The Traveling American has visited more than sixty cities in the United States and Canada over the past thirty years. The task of naming the Top Ten large cities in these two countries was a difficult one. We defined large cities as those with a metropolitan population of at least 300,000 and ended up placing thirteen cities on our list (there were a few ties). We believe these cities are the most memorable places in these two countries for travelers to experience during a short visit.

THE CITY TIED FOR NUMBER 6 IS HONOLULU, HAWAII:

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. While closely tied to the mainland of the United States, the culture of the state also incorporates the practices and traditions of people with Hawaiian ancestry as well as influences from the Chinese, Japanese, Pacific Islanders, and mainlanders who have immigrated there. It is a community with a unique lifestyle and special history. 

When visiting Hawaii, some travelers prefer to leave the urban areas of Honolulu to enjoy the North Shore of Oahu, to explore the wonders of the Big Island of Hawaii, or to relax at a resort on Maui. However, seeing Honolulu is at the heart of the Hawaiian experience and the city attracts many of the more than 10 million visitors who visit the state annually. 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. Honolulu is also a great stop for a few days on any long trip to Asia or Australia.

History of Hawaii and Honolulu - Hawaii is located more than 2500 miles west from the continental U.S. and 2500 miles east of Polynesia. Nevertheless, 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 some of the residents’ 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 and to welcome the islands to statehood in 1959. 

For a well-rounded visit to Honolulu, the following sites and activities are worth considering:

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. 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 and towers over the waterfront. 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 the island 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. The American people were shocked by the brutality of the unprovoked attack at Pearl Harbor, and were roused by the tragedy to fight the three Axis powers. 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”. 

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.