Today marked our first full day of sight-seeing and our last full day on Oahu.  An early start saw us boarding a tour bus at 6:20 AM headed for a trip and tour of the USS Arizona Memorial.  Designed for less than a million visitors a year, the memorial is visited by some 3.5 million people each year.  Work is underway to accommodate the visitors, but waiting is definitely the name of the game.  Our tickets for catching the launch to the USS Arizona was for 9 AM and the time passed quickly as we saw a great film introducing the memorial, and very up front regarding Japanese aggression at the time.  It was interesting to note the high number of Japanese visitors, and wonder what they were thinking.  We took lots of photos, and saw and smelled the oil still leaking from the USS Arizona.

I shed a few tears of thanks for what the sailors, marines, and soldiers did to protect our freedom, and couldn’t help but think of my dad who was seriously wounded, both physically and emotionally, at Okinawa after being hit by friendly fire—and left for dead for two days before someone found him.
 
After our tour of Pearl Harbor, we visited Punch Bowl Crater, home of a large military cemetery.  It was quite impressive.  For those of you old enough to remember Ernie Pyle, he is buried there.

We were driven through Honolulu’s version of Chinatown on our way to the only royal palace in the US.  Many of Honolulu’s buildings and churches date to the early 1800s, and have been well preserved.  After lunch, we caught a taxi to Diamond Head, and climbed to the top of the now inactive crater.  The climb consisted of a paved trail, a gravel trail with many switchbacks, 200+ steps at a very steep angle, tunnels, and a very long spiral staircase, all rising some 700+ feet in elevation.

The views from the top were breathtaking.

After a brief rest, we hiked back down, caught a city bus to within a few blocks of the hotel, and rushed to the hot tub and pool for muscle relaxation.  It was a glorious day.

Kay’s Take:  I was somewhat disturbed that people didn’t behave in an appropriate manner at the Arizona Monument in Pearl Harbor.  The guide explained that it isn’t a tourist attraction; it is a cemetery – burial spot – a final resting place for over 1000 servicemen.  Some tourists (foreigners, to be exact) were climbing on torpedoes, etc. for picture making even tho signs all around warned not to get on or close to displays.  Of course, this was ignored.  Mostly by Oriental tourists.  Our bus guide said “Excuse me” to one of them; they didn’t move out of the middle of the walkway and he just said “Move” and they did.  Rudeness is very irritating.  I’m a softie and cried several tears at the displays about the lives lost at Pearl Harbor and WWII.   Plaques were displayed with the names of crew members lost on all military ships during WWII as well.  The large wall on the Arizona memorial was totally awe inspiring  – over 1000 names of those lost.  An additional 43 names have been added to the deceased since Pearl Harbor.  These are ‘survivors’ of the Arizona, who elected to have their ashes buried with the crew when they died.
I have a blister on my right foot – my little toe is rubbing against the next toe in my tennis shoes.  We took a taxi out to Diamond Head Park and hiked to the top for some magnificent views.  The hike was 1.6 miles round trip, climbing in elevation over 700 ft with at least 240 stairs to traverse.  We stopped and rested several times!  We made it and took some fabulous pictures.  Looking down below we could see the old volcano ‘bowl’ and the rim all around it.  When we got back to our hotel, Outrigger Reef Waikiki, we went to the hot tubs & spas to relax and soothe our weary legs.  On Friday nights, there is a fireworks display in Waikiki off the beach.  There was a much larger amount of people out tonight in Waikiki – of course, it’s the beginning of the weekend, and Friday night – it’s the place to go and be. re
We’re looking forward to getting on the cruise ship tomorrow.  We need some rest!! hehehe!

After awaking at 2 AM, suffering from jet lag, Kay read and we both worked on the journal until daylight, then enjoyed the sand and surf of Waikiki Beach.

After breakfast, we did a walking tour of Waikiki and part of Honolulu, logging about 5 miles.Beautiful flowers were everywhere.

We were ready for the hot tub when we returned to the hotel.  The pool and spa area was really packed, including lots of young couples; where do they get the money?  We tried to nap mid-day but the maid was cleaning next door and was almost as noisy as Kay.

