Saturday
Sep052009
Making Vacation History
Saturday, September 5, 2009 at 03:42PM
Yesterday was Day 3 of our Hawaiian escape and Day 1 of immersion into the history and culture of the islands. Jack has finally stopped twitching at the thought of being more than two feet away from an electronic gadget of some sort, and Kate has taken on the unkempt hair and barefootedness of the classic 
island girl.
Our first stop was the check out the World War II Valor In the Pacific Memorial National Monument. The main attraction – the solemn final resting place of the USS Arizona – is free and comes with an informative movie recounting the history of that day of infamy and a short boat ride across the harbor. Jack was, as usual, a font of questions: Are the bad guys still alive? Why couldn't find they find the key to the door to get out of the ship? Kate and I were fascinated by the "black tears," traces of fuel and oil that leak to the surface, even after all these years. She found pretty little fish bobbing among the rusting hulk, a poignant reminder that life eventually returns to its own "normal," even in the face of something so horribly tragic and disruptive.
Next up was the Bishop Museum, a surprisingly dense pocket of Hawaiian history, natural history and culture
tucked away in a residential area of Honolulu. Visitors who venture away from the beaches and loud resorts of Waikiki will find a museum (with a collection of more than 1.2 million artifacts) that, in a very Hawaiian way, rivals pieces of our Getty, Natural History Museum and California Science Center, with a dash of the Griffith Observatory thrown in for good measure.
Built in the late 1800s by Charles Bishop in honor of his late wife Bernice, the last descendant of the royal Kamehameha line, the museum is a fitting and spectacular tribute to the culture, beliefs, natural history and turbulent times of the native population. The iconic Hawaiian Hall recently reopened after a three-year closure and restoration project. The result is a stunning, interactive look at every aspect of Hawaiian life.
We paused amid the exhibits to enjoy the Ola Na Mo'Olelo, or Oral Traditions, a dramatic retelling of Hawai'i's controversial annexation by the United States that also brings some of the exhibits on display to life.
We ended the evening back at the hotel with a somewhat touristy but classic poolside showcase of hula dancers and music, the Rockin' Hawaiian Rainbow Revue, complete with a Don Ho-style crooner and spectacular fireworks show finale. By the end of the day we knew that this island is proud of all its icons and history – and we were more than happy to oblige as an engaged, and now educated, audience.
island girl.Our first stop was the check out the World War II Valor In the Pacific Memorial National Monument. The main attraction – the solemn final resting place of the USS Arizona – is free and comes with an informative movie recounting the history of that day of infamy and a short boat ride across the harbor. Jack was, as usual, a font of questions: Are the bad guys still alive? Why couldn't find they find the key to the door to get out of the ship? Kate and I were fascinated by the "black tears," traces of fuel and oil that leak to the surface, even after all these years. She found pretty little fish bobbing among the rusting hulk, a poignant reminder that life eventually returns to its own "normal," even in the face of something so horribly tragic and disruptive.
Next up was the Bishop Museum, a surprisingly dense pocket of Hawaiian history, natural history and culture
tucked away in a residential area of Honolulu. Visitors who venture away from the beaches and loud resorts of Waikiki will find a museum (with a collection of more than 1.2 million artifacts) that, in a very Hawaiian way, rivals pieces of our Getty, Natural History Museum and California Science Center, with a dash of the Griffith Observatory thrown in for good measure.Built in the late 1800s by Charles Bishop in honor of his late wife Bernice, the last descendant of the royal Kamehameha line, the museum is a fitting and spectacular tribute to the culture, beliefs, natural history and turbulent times of the native population. The iconic Hawaiian Hall recently reopened after a three-year closure and restoration project. The result is a stunning, interactive look at every aspect of Hawaiian life.
We paused amid the exhibits to enjoy the Ola Na Mo'Olelo, or Oral Traditions, a dramatic retelling of Hawai'i's controversial annexation by the United States that also brings some of the exhibits on display to life.
We ended the evening back at the hotel with a somewhat touristy but classic poolside showcase of hula dancers and music, the Rockin' Hawaiian Rainbow Revue, complete with a Don Ho-style crooner and spectacular fireworks show finale. By the end of the day we knew that this island is proud of all its icons and history – and we were more than happy to oblige as an engaged, and now educated, audience.