You Only Turn 40 Once - A Pre-trip Report

[Paula Sedley-Burke]

Never mind Oahu is brilliant too! Love Hilo Hatty stores !

 

[dolphingirl47]

Never mind Oahu is brilliant too! Love Hilo Hatty stores !

My first encounter with one of those was actually in Orlando. They used to have one at the Festival Bay Mall. I also visited one on our Hawaii cruise in 2012.

Corinna

 

[Paula Sedley-Burke]

My first encounter with one of those was actually in Orlando. They used to have one at the Festival Bay Mall. I also visited one on our Hawaii cruise in 2012. Corinna

cool! That's a shame they closed that down. They also had a Cheesecake factory in Honolulu I'm sure not sure if you saw that. Omg... As Forrest would say 'that's all I'm going to say about that...'

 

[dolphingirl47]

cool! That's a shame they closed that down. They also had a Cheesecake factory in Honolulu I'm sure not sure if you saw that. Omg... As Forrest would say 'that's all I'm going to say about that...'

Yes, I saw this mentioned somewhere, but during our second stay in Anaheim, I am sure we will end up at the Cheesecake Factory at the Anaheim Garden Walk at least once.

Corinna

 

[dolphingirl47]

When we visited Oahu as part of our Hawaii cruise, neither of us was really interested in Pearl Harbor. This is actually quite surprising as both of us have a keen interest in history. However, this time round when we discussed what we wanted to see while we are at Aulani, we both said Pearl Harbor.

I read real horror stories about people lining up as early as 6 in the morning in order to get tickets only to be told that the tickets had run out when they got to the front of the line. I did not fancy this much. So I did some research. I found all kinds of tours that included a visit to Pearl Harbor, but none of them really grabbed me as they all included a tour of at least one of the ships that are moored there. Neither of us is interested in this kind of thing. The tours also are really expensive.

Eventually I came across a site that mentions that you can reserve tickets ahead of time through the National Parks Service website. The tickets themselves are free, but they charge a $1.50 administration charge per ticket. I was more than happy to pay this. I was really surprised that 3 months in advance, there were plenty of days were all the tickets were already gone. We managed to get some tickets for 19th November at 11:00. We have to pick them up an hour before. We will probably get there a bit earlier still and have a look around the grounds and the visitor centre first. I am actually surprised how little information there is out there considering what an important site it is.









One thing I do know is that the tickets include a 23 minute documentary about the attack on Pearl Harbor and then we take a navy boat out to the Arizona memorial. Once we get back from the memorial, we will head back to Aulani. Originally we were going to combine Pearl Harbor with touring Honolulu, but this is the only day during our trip were they offer Member Maka'ika'i: Art & Nature Walking Tour of Aulani. We really want to do this. Realistically that once I started planning what to do in Honolulu, it would have been rather hectic to combine this, too. So this should work great.

 

[Pinkocto]

My mom and dad saw Pearl Harbor, on a couples only trip. When I expressed interest in seeing it she says it is so sad she'll go with me but is not excited to do so. I totally understand but don't relish going alone.

I'm glad you found a way to get the tickets without stating in line. Horror stories indeed of the people who waited but couldn't get tickets.

 

[jedijill]

Pearl Harbor is a truly moving experience. My next door neighbor's (more like a grandmother to me) brother went down on the Arizona and it was especially moving to find his name on the memorial. I'm glad you are going to be able to visit.

Jill in CO

 

[tiggrbaby]

We got both the tickets and the audio tour when we went in '13. Jamie Lee Curtis was the narrator, and we thought it was very worthwhile. There is so much to see there. It is very moving.

 

[Paula Sedley-Burke]

We did Pearl Harbour exactly like you have Corinna. I personally would not have missed it. Maybe it depends what kind of person you are. I also had to see ground Zero.

The afternoon tour sounds wonderful!

 

[dolphingirl47]

My mom and dad saw Pearl Harbor, on a couples only trip. When I expressed interest in seeing it she says it is so sad she'll go with me but is not excited to do so. I totally understand but don't relish going alone.

I'm glad you found a way to get the tickets without stating in line. Horror stories indeed of the people who waited but couldn't get tickets.

I think this is such a significant part of world history that it would be the shame to be so close to it for a relatively long time and not to visit. I fully expect though that this is not going to be the easiest of experiences.

Pearl Harbor is a truly moving experience. My next door neighbor's (more like a grandmother to me) brother went down on the Arizona and it was especially moving to find his name on the memorial. I'm glad you are going to be able to visit.

Jill in CO

I have read that one of the highlights is being able to meet eye witnesses who lived on Oahu when it all happened. I fully expect it to be very moving and maybe a little overwhelming.

We got both the tickets and the audio tour when we went in '13. Jamie Lee Curtis was the narrator, and we thought it was very worthwhile. There is so much to see there. It is very moving.

Thanks for this. I was wondering if the audio tour was worth it, but could find very little information about this. I think we will give this a go.

We did Pearl Harbour exactly like you have Corinna. I personally would not have missed it. Maybe it depends what kind of person you are. I also had to see ground Zero.

The afternoon tour sounds wonderful!