Afternoon and early evening were spent walking through Waikiki’s notable shopping areas, all replete with T-shirts, Hawaiian shirts, dresses, jewelry, and other touristy junk.

We had dinner at one of the hotel’s restaurants, watched the sun set from Waikiki Beach, and listened to some music near the pool.  

Kay’s take:  I’m not always noisy!  hehehehe!  This afternoon we walked around Waikiki business district.  We visited stores in Waikiki Beach Promenade; Royal Hawaiian Center (which was 3 floors over 2 blocks long) and then the International Trade Market.

Everyone wears the same thing down here – guys:  Hawaiian shirts; girls: sleeveless short shifts or strapless long dresses, all Island wear, etc.  It all begins to look the same.  We ate at the Ocean View restaurant in the hotel – it was very good.  We both had salads and shared an entree.  It was plenty.  We then went to another restaurant near the pools and I had a pina colada as we listened to two male entertainers.  I better get to bed!  We’ve got an early (6:20 a.m.) pickup for a tour of the city and Pearl Harbor tomorrow morning; then we’re going to Diamond Head and hike up it.  Aloha!!

How do I love flying, let me count the ways.  First, seven hours of flying directly behind a screaming and coughing toddler; next, flying in the seat behind the toddler’s mother who kept the seat leaned back to the maximum the entire time (nothing like a seatback tray in my gut for 6+ hours); then the young, large mother constantly getting up and down from the seat incessantly, dragging suitcase after suitcase from the TWO overhead bins her stuff occupied over our heads; and lastly, both the mother coughing almost the whole trip.  Hawaii never looked so good!

We left Little Rock about 8 AM, flew to Denver where there was snow on the ground, left Denver about 12 noon, and arrived in Hawaii about 3:30 PM.

 Our transfer to the hotel went smoothly, as did check-in.  We dropped off the luggage, changed into swim suits and headed for Waikiki Beach, directly behind the hotel; Kay’s swimsuit is under her other clothes!

After a short stroll, the time differences became relevant as it was near midnight Central Daylight Savings Time.  After sharing a light meal, we returned to the hotel to briefly catch up on email, and get some sleep.


Kay’s View:  Waikiki is very congested with hotels and shopping.  The Outrigger Reef Hotel is lovely.  There are at least two outside spas, one hot tub, and a large pool here besides walkout directly on the beach. Our room has a balcony overlooking the pools and spas.  Our room is very nice! We can see Diamondhead from the hotel beach, and the tropical plants here are incredible.  Hibiscus grow and are used as shrubs.

Thursday, very early.  We’re experiencing ‘jet lag’ – we managed to stay awake until 1:30 AM our time, 8:30 PM Hawaii time, and after sleeping almost 6 hours we woke up – it’s 2:00 AM Hawaii time/7:00 AM CDST.  We may have to have a nap today!!  Another plus is that almost everything in Waikiki is within walking distance and the weather is beautiful.  Trolleys are available to ride to get around Waikiki and also Honolulu.  We’ll probably go out exploring today.
Stay tuned for the further adventures of Kay and Donald. 

ARKANSAS TRAVELERS RALLY, VIDALIA, LA – Day 3  We toured Frogmore Plantation and Gins today, a surprisingly good tour.  Frogmore Plantation and Gins are located just a few miles west of Ferriday, LA.

The tour was given by the wife of the plantation owner, and she did an excellent job of providing historical facts and figures, and cited her sources.  She has a degree in English, and has apparently studied the history of the Natchez region extensively.  We believed she presented both sides of the slavery issue fairly and objectively.

Original Cotton Gin, Frogmore Plantation

While not all of the buildings of the early to mid-1800s plantation remain, many do, and have been restored.  We toured the original cotton gin, and most of the outbuildings including share-cropper’s cabins which were much better furnished than slave quarters from an earlier period.

Interior of a share-cropper’s cabin, Frogmore Plantation

Slave quarters, Frogmore Plantation

AR TRAVELERS RV RALLY, VIDALIA, LA – Day 2   After a near sleepless night, a strong cup of stove-brewed coffee was an eye opener.  The RV resort at which we’re parked is on the river side of the Mississippi River Levee, across the river from Natchez, MS.  The pre-sunrise morning sky overlooking Natchez was spectacular, as was the sunrise.  The river is about quite a bit above normal since the Mississippi drains about 41 percent of the US and it’s the season for all the melting snow to be making its way to the Gulf of Mexico.

