Oahu, Hawaii 2013 - Day 2

At 5:30 am, we were on the beach to watch the sunrise.  We took a long walk, collected sea glass, and waded in the warm water.  As the sun came up over the palm trees, and gave everything a fantastic orange glow, there was such a sense of tranquility that, for a moment, I thought to myself: “forget my itinerary, let’s just sit here all day.”  And then I noticed the time.

We had to be at Pearl Harbor by 8:30 or we would lose our tickets to the USS Arizona memorial.  So much for forgetting my itinerary!  We grabbed coffee at Starbucks, breakfast at The ABC store, and arrived at Pearl Harbor at 8:35.  We picked up our tickets and started exploring the visitor’s center.  I had prepared the kids for the visit by having them watch movies and documentaries about Pearl Harbor,  Ashley read a book called, “I Survived the Bombing of Pearl Harbor,” and I can’t tell you how many times we watched Mike Brady explain the significance of the USS Arizona memorial to his family.

Here is Mike reading a plaque to his family.  Poor left-out Alice.

Here is the plaque he read to them.

We all know what happened at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, and my family was well aware of we we'd see during our visit. What we did not expect, was the emotional impact it would have on us as we imagined what that morning must have been like and as we paid tribute to those who died that day.  I could spend hours telling you about the incredible things we saw at Pearl Harbor—more specifically—the USS Arizona Memorial.  First, I would tell you about Alan, who, when our group’s boat arrived at the USS Arizona, was introduced over the intercom: “Please stand by while we pay tribute to a Pearl Harbor survivor,” a voice boomed over the speaker, and as Alan slowly made his way off the boat, naval cadets stopped to salute him. I want to tell you the story Alan told me, how he lives in San Diego, but comes back twice a year because his "friends are down there,” and he wants to remember them.  I want you to hear the silence of the people on that memorial, as they pay their respects to the men who are still below.  I wish I had time to tell you all about the 2 quarts of oil that have daily been seeping up from the hull of the battleship for over 60 years, but how a clean-up effort would desecrate the grave.  But, instead I’ll just encourage you to go see for yourself this amazing and fundamental piece of our nation’s history.  And then pop over to the gift shop where they have systematically and unashamedly exploited the entire event, and buy yourself a souvenir.

I feel that I am cheating you by not going into more detail about Pearl Harbor, but my eyes are starting to cross from exhaustion, and my fluffy down pillows are summoning me, so I’m moving on.

Alan, the Pearl Harbor Survivor

A tribute to the men who died on the USS Arizona

Checking out the USS Bowfin

During my two months of planning for this trip, I kept reading about Leonard’s Bakery, and how eating malasadas is a MUST for visitors of Oahu.  Leonard’s has been around since 1952 and they specialize in making malasadas- which are Portuguese donuts without the hole.  And they come with a variety of fillings.  And you cry when you eat them.  (That last part might not be true.)  We placed our order and they boxed them up for us, fresh out of the deep fryer.  After 30 minutes, they had cooled down enough to eat.  They were melt-in-your-mouth delicious and I just wish I could bring boxes of them home for all of you.  Add “malasadas” to your list of reasons to go to Oahu.

Once we got back to the hotel, we dropped off our stuff, got in our swimsuits, and spent 3 hours at the beach.  These kids of mine would NOT come out of that water!  We relaxed in the sun all day.  We ventured over to one of our hotel’s five pools—The Super Pool.  It has a water slide that, for a hotel water slide, was pretty exciting.  Chad and I laid in lounge chairs and listened to a family of people from Australia (Chad says they're from New Zealand because they had kiwi accents.  How he knows that kind of stuff, I will never know - they all sounded like Mick Dundee to me.)   

I feel like my itinerary just doesn't matter anymore

At 5:00, we were picked up by Scott Ok, an old friend of mine from the Tanglewilde days.  He’s been living on Oahu for about 13 years and we've only seen each other a few times in the past decade.  The kids were excited to meet him because I had showed them a clip of Scotty on Hawaii 5-0: Click Here to Watch Scott   He drove us to Waiola for shave ice.  This was our first shave ice experience that did NOT come from a dirty carny at Lake Fair.  They put vanilla ice cream in the bottom of a cup, fill it with the softest ice (can ice be soft?) in the world, and then add your flavor.  It sounds simple, I know.  Please just add it to your list of reasons…

Dessert before dinner was exciting, and we sat under a grass umbrella and caught up on each other’s lives.  Then he took us over to Side Street Inn on Da Strip (that's the name, I haven't started talking like that after 2 days in Hawaii, I promise.)  We ate a mouthwatering family-style meal, and enjoyed Scott’s company.  Finally it was getting time to go and Scott invited us to go paddle boarding on Saturday.  Me on a paddle board will be about as entertaining as watching a bear in a tutu try to balance on a barrel, but I’m game.  So stay tuned for that…

It was approaching 9:00 and the kids wanted to go for a nighttime swim in the ocean.  Chad fell asleep before they could even get their swimsuits on, so I took them down to the beach while he slept.  They played in the water and built moats and canals on the beach, and I tried to stay awake to watch over them.

Tomorrow I’m not sure what we’re doing.  I have an itinerary that would rival that of the President of the United States’ daily schedule, but I’m thinking I might just chuck it.  Wait, what am I saying?!  Have I gone crazy?!  I've got some great things planned!  NO!! I’m not going to follow my itinerary.  Yes. I. AM!  Oh geez…  I need to sleep.

How shall we remember them?  Those who died? 

Mourn the dead.

Remember the battle.

Understand the tragedy.

Honor the memory. 

Let our grief for the men of Arizona, be for all those whose futures were taken from them on December 7, 1941.  Here they will never be forgotten.

(From the USS Arizona Memorial)

- The Niemeyers