Polynesian Culture

We toured the Polynesian Cultural Center and attended a luau there. This was a lot of fun and we learned the cultural differences between the Polynesian societies (Hawai'i, Somoa, Tahiti, Fiji, etc.).

Clockwise below: the Hawai'ian king's canoe. Mark, Frank, and Melody pause near the waterfall. Chief's bedroom in Fiji. James and Mark got a ride on a bamboo raft, courtesy of our tour guide, Petero of Fiji. Petero has actually been to Monterey and knew where Prunedale is! This pretzel of a palm tree is rooted on the right side of the creek, arches over to the left side, curls around, arches back to the right side, and has its palms off to the right. James and the top of Mark's head in front of the Easter Island statues.

Pearl Harbor

Melody was working at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and we stayed on the base. So, the boys and I took advantage of our location on this historic base (Fleet Admiral Nimitz, Commander in Chief, Pacific Ocean Areas, commanded all Allied Forces in the Pacific from this base starting in March 1942), learning more about WWII in the Pacific. We visited the USS ARIZONA Memorial to give our respects to the many who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country on December 7, 1941. We explored the Pearl Harbor Submarine Base, founded by Commander Chester Nimitz, USN, in 1920. We also visited Ford Island and the USS MISSOURI, where the "Instrument of Surrender" was signed in Tokyo Bay on September 2, 1945, formally ending WWII. (Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz, USN, signed for the United States.)

Clockwise below: James and Mark, topside on the USS PARCHE (SS-384), one of the most decorated submarines of the famously successful American Pacific Submarine Force of WWII. The PARCHE was right outside our quarters! Mark in front of the USS MISSOURI's (BB-63) sixteen inch guns. Machine gun James gets a little practice in on the port side of Mighty Mo's weather deck. Commander of Navy Region Hawai'i and Commanding Officer, Naval Station Pearl Harbor.

Volcanoes!!

We took a morning flight from Honolulu (on Oahu) to Hilo (on Hawai'i [the Big Island]), spent the day exploring volcanoes, and then flew back that evening. We rented a car and were confronted with this scene ...

... at the museum (James in picture).

Actually, we didn't see any hot lava flows while we were there. When we got there we learned that there had been hot lava flows that you could drive to see, but that the volcano had burped recently and the flows had stopped four days before our visit. I asked how long it had been flowing before it stopped. They said since the early 80's.... I bet if I washed my car today it would rain tomorrow, too!

Nevertheless, we did drive around and saw some cool sites. Clockwise in the below picture: Mark lifts a huge lava rock (very light due to zillions of tiny air bubbles). Halemaumau crater (about a mile in diameter). Inside a lavatube (hot lava once flowed through this tube, until the volcano ran out of hot lava, or poured it elsewhere, etc.). Steamvents near Halemaumau crater. Sulfur vents. Rift in the Earth (about 25 feet across, 15 feet deep, and 20 miles long).

Pineapples

We toured the Dole Pineapple Plantation, which is in the valley that runs north-south through the center of Oahu. They grow papayas, sugar cane, mangos, and ... well, you know. They make this great pinapple whip thing (sherbert?). They also taught me the cool way to cut a pineapple. mmm...mm.

Hickam Flower

This flower represents the zillian perfectly beautiful plants and flowers we have seen since arriving in Hawaii. This one was outside the officer's club on Hickam Air Force Base (located between the Honolulu Airport and Pearl Harbor).

Hawaiian waterfall

Aloha!
Mark, James, and Frank swimming under the falls in the Waimea Valley, on the North side of Oahu.