Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
come over to check you out. Can't
swim? That's no excuse—take one
of the many submarine tours
offered by
Atlantis Submarines
(
&
800/548-6262;
www.go-
atlantis.com) on Oahu, the Big
Island, and Maui. See chapters 3,
4, and 5.
•
Meeting Local Folks:
If you go to
Hawaii and see only people like
the ones back home, you might as
well not have come. Extend your-
self—leave your hotel, go out and
meet the locals, and learn about
Hawaii and its people. Just smile
and say “How-zit?”—which means
“How is it?” (“It's good,” is the
usual response)—and you'll usually
make a new friend. Hawaii is
remarkably cosmopolitan; every
ethnic group in the world seems to
be represented here. There's a huge
diversity of food, culture, language,
and customs.
•
Feeling History Come Alive at
Pearl Harbor
(Oahu): The
United States could turn its back
on World War II no longer after
December 7, 1941, when Japan-
ese warplanes bombed Pearl Har-
bor. Standing on the deck of the
USS
Arizona
Memorial (
&
808/
422-0561;
www.nps.gov/usar)—
the eternal tomb of the 1,177
sailors and Marines trapped below
when the battleship sank in just 9
minutes—is a moving experience
you'll never forget. Also in Pearl
Harbor, you can visit the USS
Missouri
Memorial; World War II
came to an end on the deck of this
58,000-ton battleship with the
signing of the Japanese surrender
on September 2, 1945. See p. 115.
•
Watching for Whales:
If you
happen to be in Hawaii during
humpback-whale season (roughly
Dec-Apr), don't miss the oppor-
tunity to see these gentle giants.
A host of boats—from small
inflatables to high-tech, high-
speed sailing catamarans—offer a
range of whale-watching cruises
on every island. One of my
favorites is along the Big Island's
Kona coast, where
Captain Dan
McSweeney's Year-Round Whale-
Watching Adventures
(
&
888/
WHALE-6
or 808/322-0028;
www.ilovewhales.com) takes you
right to the whales year-round.
(Pilot, sperm, false killer, melon-
headed, pygmy killer, and beaked
whales call Hawaii home even
when humpbacks aren't in resi-
dence.) A whale researcher for
more than 25 years, Captain Dan
frequently drops an underwater
microphone or video camera into
the depths so you can listen to
whale songs and maybe actually
see what's going on. See p. 217.
•
Creeping Up to the Ooze
(Big
Island): Kilauea volcano has been
adding land to the Big Island con-
tinuously since 1983. If condi-
tions are right, you can walk up to
the red-hot lava and see it ooze
along, or you can stand at the
shoreline and watch with awe as
2,000°F (1092°C) molten fire
pours into the ocean. You can also
take to the air in a helicopter and
see the volcano goddess's work
from above. See “Hawaii Volca-
noes National Park” under
“Exploring the Big Island with
Your Kids,” in chapter 4.
•
Greeting the Rising Sun from
atop Haleakala
(Maui): Bundle
up in warm clothing, fill a ther-
mos full of hot java, and drive to
the summit to watch the sky turn
from inky black to muted charcoal
as a small sliver of orange light
forms on the horizon. There's
something about standing at
10,000 feet, breathing in the rar-
efied air, and watching the first
rays of sun streak across the sky.
This is a mystical experience of
the first magnitude. See “House of
