Mahalo! Aloha! We Are Back In Texas

We were so blessed yesterday morning! The flight that had been promised for several days by the Marines at Kanahoe Bay became a reality. We boarded a Navy C-40 with around 30 others (troops, crew, and Space-A travelers) and departed 30 minutes ahead of schedule. The flight time was a little over seven hours non-stop. One never knows about Space-A travel. It really is an exercise in faith, as flights get changed or cancelled frequently. When they go as scheduled, you never know for sure that you will be on the passenger list. Retirees are Category 6, short for "last to be accepted." Rank means nothing; but the price is right! While one can buy snacks, everyone brings his/her own grub to include water.

We stayed at the Naval Air Station in Fort Worth last night and will do some commissary shopping this morning along with stops at Cabela's, Costco, and Camping World. Gloria is doing well with her soft splint but finds keyboarding a challenge. Tuesday she will see an orthopedist in Waco.

Thanks for your prayers while we were in Hawaii. We had a fabulous time and hope to return one day. The Island of Kauai eluded us, so that will be on our itinerary next time.

50th Wedding Anniversary Remembrances of Hawaii, America's 50th State

1. Steep, rugged, green mountains

2. Beautiful cattle and horses grazing on lush, green hillsides

3. Gentle, cool breezes 24/7 with smog-free air
4. Temps rarely lower than 60 or higher than 80
5. Kind, friendly, helpful people
6. Shave ice with ice cream cores and real fruit
7. Delectable seafood dinners
8. Clear, blue water with gigantic, breaking waves
9. Beautiful flowers and blooming trees

10. A unique rain forest with many water falls
11. Gigantic Honolulu towers, where suites sell for a million dollars
12. Best tasting water in the world with no fluoride
13. The hula, its history, and its purpose
14. Rich Polynesian culture and history
15. Stories and accomplishments of the monarchy
16. The unique, open-style capitol building
17. Myths, legends, and superstitions
18. Snorkeling, whale watching and seeing huge green sea turtles
19. Lava fields and volcano craters
20. Amazing athletic surfers
21. Oahu’s modern, efficient bus system
22. Pearl Harbor and the USS Arizona “tomb”
23. Skimpy bikinis on beautiful bodies
24. Black sand and fabulous, open, free beaches
25. Cascading evening lights on the hills of Honolulu
26. Terrific, upscale military hotels—especially the Hale Koa on Waikiki
27. Our harbor view room in the historic Pioneer Inn on Maui
28. Rainbows but no thunder or lightning
29. Hilo Farmers Market and abundant fresh fruit
30. The Macadamia Nut Farm, Kona Coffee, and Dole Plantation
31. Scenic inter-island flights
32. Homeless people tent camping on beaches
33. One lone Airstream travel trailer on an Oahu hillside
34. Few 18-wheelers and practically no RVs
35. Many convertibles
36. Hawaiian alphabet with only 12 letters (7 consanents-5 vowels)
37. Towering palm trees bending in the wind
38. An evangelical church service on Waikiki Beach
39. Scores fabulous golf courses
40. Amazing crafts, especially those made of wood
41. Stylish, colorful, flowered shirts and muumuus
42. Open restaurants with few flies or other insects
43. Amazing National Parks unlike those on the Mainland
44. Narrow mountain roads, hairpin turns, and one-lane bridges
45. Exotic birds, including the Nene state bird
46. Transporting the family flats (cutouts of our children and grandchildren) to four different islands
47. Experiencing the strategic importance of the world's most isolated island chain
48. Seizing the opportunity to take hundreds of unique digital photos
49. The intense feeling of gratitude we felt for our WW II military troops and “the greatest generation” after visiting Pearl Harbor
50. Thanking the good Lord for the majesty of His Creation and for our five wonderful children/spouses who bankrolled much of this trip

Pacific Aviation Museum, Pearl Harbor

After 31 days in Hawaii, we are back to where our touring began on the first day--Pearl Harbor. Near our Navy Lodge on Ford Island is the Pacific Aviation Museum. It is housed in an old hanger that escaped the destruction of Dec. 7, 1941.

Gloria was feeling much better yesterday, so we did a short tour of the island and had lunch at the museum. Near this island is where the Arizona, Utah, California and other ships were sunk by 300 Japanese planes. A photo shows the bombs and torpedos they used. Several seaman tried to escape their exploding, sinking ships by swimming to shore here. They were mercilessly machine gunned by Japanese pilots.

Billy Mitchell, Father of the Air Force, had predicted back in 1926 that such an attack would eventually occur on Pearl Harbor. His profound thesis was unacceptable to the higher command. Hence, we were amazingly unprepared when his prediction came true 15 years later. In addition to the loss of our ships, most of our planes on Pearl Harbor were destroyed while on the runways or in hangers.

The Japanese had surprised us by launching the world's first aircraft carrier strike. On that Sunday morning, they came from about 200 miles away. Six months later, the four carriers from which their planes were launched were sunk by our forces at Midway Island. During the war, we all chanted and sang, "Remember Pearl Harbor." The war greatly affected those who remember it and the young men who died to protect our nation.