As I said, we are both really into history so this is a must do. I think it is going to work out really well that we then have the tour at Aulani to decompress.

Corinna

 

[petals]

Glad you managed to pre reserve your tickets for the Pearl Harbour thing

 

[dolphingirl47]

Glad you managed to pre reserve your tickets for the Pearl Harbour thing

This definitely will take a lot of stress out of the day.

Corinna

 

[Paula Sedley-Burke]

Not long now! Exciting

 

[dolphingirl47]

Not long now! Exciting

Indeed. In three weeks we will have dinner at the airport hotel.

Corinna

 

[dolphingirl47]

This is something I really struggled with. Considering that Honolulu is a major tourist destination, there is actually pretty little information available. I finally gave in yesterday and ordered a guide book that had been recommended on one of the Aulani trip reports I have read. It arrived this afternoon and I can't wait to read this.

We ran into the same issue in 2012, which is why we decided to give Honolulu a miss and did the dolphin snorkeling excursion instead. However, I figured we cannot be on Oahu for 10 nights and not visit Honolulu. In the end I found 5 things that I want to visit.

Kawaiahao Church is also known as the Westminster Abbey of the Pacific. The church is built from coral. It has a clock in its tower that is of great historical significance. It was also the church were the Hawaiian royal family worshipped. The church features 21 portraits of kings and queens of Hawaii, which is the largest collection of portraits by one artist in a single location.





ʻIolani Palace is nearby and was the official residence of the Hawaiian royal family. The palace can be visited as part of guided tour or with a self-guided audio tour. I think the second option is probably the one we go with. Both types of tour include the first and second floor of the palace, which feature the Grand Hall, Throne Room, Blue Room, State Dining Room and the private suites of the Kings and Queens. We will also have access to the basement galleries, which feature historical photos, Hawaiian Crown Jewels as well as other artefacts. Then it is time to head out to the grounds. In the grounds are the Coronation Pavilion, the Iolani Baracks, which now house the ticket office and the gift shop, the old archives and the Sacred Mount, which used to be the final resting place of the Hawaiian royal family.







Near Kawaiahao Church and ʻIolani Palace are a number of historical buildings and the King Kamehameha statue. I am sure we will have a wander around to enjoy the architecture and take some photos.



One thing that has been on my to do list right from the start is the Honolulu Museum of Art. I am a huge Dale Chihuly fan and they have some of his works on display. I have even seen some photos of a major installation in one of their courtyards. I am not sure if this is still there, but there are definitely a few bits and pieces for me to admire.







After all this history and culture, a change of pace is called for. I want to visit the Ala Moana Center. The Ala Moana Center is the biggest shopping mall in Hawaii and the largest open air shopping mall in the world. They have a Disney Store there that is meant to have some unique merchandise. Sadly, I will mainly be doing window shopping. We are flying from Honolulu to Los Angeles on a low cost carrier and have about 5kg less luggage allowance in this flight than our other flights. So I will get the bulk of my souvenirs when we are back at Disneyland. I think I can allow myself a pin though. We will also have our dinner there. I spotted that they have a Romano's Macaroni Grill there. We have only ever eaten at this chain in Dubai and really enjoyed it. It will be interesting how this will compare.

 

[Pinkocto]

You have really found some great looking places to go to.

Too bad about mainly window shopping, hopefully nothing really grabs your attention that is too big.

 

[dolphingirl47]

You have really found some great looking places to go to.

Too bad about mainly window shopping, hopefully nothing really grabs your attention that is too big.

It should be OK. I know that there will at least one new Dooney and Bourke purse waiting for me when I get back to Disneyland and I will have room in my luggage for some nice Disneyland souvenirs. I will take an old cheap purse as my personal item to Hawaii and that will go in the trash and will be replaced by the Aulani Dooney and Bourke tote. So I will be happy.

Corinna

 

[franandaj]

Your plans in Honolulu sound great. A mix of reverence and fun. A shame that you can't shop with reckless abandon. Fran would find a way, but you're smart. No need to bring back extra stuff you don't need.

 

[PrincessInOz]

Catching up on your plans for Hawaii. Between the Dole Plantation, Pearl Harbour and shopping at Ala Moana, you have me wishing I had a trip to Hawaii planned. It all sounds great.

Hope Graham gets to see the big waves.

 

[Paula Sedley-Burke]

Oh you've picked yourself some gems! What a treat you are in for! I bet you are beyond excited! We should get some nice photos out of that for us to eye candy too.

Forgive me if this is intruding or out of turn but I wondered if you had seen the travel card they do in costco for £109.00 pp you can choose 4 from the following experiences...

Polynesian Cultural Center
USS Arizona Memorial - Audio Tour
USS Bowfin Submarine Museum & Park
Makani Catamaran Sail
Snorkel the North Shore
Sea Life Park
Stand Up Paddle Boarding (SUP) at Ala Moana Beach
Oahu Kayaking with Hawaii Beach Time
Pearl Harbor Historical-City Tour
Diamond Head Hike by Kaimana Tours, LLC
Battleship Missouri Memorial
- See more at: http://www.costco.co.uk/view/product/uk_catalog/***_5,***_5.9,***_5.9.1/818272#sthash.OIPzVW2U.dpuf