Book it Danno! Travel Plus... Destination - Featuring Pearl Harbour and The USS Arizona Memorial

Book it Danno! Travel Plus… Destination – Featuring Pearl Harbour and The USS Arizona Memorial

Index:

Hawaii is a great mixing bowl of East meets West, and has its time of the war in Pacific which hit the islands in full air force on Sunday 7th December 1941 are well documented.

For me, I have more than a passing interest in history – so whilst I was in the islands, it would had been impolite of me not to visit Pearl Harbour.

My planning however was next to useless. I had left it way to late for a tour… so I sought how to do this trip by myself. The first thing was to get a ticket to visit the USS Arizona Memorial. This is actually free to do, but needs to be reserved online (which is subject to a $1.50) . With an audio guide for $7.50, it was pretty simple to do.

The next part of the challenge was how to get there. Shuttles and Taxis are not what I’d call cheap – thankfully, I have time on my side. That means I could use the bus. With a one-stop ride, it would be $2.50 each way. Easy enough.

Heck – even Google Maps will help you plan the transit, where to change buses, the works. Easy enough.

With all the knowledge and booking in hand, I headed out of the hotel, and over to the bus stop, in time to meet the bus to down-town Honolulu, and change for an express bus over to the Pearl Harbour Historic sites.

Yes, the local bus took the best part of an hour, but if you enjoy people watching – it’s a great way to spend the time. That, and the buses are air-conditioned. Makes a difference when in a bus for a while.

Anyway – onto the pictures!

Once you enter the park, there’s an important thing you need to do – and that’s drop your bag off as bags aren’t allowed into the area. That’s another $3 you’ll need to spend.

That done, you can enter the park. From here – there are a few important things you can do – the most important is to pick up your ticket for the USS Arizona memorial.

You can also pick up an audio tour if you’ve ordered it, and tickets for other sights at the park including the USS Bowfin Submarine Museum & Park and the Battleship Missouri Memorial. As my time was limited, I just opted for the USS Arizona memorial.

Once through, it’s time to explore.

The memorial reception buildings

USS Bowfin

The anchor of the USS Arizona.

There’s a museum to explore too – exploring the history in the run up to the events of the 7th December 1941 and the impact of those events.

As well as a model of where I’d be later – over the USS Arizona.

With time closing in, I headed over to the theatre – which gave a video of the events that occurred in the run up and events of the 7th December 1941, it was time to head over.

Interestingly as we boarded the boats to takes us over the USS Arizona memorial the crews asked us to switch phones to silent and not make calls at this place. A sign of respect in this mobile obsessed world.

A five-minute boat ride later, and we had left the National Park, into the Pearl Harbour base (which is still an active US base), we were lining up to dock with the USS Arizona memorial

Departing the park

On the boat

Resting place of the USS Nevada

Coming up on the USS Arizona memorial.

As we docked, there was more of hush and respect than I’ve seen in a lot of my travels – the kind that understands this is a place of respect and remembrance as opposed to a tourist attraction.

Walking into the memorial, there was lots of life on top, but no kids running around. People were taking their time and thinking about what they were seeing.

Those who fell aboard the USS Arizona.
Looking down into the remains of the Arizona.

The bow of the Arizona. The USS Arizona as she rests today.

The stern of the Arizona

Inside the memorial. Such a bright and peaceful place

The stars and stripes flying high over the memorial

Eventually, I took my leave of the USS Arizona, and boarding the boat back to the short.

Exiting the memorial

The resting place of the USS Vestal

Overall: It’s a very sobering place to go – to think of the lives lost at this place. None the less, I can recommend visiting the site to understand some of the history that shaped Hawaii, the United States… and the world.

Next: Back to reality as a rebooking strike, and I have to deal with British Airways…

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