The Aviation Museum contains many wonderful exhibits. One is a red light aircraft that was piloted by a Honolulu attorney on the morning of Dec. 7. He and his 17 year old son were simply out for a leisurely morning flight. Suddenly, they were surrounded by Japanese Zeros on their way to Pearl Harbor, Bellows Air Base, Koneohe, and Hickam Airfield. A couple pilots left their formation and fired on the helpless little plane. This would be the first air to air encounter in WW II. The fortunate attorney landed his aircraft safely after taking a couple of hits in the rear of his fuselage.

The yellow bi-wing Stearman was the very plane that a future famous cadet would use for his first solo flight in 1942. His name was George Herbert Walker Bush. The Wildcat fighter plane was like the one piloted by Joe Fose, a Marine Corps ace pilot. He shot down 26 Japanese plans during only a 42-day period in the Battle of Guadacanal. Fose would later become Governor of South Dakota.

Before concluding our island tour, we stopped to see the USS Missouri. That mighty battleship saw action in WW II and Vietnam. During the latter confllict, it was commanded by one of our Virginia neighbors, who eventually became an admiral.

A 911 Call for Gloria

Yesterday was a bit of a downer. We were at the passenger terminal at the Kanaohe Bay Marine Corp (KBMC) Base checking on a Space-A flight home to TX. Gloria tripped and fell on the asphalt outside the terminal and dislocated her right shoulder. She was in intense pain...much worse than childbirth, said she. The shoulder was bulging in all the wrong places. The terminal staff called an ambulance, and they took her to Castle Medical Center in the City of Kaneohe. The orthopedist, after checking the x-rays, put the shoulder back in the socket and applied a sling-like splint, which will need to be worn for a few weeks. It can be removed for bathing but must be worn at night so that Gloria cannot dislocate the shoulder again, as the ligaments are stretched. There is some good news: There was no fracture, as we had feared. Also, Gloria is left handed.

After a couple of hours, she was released. We then had to drive to Tripler Army Medical Center, the huge pink edifice that sits high on a hill overlooking Honolulu, to fill a perscription. We were familiar with Tripler, as Gloria had been there with a severe case of hives after we had visited the Big Island a couple of weeks ago.

We then checked into our lovely new quarters at the Navy Lodge on Ford Island at Pearl Harbor. We have a picturesque view of the city of Honolulu. Goria spent the afternoon dozing off and on but experienced little pain except when she made sudden moves. She had an upset stomach and could not keep any food down. It was a Gatoraid night.

Hawaii's Unique Capitol

We learned more about early Hawaiian history by touring the wonderful Bishop Museum and the State Capitol. The latter was built in 1969, 10 years after Hawaii was admitted as our 5oth state. The Capitol’s unusual architectural style contains a great deal of symbolism reflecting the uniqueness of the Island State. It was designed with extensive amounts of open space, both inside and out, to convey a sense of open government. There are eight columns in front and back to signify the eight major islands that make up the island chain. Like the Hawaiian Islands, the Capitol is surrounded by water; instead of a traditional dome, there are open skies. The entire building is open to nature, but huge doors lock the offices and chambers from intruders. We had to peer through windows, as the day was late, to see the House and Senate chambers with their curved, sloping walls, a shape inspired by the volcanoes that gave birth to the islands.

We also went to the top of the Aloha Tower, which provides a great view of Honolulu. It is actually a high-end shopping center, where we enjoyed a wonderful lunch.

Hawaii's Monarchy

Yesterday, we toured historical and governmental buildings to learn more about Hawaii's unique history. It is the only U.S. state that was once a monarchy. The Iolani Palace is a beautiful structure completed in 1882, during the reign of David Kalakaua, the last king of Hawaii. It had electricity years before the White House did. The palace also had a telephone, which could reach the King down on his beloved boat dock. Our palace tour was fantastic, but regrettably, photos were not permitted inside. We wish we could have photographed the great throne room.

King Kalakaua and his wife were patrons of the arts, especially music and dance. The King, who was a great dancer, was called the Merrie Monarch and reigned over the Hawaiian Kingdom from 1874 until his death in 1891. He had no children, so he deemed that his sister, Queen Liliuokalani, should succeed him. She was forced to abdicate in 1893 after the overthrow of the monarchy. We saw the room where she was imprisoned (house arrest) from 1894 to 1895 in the palace. In 1898 Hawaii was annexed by the United States, and in 1900 it became a U.S. territory. The U.S. has apologized for its participation in the overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii.

King Kalakaua, an avid reader, had restored many of the nearly extinct cultural traditions of the Hawaiian people. These included myths, legends, and the hula, which had been forbidden by the missionaries for over 70 years. Ancient Hawaiians had no written language. Instead, all communication beyond the spoken word took place in the form of chants and the dance. The hula was the means by which the culture, history, stories, prayers and almost every aspect of Hawaiian life was expressed and passed down through generations.

