Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii, United States of America

Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii, U.S.A, photograph # 1 – sailing into Honolulu, the capital of the state, we just caught the sunrise behind Diamond Head Peak

Honolulu, on the island of Oahu’s south shore, is the capital of Hawaii and the gateway to the United States of America island chain in the Pacific Ocean.  The Waikiki neighborhood is the city’s center for dining, nightlife and shopping –famed for its iconic crescent beach backed by palms and high-rise hotels, with the volcanic Diamond Head crater looming in the distance.  Sites relating to the World War II Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, include the USS Arizona Memorial.  The city’s population is close to 350,000, with an urban area population of just over 1,000,000, making it one of the largest cities in Oceania (Sydney, Australia is the largest).  The population of Honolulu, the state’s largest city, is a fusion of Asian, Western and Pacific cultures rooted in the values and traditions of the Native Hawaiian people.

“Honolulu has been the capital of the Hawaiian Islands since 1845, firstly of the independent Hawaiian Kingdom, and since 1898, of the U.S. territory and state of Hawaii  The city gained worldwide recognition following the Empire of Japan’s attack on nearby Pearl Harbor which prompted the entry of the United States into World War II; the harbor remains a major U.S. Navy base, hosting the United States Pacific Fleet, the world’s largest naval command.” – Wikipedia

Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii, U.S.A, photograph # 2 – central “downtown” in Honolulu at sunrise

Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii, U.S.A, photograph # 3 – we docked at Pier 2 Cruise Terminal (on the right), facing the modern skyscrapers of the Central Business District of the city; the mountains in the background (even without any palm trees in the photograph) help pinpoint the location as the Hawaiian Islands

“Honolulu is the remotest major U.S. city and one of the remotest cities in the world.  The closest major city is San Francisco, California, on the U.S. mainland, at 2,397 miles [3,858 kilometers].” — Wikipedia

Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii, U.S.A, photograph # 4 – our last glimpse of Diamond Head before it was obscured by the numerous high-rises in the city

Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii, U.S.A, photograph # 5 – a close-up of the modern skyscrapers of the Central Business District of the city

Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii, U.S.A, photograph # 6 – the Aloha Tower downtown, near the harbor; note the world “ALOHA” is etched in the stone at the top, above the clock face

The Aloha Tower is a retired lighthouse that is considered one of the landmarks of the state of Hawaii in the United States.  Opened on September 11, 1926, at a cost (then) of $160,000, the Aloha Tower is located at Pier 9 of Honolulu Harbor.  This was the tallest building in the islands for four decades and its clock was one of the largest in the United States. The tower stood as a welcoming beacon for visitors since travel to Oahu was done entirely by sea.

Mid-day we joined a few other Residents of the ship for a fitness outing for a snorkel trip to explore the shallow- and deep-water reefs of Maunalua Bay.  Unfortunately, although we snorkeled in two different areas of Maunalua Bay, the visibility was very poor, making it hard to see the tropical fish that were only a foot or two [less than 1 meter] above the ocean floor and the few flattish coral reefs that we saw.  All in all, a disappointing outing.  So, after a swim on board and a shower, we took the Intrepid Explorer to the Ala Moana [Shopping] Center for some retail therapy late in the afternoon, followed by a very good sushi dinner outdoors at Ginza Sushi, about a 10-minute walk down Ala Moana Boulevard from the Ala Moana Center.  It was an easy Uber ride back to the pier before we set sail for our next port of call, Nawiliwili (the port for Līhu’e) on the northwesternmost of the 4 major Hawaiian islands, Kaua’i. 

Honolulu’s two best known neighborhoods for tourists are Ala Moana and Waikiki.  “Ala Moana is a district between Kaka’ako and Waikiki and the home of the Ala Moana, the “world’s largest open-air shopping center” and Hawaii’s largest shopping mall.  Ala Moana Center has over 300 tenants and is very popular with tourists.  Also in Ala Moana is the Honolulu Design Center and Ala Moana Beach Park, Honolulu’s second-largest park.  Waikiki is Honolulu’s tourist district, between the Ala Wai Canal and the Pacific Ocean next to Diamond Head.  Numerous hotels, shops, and nightlife opportunities are along Kalākaua and Kūhiō Avenues.  It is a popular location for visitors and locals alike and attracts millions of visitors every year.  Most of Oahu’s hotel rooms are in Waikiki.” — Wikipedia

Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii, U.S.A, photograph # 7 — Ala Moana Center is the “world’s largest open-air shopping center” and Hawaii’s largest shopping mall

Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii, U.S.A, photograph # 8 – we were certainly surprised to find this Tesla dealership on the second story level of shops at the Ala Moana Center; it is just one of the over 300 tenants in the shopping mall

Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii, U.S.A, photograph # 9 – the Intrepid Traveler bought several outfits at Johnny Was, getting her fix on retail therapy for the day

Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii, U.S.A, photograph # 10 – it’s always peculiar to find Christmas decorations in the tropical islands, but being December, it’s that time of year!

Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii, U.S.A, photograph # 11 – many of the condominium buildings and shopping malls and stores in the general Ala Moana neighborhood were displaying red and green lights wherever they could – on palm trees (weird!), the building’s exterior (shown here), etc.

The correct spelling of the State (Hawaii) and the island (Hawai’i):

The name of the state, Hawaii, is not written with an ‘okina between the two “i”s, because the United States of America’s Statehood Act in 1959 used the spelling “Hawaii.”  An Act of the United States Congress is required to “correct” the name of the state to Hawai’i.  Thus, the name of the state is Hawaii, while the name of the island of the same name is Hawai’i.  Yes, your blogger wondered about this, too, to get the correct spelling here.  We will be visiting the island of Hawai’i and you will then see an ‘okina between the two “i”s.

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