Honolulu: Its History & Unique Lifestyle Remain at the Heart of the Hawaiian Experience
The Hawaiian Islands attract 8 million visitors from around the world each year including some people seeking an exotic place to settle down and build a new life. Although Hawaii is located more than 2500 miles west from the continental U.S. and 2500 miles east of Polynesia, most anthropologists believe the islands were first settled by adventurous and oceangoing Polynesians who explored the Pacific from Tahiti to New Zealand to Easter Island more than a thousand years ago.
Hawaii was generally ignored by European traders and American businessmen until the 19th century due to the vastness of the Pacific and the difficulties which early explorers had in calculating longitude. Eventually, change arrived in the form of sugar plantations, missionaries, whaling ships and alcohol. These outside influences overwhelmed both the ability of the Hawaiian monarchy to control the islands from their capital in Honolulu and the residents’ ties to traditional practices. Hawaii was annexed by the United States in 1898 and became an American territory in 1900, ruled by a governor and judges appointed by the President. Eventually, the United States relocated most of its Pacific fleet to the strategic port at Pearl Harbor, and the Japanese attack of 1941 forced America to expand its future commitment to the region after World War II.
Today, each of the islands of Hawaii reflects the tremendous diversity of the State. The environment includes everything from active volcanoes to rain forests to beautiful beaches and fertile farmlands. The culture reflects the practices and traditions of people with Hawaiian ancestry as well as influences from Chinese, Japanese, Pacific islanders and mainlanders who have immigrated there. But Hawaii is much more than a place where tourists can try surfing at public beaches, dance the hula, or enjoy a luau. It is a community with a unique lifestyle and special history.
When visiting Hawaii, some travelers prefer to explore the wonders of the Big Island of Hawaii, relax at a resort on Maui, or leave the urban areas of Honolulu to enjoy the North Shore of Oahu. We experienced some of Hawaii’s diverse scenery and outdoor activities on a 2015 cruise which included five different island locations, and on trips to Honolulu, which is at the heart of the Hawaiian experience. There are few places in the world where you can simultaneously stay at a beachfront resort, walk a few blocks to modern stores, restaurants and conveniences, take in historical and cultural sites, participate in a variety of outdoor activities, and still get to the airport in less than an hour. I would recommend stopping in Honolulu for a few days on any long trip to Asia or Australia.
Here are a few worthwhile activities to try on an initial visit to Honolulu:
Waikiki Beach: The Waikiki Beach area was separated from the main city of Honolulu in the early 1900s and it consisted then of little more than a few guest houses. Much has changed as several traditional hotels such as the pink Royal Hawaiian Hotel and dozens of international hoteliers now offer close to 30,000 hotel rooms and many condo units to residents and tourists along the beach. Waikiki Beach is narrow but the soft sand, warm water, gentle surf and gorgeous sunsets preserve the fabled ambience of the location. The view includes the remnants of the Diamond Head volcano crater to the east which looms over the waterfront. Crowded at times, one must keep an eye out when swimming at Waikiki Beach for catamarans and Hawaiian canoes going back and forth from the shore to the surf.
Diamond Head Park: The Diamond Head Crater National Park is located a few miles past Waikiki Beach. The visitors center in the middle of the crater can be reached by walking there or taking a local tourist bus. Along the way, many people stop to admire the statue of Duke Kukanamoku on the waterfront, a famous Hawaiian who publicized surfing throughout the Pacific and excelled at swimming. After entering the park, there is a two-mile uphill walk along paved and unpaved trails, through some caves, and up some long stairs to a lookout platform. Once on top, you will be rewarded with some spectacular views of Waikiki Beach and the ocean.
Pearl Harbor and USS Arizona Memorial: Visiting the Pearl Harbor Museum and the USS Arizona Memorial is an extraordinary and moving experience. The Museum includes films, artifacts and considerable historical material that provides background on the Pearl Harbor attack from the perspectives of both Japan and the United States. The Japanese people were told their country was acting nobly by liberating other Asian nations and the Pacific region from colonial oppressors, rather than trying to conquer East Asia for Japan’s own exploitation. The American people were shocked by the brutality of the unprovoked attack at Pearl Harbor, and were roused by the tragedy to fight the efforts of the three Axis powers to dominate continents far from the United States.
When you visit the Arizona Memorial by boat and stand on the platform over the sunken battleship, you begin to understand the tremendous sacrifices made by our troops in the Pacific theater and appreciate why those soldiers are called the “greatest generation”. Americas may also reflect on the character of a country which can fight wars when necessary, but then become friends and allies with its adversaries after a generation or two.
Battleship Missouri Memorial: Another part of the Pearl Harbor experience is to visit the Battleship Missouri which is an intact floating warship that participated in several major battles. Seeing the tight ship quarters in which thousands of officers and sailors worked, slept and lived for extended journeys along with the huge guns that could fire shells at land or sea targets for 20 miles is impressive. There are also several displays on the ship which emphasize the magnanimous way in which General McArthur handled the surrender ceremony with Japan that was held on the ship in 1945, and the subsequent American occupation of parts of Japan which lasted for seven years after the war ended.