Back on Oaho's North Shore

We returned from Maui at noon on Sunday on Go! Airlines. That's the same airline that had the recent honor of having both pilots go to sleep on a flight destined for Hilo Airport on the Big Island; they flew 15 miles beyond the city before they awakened. After a restful Lord's Day afternoon in our posh suite at Hickam Air Force Base, Gloria fixed a tasty Hawaiian dinner. The next day we took one of the most scenic drives in Hawaii to the North Shore of Oahu. It was Presidents Day, and the traffic was heavy. We did a lot of looking, photo shooting, eating shrimp, and shopping at a macadamia nut farm. A mini pleasure was stopping at the M. Matsumoto Grocery for one of their famous shave ice cones. They are actually big snow cones with an ice cream core stashed in a drip-free container. There are usually long lines of people waiting to be served their favorite real fruit flavors. Five young ladies scoop and dip without breaking stride; the lines continue.

Jerry, with feelings of nostalgia, is shown standing in front of the ruins of a huge building that was once an institution for delinqent boys. Had he known such a place existed for kids back in the the 1960s, he never would have taken a superintendent's job in Kentucky. Ah yes, another opportunity lost! The other ruins shown, with a beautiful mountain in the background, are what remains of a large building on a big cattle ranch.

The famous Turtle Bay Golf Resort is also depicted. The rich and famous play here on the beach and the tournament course with all their toys. Believe it or not, the facility is losing money and is up for sale. The State of Hawaii may purchase it. We hope that happens in order to prevent condos from taking over this magnificent section of the Island.

Haleakala Volcano and Rain Forest

Our tour of Haleakala National Park was accomplished on two different days. Sharp, switchback turns took us up a steep, 37-mile drive to the 10,023-foot summit. The view of the crater was surprisingly different from what we had seen on the Big Island. Haleakala has not erupted for 800,000 years; erosion has caused a unique, breathtaking, panorama of myriad colors caused by the layering of many kinds of minerals. One can hike down to the bottom or take a mule/horse ride. From the crater rim, we could see snow-capped Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa Volcanoes a few hundred miles away on the Big Island.

The next day we took the Hana Road to the Park entrance from Kipahulu on the east side. The cane fields lined the road as we drove away from the water and wound into the rain forest, complete with many different types of trees, vines, lovely flowers, and waterfalls. We met some barebacked, tattooed, young men who, with the help of their five dogs, had stabbed a feral hog, which they will eat. This is a popular sport in Hawaii, as the hogs are unfriendly to the environment. The seven rock pools in the Park were filled with bathers who had waded through the sharp rocky pass to get in them. We visited the Village of Hana, stopping at a charming resort on the water. The old Congregational church is still in use and is well maintained. Colorful flowers and foliage are abundant everywhere. There are many nurseries that advertise shipping to the mainland. On our return home, we drove into the historic Village of Paia. We enjoyed a huge dinner of fish and chips in the local pub with two other couples, who invited us to join them, as seating was scarce.

Maui Adventures on the Sea

We booked tours with Maui Adventures for whale watching and for snorkeling. Both tours delivered what they promised, including insightful lessons on maintaining our environment and on snorkeling. We saw many whales--mamas, babies, and males; the three swim together so that Big Daddy can offer protection against predators. The whales come from Alaska in the winter to Hawaii, where the females have their babies and/or mate. They do not eat while here, as food is scarce. Hawaii is the bedroom and Alaska is the kitchen. When they leave for the north in the spring, they will have lost as much as 30,000 pounds. The female is larger than the male; it can be as much as 45 feet long, weighing one ton per foot. We saw several whales come straight out of the water and look around. Others dove and displayed their huge, strong tails (flukes). What a sight! Another day we snorkeled off our boat before reaching Lanai, where the rich and famous play along with the locals. No beach in Hawaii can be closed to the public. That's Gloria snorkeling and Jerry on the surf board (in his dreams). The water was clear and the coral and fish plentiful. The green sea turtles swim up to the humans. We were admonished to not touch the marine life. We enjoyed the day at the most beautiful beach in all of Hawaii as many dolphins played in front of us.

The Mountains of Northwest Maui

The natural beauty of Northwest Maui is breathtaking. The cliffs and sharp, rising, tree-covered cones are all results of ancient volcanic eruptions. Maui originally rose as two separate islands that were joined when the enormous lava flow from the West Maui Mountains filled the gap between the two volcanoes. The road dwindles the farther north one drives. The drops are treacherous, especially when a car approaches, and one is negotiating a sharp turn. The people are gentle and friendly, and the little villages and roadside stands are quaint. Rest areas are nonexistent in the mountains. However at the peak of our harrowing drive we found a wonderful artist’s studio. One couple said they made that drive each year just to buy gifts at that particular shop. We did enjoy looking, but we were most thankful for the clean restrooms. When we reached Wailuku, we began looking for a “quaint restaurant by the sea” but eventually had to settle for a lunch salad at Wendy’s. The ideal place would come later in Paia for a delectable seafood dinner. Two friendly couples offered to seat us with them, as the popular restaurant was packed with tourists and locals. This proved to be the capstone of a wonderful drive.