there…

And, when we got a chance, this is the site we saw….Waikiki Beach.

Joy and Patty planned their next day to be a trip to Pearl Harbor.   To make it a real adventure, they took off early, caught the city bus, and found the Harbor.  They were able to spend as much time as they wanted there, and then they made there way home, again on the bus.  Here are some of their pictures from the day:

The Arizona Memorial…

This is the top of something that is on the Arizona.  I don’t mean to sound flip, but I really have no idea what it is.  I do know, however, that oil is still leaking out of it, even today.  You can see the oil on top of the water.

This is a plaque on the Memorial…sorry it is hard to read…

I love the composition of this picture.  Through the top of the Memorial, which floats on top of the Arizona, Old Glory still waves against the Creator’s blue sky. 

And, back in the park, a picture of Joy and Patty, with the Arizona in the background.

As for me, I did a little exploring of my own.  There were so many little, and BIG, shops around and in the hotel.  I did a little shopping, then went back to the room and rested, and read some, and watched a movie.  I needed an easy, restful day after the long trip the day before!  Then we ate at The Cheesecake Factory, of all places!  Joy and Patty were so tired, and it was in walking distance.  But, a strange thing happened there, that has never happened to us before.  We ate our meal…and NOBODY WANTED CHEESECAKE !!!!  I know it’s hard to believe, but it’s true.  We didn’t even take any with us.  I don’t know…maybe it was the sun…or something.  I’m hoping it doesn’t carry over to the next time I visit one of their Factories.

STAY TUNED….MORE EXCITING ADVENTURES  OF *THE THREE WAHINES * TO COME…