Our week-long cruise to several of Hawaii’s beautiful outer islands ended on the morning of January 13^th when the MS Patriot returned to her homeport dock at Honolulu’s Aloha Tower. Many of the new friends we had made aboard ship were returning to the Mainland immediately. Seeing their long faces as they prepared to swap Hawaii’s sunny blue skies for the chill of mid-winter back home made us doubly glad we had decided to stretch our vacation by staying on for a few extra days in the delightful capital of the island state.

When making advance reservations at the Waikiki Terrace Hotel I had mentioned the fact that we would be disembarking the ship by 9:00 a.m. Might it be possible, I asked, to check in a few hours early? The hotel’s management very kindly granted this request, once again proving my long-held theory that small special favors are often forthcoming if asked for politely and with a smile.

With frontage on Kalakaua Avenue (Waikiki’s main drag) and the park-like grounds of Fort DeRussy providing a gorgeous greenbelt around back and sides, the hotel has an ideal location. The view from our 12^th-floor balcony was stunning: flowers, lawn, tennis courts and trees in the foreground, with the deep blue Pacific Ocean just beyond.

"Waikiki Strolling Map" in hand, we set out to explore. One of the handy ABC Stores that dot the islands lay just across the street, and two or three blocks east of the hotel we came across Planet Hollywood. With its movie memorabilia, nonstop filmclips and tasty sandwiches, this proved to be a fun place for lunch.

Across the next intersection lies the Valhalla of "shop-till-you-droppers." The elegant Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center specializes in expensive luxuries. If these don’t fit your budget, cross the street and continue on for another block or two until you come to the International Market Place. Here, only narrow aisles separate the vendors’ bargain-laden kiosks, and the food court offers savory fare from all around the Pacific Rim.

But Waikiki, with its world-famous beach, boutiques and hotels, is only one section of this exciting city. First-time visitors will want to hop on the trolley and head for downtown Honolulu to explore the only royal palace in the United States. Don’t miss the striking statue of King Kamehameha the Great which faces ‘Iolani Palace. The Bishop Museum is another great place to learn more about the Hawaiian people and their rich heritage.

With the help of the friendly staff at the hotel’s travel desk, we arranged a Sunday morning tour of Pearl Harbor and the USS Arizona Memorial. Here, visitors take an emotion-charged step back in time. Following a brief speech by a National Park Service ranger, they view a 20-minute documentary film on the Pearl Harbor attack. Then, with the devastating images of that "Day of Infamy" still vividly in mind, they are ferried across to the Memorial aboard a Navy shuttle boat.

The 184-foot-long Memorial spans the mid-portion of the sunken battleship. According to its architect, the striking, stark-white edifice was designed to be a powerful symbol: "The structure sags in the center but stands strong and vigorous at the ends [expressing] initial defeat but ultimate victory." The names of the 1,177 crewmen killed aboard the Arizona on December 7, 1941 are engraved on the marble wall of the Memorial’s shrine room.

Berthed nearby is the Battleship Missouri, the historic vessel aboard which General Douglas MacArthur signed documents on September 2, 1945, ending World War II. Having served America in three wars, the "Mighty Mo" is now open to the public as a huge interactive museum.

Submitted by PaulusMM on July 08 2004 - 13:01:32