Aloha!

Let’s take a break from the regular (okay,not so regular) scheduled programming to take you with us on a “respite” from exploring in the Airstream.

With sites set on a tropical, beachy, resorty vacation from retirement, exploring more of Hawaii rose to the top of the list. Having been to the Hawaiian islands of Kauai and Maui, visiting an island, Oahu, with a big city, Honolulu, beckoned.

Oahu is 44 miles long and 30 miles across, with a shoreline of 227 miles and a population just over one million. The Waikiki area is the island’s tourist hub with loads of hotel rooms, restaurants, shops and surfing.

In search of a resort with a great pool, a luxurious spa, and delightful restaurants, we splurged to stay at the Halekulani,

The Halekulani opened its doors in 1907. Upon arrival, the bustling sights and sounds of Waikiki disappear into a casually elegant oasis.

For three of these days, we rented a car exploring different areas of the island. North Shore surfing. Beaches. Keawaula Beach. Ka’eana State Park.

Two volcanoes formed Oahu between 1.5 million and 500,000 years ago. Now extinct, the remnants are seen across the island.  Waiʻanae Mountain Range, along the western side marks the remainder of the shield volcano. Mount Kaʻala is the highest peak rising to 4026 feet.

The attack on Pearl Harbor turned a beautiful harbor into a place of reflection and memorial reminding us of the sacrifice and tragedy of war.

Sinking of the USS Arizona in 1941, left 1177 dead as the vessel sank in 9 minutes with 337 able to escape. Visiting the USS Arizona memorial is a must-do, somber experience and remembrance.

Another must-do on Oahu is watching, learning or performing surfing. Every morning and afternoon, the waters off Waikiki Beach fill with surfers.

Duncan braved the waters with a surf lesson. Some success and failure left Duncan feeling his 65 years for the rest of the trip. To counteract his pain, I enjoyed a fabulous 90 minute massage at the hotel spa.

The three day Honolulu Festival coincided with our two weeks in Honolulu. according to the website, “The Honolulu Festival is Hawaii’s premier cultural event, promoting mutual understanding, economic cooperation and ethnic harmony between the people of Hawaii and the Pacific Rim region”. Films, markets, performances and parades went on throuhgout the city.

The festival concluded with a spectacular display of fireworks. Check out the video below for a compilation of the hightlights.

After two wonderful weeks, our flight departed the airport as we settled into our seats for the five hour flight. About 45 minutes into the flight, I noticed we turned course heading south, then west and then north. As the flight attendant walked by, I inquired why we were flying in circles. “I cannot tell you. The pilot will make an announcement soon.” Hmmm. “Are we going back to Honolulu?” Crickets. Rut roh.

A bit later, the pilot reported a problem with the fuel pumps. Nothing to worry about other than we cannot make it to San Francisco. And, we cannot land anywhere until the plane burns 17,000 lbs of fuel at 10,000 foot altitude to get us back to a safe landing weight. Yep, Honolulu here we come again. Slowly.

Spoiler alert. We eventually made it back to San Francisco.

Mahalo Oahu for a fabulous introduction to the island.