Hawaii Day Two-USS Arizona and Bowfin

Colby is really struggling to adjust to the time difference (four hours behind us) and was up at 3:00 AM Hawai'i time. I, at least, slept until 4:00 AM but still, it feels unnatural to automatically wake up that early. We just chilled in our hotel room until the Continental Breakfast our hotel provides was open.

Then we got into the Jeep and drove out to the USS Arizona. The memorial opens at 7:30 AM and we arrived a little after 8:00 AM and already the line was HUGE! The actual memorial itself is out above were the Arizona lies on the sea bed so they only allow a certain number of people on it at at a time. By the time we got our tickets, the wait was an hour and forty-five minutes long. It was worth it! They have a video about what happened, using video footage from both sides, that everyone watches before they load you up on a boat and drive you out to the memorial itself.

The memorial isn't very large but it is a very reverent place. Everyone was speaking in hushed tones and were respectfully taking photos and just reading the signs that are posted. As you can see, pieces of the boat are still sticking up.

One thing I was not aware of is that several of the men who survived the attack on the Arizona have had their remains placed in the ship with remains of their fellow service men after they have lived full lives. The last one placed there was in 2006. (More photos will follow in other postings but I am having problems getting the internet to work on my computer and I hate using Colby's computer).

After we finished the tour of the Arizona we walked next door and took a tour of the USS Bowfin, a WWII submarine. It gave me a greater appreciation for the men who spend time in subs. I would go crazy being stuck in something that small and Colby hit his head a couple of times in the small quarters. The photos above are the deck guns they have on the shore for people to see. (Yes, those are flats I am wearing, even I am not silly enough to where high heels while touring a submarine full of grated openings but don't get used to it :))





Then it was time for my favorite part of the vacation, nap time! Just kidding, everything has been awesome but I do enjoy taking naps. Colby was great this evening and let me go souvenir shopping. The man hates to shop but he was very patient while I enjoyed picking things out. To finish up the evening we took a walk along Waikiki beach and watched the sunset before going to the store to stock up on breakfast for tomorrow's early morning hike up Diamond Head.