Pearl Harbor to Diamond Head

On Sunday I decided I was going to Island hop over to Oahu and check out the historical Pearl Harbor. I was able to snag an Hawaiian Air 7am flight for $29!! I also was able to grab a Southwest flight back to Maui.

My day started early, I had to take my rental car and fill it with gas before returning it for the trip. I got to the airport around 6am for the 7am flight. The airport at that hour is all inter-island hopping folks. There wasnt a single person in line at TSA when I got there, it was awesome. Made it to the gate nice and early, so early in fact that two other flights boarded and left in that hour before my flight!

The flight from Maui to Honolulu was a quick 25 minutes. On the flight they served snack-size juice or water in prepackaged containers. They immediately collected the trash and we landed.

I rented a car from National for today. Since I am Executive level with them I was able to pick any car I wanted, and selected a Mini Cooper convertible. I thought, yes, a convertible!! I kept the top up in the garage thinking I would pull over once I got out and put the top down, but when I drove out of the garage the rain started. I was so bummed. I thought “I only have this car for a few hours and its raining!”

I headed the 8 minutes to the Pearl Harbor memorial. I had read online that the tickets before 11am were first come, first serve. I got there around 820. I was excited to take my SLR camera with me and get some good shots. I put it in my backpack along with my water bottle and headed to the entrance. Security stopped everyone with any sort of bag bigger than a CD. You had to bag check everything. Sadly, because it was still raining at that point, I choose not to bring the Nikon in. I checked my bag and entered. I was handed a ticket for 845am for the movie and boat ride out to the Arizona.

I bought a poncho and the audio guide as well. The movie is a brief history of the attack on Pearl Harbor. After the movie you board a boat and head out to the Arizona. Normally you get to get off at the memorial, but due to some damage at the dock, it is currently closed. Instead, the boat moves slowly next to the wreckage heads towards the Missouri, turns and moves slowly next to it so each side of the boat can see the memorial and wreckage. They ask you to stay quiet and respect the memorial – I would say half the passengers on the boat actually remained quiet. None of them were American, so I am guessing it was a language barrier that had not been crossed to get the silence message.

After the boat ride, I continued walking through the park. So much history surrounded the location and the Naval vessels still in the harbor. I stopped and read and listened to every board of information. I headed to the bus line to head to the Missouri. You cross through the active Joint Base to get to the dock where the Missouri is currently housed. Fun fact: the Missouri is no longer owned by the US Government, instead a private non-profit owns and maintains it. You are not allowed to have cameras out on the drive from the Pearl Harbor memorial park to the Missouri.

Once at the Missouri you have a to buy a ticket in order to board the ship. It was like $30 – but that came with a 35 minute tour and historical context. I bought the ticket that also came with a discounted Bowfin ticket. I boarded the ship and waited a few minutes for the tour to start. My tour guide Jacob was a young guy, I would have guessed like 20, but turns out he was 32!! On this tour I learned that this was the last Battleship commissioned for the US Navy. It was also where WWII ended! The Japanese officially surrendered on board here!

After the Missouri I hopped back on the bus and headed back to the Pearl Harbor Memorial park. I headed over to the Bowfin submarine and was given another headset to get an audio guided tour. Touring the Bowfin really gave me some respect for Sailors. They live in some of the tightest quarters and somehow can stay sane.

After I walked off the Bowfin I headed to the museum because I heard there was a Styrofoam cup that showed what the pressure of being down 500 feet did to objects.

At this point its about 2pm and I was starving!! So I put the top down on the Mini Cooper rental car and headed over to the Spaghetti Factory! Its my favorite place. I think mostly because of the family ties and the memories of the family going to eat at the beach at the Newport Beach location every summer. I got my usual brown butter and Mizithra. I was able to enjoy my book (Becoming by Michelle Obama) and my food over the next hour.

After my lunch I went back to my car and headed to Diamond Head Park. It was only about a 20 minute drive from downtown – on the one little interstate they have. Ok, so its not that little – but why does Hawaii have an interstate? It doesnt go to another state?! I didnt do much reading up on Diamond Head – other than it could take like 45 minutes to hike up to the top. I figured it would be a good way to end the day. Another thing I read was that parking isnt free, if you want you can park on the street.

I arrived at Diamond Head and was on the driveway into the park when I noticed a spot that didnt have any signs about paying anything. I grabbed and noticed a group of people walking through the tunnel to get to the park. I left everything in the car but my wallet and headed into the park. Little did I realize I had about a half a mile walk to get to the park entrance and another quarter mile to get to the start of the hike. It cost $1 to hike – and of course – I had no singles. In fact, I only had a $100 bill. There was a sign that said “No Bills Over $20.” I thought for sure I would be turned away, but the lady manning the booth was amazing – she said since it was just me, it was fine to walk on in!! Woohoo!!

The path starts out all paved, handicap accessible. It was cool!! It doesnt last though – maybe about a mile of the hike – then it because rough travel. There are a lot of stairs and a lot of switch backs. So many stairs!! At this point I was really starting to question if this could only take 45 minutes. I had only 1.5 hours for the whole thing or I could miss my flight back to Maui. I continued to the hike (like really hiking up, via stairs but lots of them!) I had to stop and take a break at the lookout – ya know a rest with a view!!

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I headed back onto the trail and continued to the hit the stairs. Im not sure I can say this enough but SO.MANY.STAIRS. When I got to the top of the hike, there was a wonderful breeze and a beautiful view!! And…..it only took me 38 minutes!! Seemed longer, but only 38!! I took in the views, enjoyed the breeze, snagged some selfies and headed back down.

I got to the bottom in 18 minutes! And I wasnt even trying – but going down stairs is less stressful on the lungs! I was able to get back to my car and head to the airport. Because the hike was so quick, I was early to the airport. My flight was at 730pm and I got to the airport around 615. I was flying Southwest back – and it was their inagural day of flights from Honolulu to Maui. We didnt get anything special – but the earlier flights of the day did. I enjoyed my 20 minute flight with my little cup of sealed water and pretzels.

I grabbed an Uber when I got back to Maui and headed to the hotel. My Uber drive was great – gave me coupons for the Aquarium that I gave my cousins and a coupon for a restaurant – we didnt end up using, but it was the thought that counts!

It was a long, eventful day – and worth every minute of it!!