Kay and I enjoyed a great walk along the river on Vidalia’s riverfront walkway, about a mile and a half long, working our way upstream to the Visitor’s Center where we picked up information on the area.  We spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon touring Natchez.  It was/is much grander than I had imagined, and must have really been an exquisite city in its heyday in the early and mid-1800s. 

We took a horse-drawn carriage ride and saw many of the old houses, hotels, and churches.  We’ll catalog our photos and add them to a web album for viewing.

After the buggy ride, we drove through their cemetery, one of the most spectacular we’ve seen; Natchez is certainly proud of their Southern and Confederate heritage as was evidenced by the number of Confederate flags.  As a side note, my great, great grandfather, John Smith, fought at the battle of Port Hudson, just about an hour south of here.

ARKANSAS TRAVELERS RALLY, VIDALIA, LA – Day 1  We awoke to beautiful skies, then a beautiful sunrise over the Arkansas River.

Kay remarked that we had the same view as the really expensive houses along the river, and we were only paying $12 a night (thanks to her  Golden Access pass).  Maumelle Park, operated by the US Army Corps of Engineers, rates as one of our very favorites.

After several cups of coffee, we began the tasks of readying for the day’s trip to Vidalia, LA.  We took US Highway 65 south all the way to Ferriday, LA, and except for the stretch from Little Rock to near Dumas, it was terrible, and was worse than all the paved roads on our trip to Alaska in 2009.  We finally bounced in to River View RV Park in Vidalia at 3:00 PM.  It is a really nice RV park, but once again, because we have a Class C, we were put in the only back-in space among the rally attendees.  Class C motorhomes are definitely discriminated against.  It’s not that we mind, but having a pull-thru when towing a vehicle is sure handy, and allows room to park the toad—oh well, something we have to live with.

We met other members of the Arkansas Travelers RV Club one by one as we parked and completed the set-up process.  We attended the social hour with heavy appetizers (hors d’oeuvers?) and bring your own drink, and met the rest of the folks.  Kay and I managed not to eat anything, and drank iced tea, maintaining our low calorie diet.  Interestingly, 5 people at the rally are from my hometown of Bradford, AR, several couples were from Kay’s old haunt of Jacksonville, AR, and several couples were from near the Twin Lakes Area.  After the food and chit chat, most resorted to playing cards or dominoes while we went back to “Mellie” for our dinner of baked fish, broccoli, and salad.  Tomorrow, Natchez, MS.

After two church services on Easter Sunday, the pleasant weather induced us to wash and wax the motorhome, preparing for this year’s travels.  Kay is so much smaller than me, and volunteered to wash the roof.  She is so thorough, scrubbing all the tiny crevices, moulding, and seams; it didn’t look this good when we bought it.  As she was washing the roof, I washed the rest of the motorhome, and we finished about the same time, and both of us were soaking wet.
Monday found the weather again quite pleasant, and after the dew dried, we embarked on the annual waxing of the motorhome.  Once again, Kay climbed on the roof to wax the top of the cowling over the cab and made short work of it.  This area gets the most sun and the finish fades very easily.  We completed the waxing job about mid-afternoon, and I washed and waxed our toad (aka towed), the Saturn, while Kay did some gardening.  We finished abut the same time, barely dragging our tired bodies into the house.  Recovery was much slower than a few years ago!
Now, all we have left is packing, and hooking up the Saturn.  It’s going to be a great year.

With another beautiful day in paradise, we continued our quest to dewinterize the motorhome.  After reinstalling the drain plug on the hot water heater and filling the freshwater tank with chlorinated water, the lines and tank were evacuated to remove antifreeze—the pump worked and no leaks!  Since it had been a couple of months since the motorhome had been exercised, we opted to to kill two birds at once by exercising the motorhome and in doing so, allowing the chlorinated water to slosh around in the tank killing any bacteria and mold that might have developed over the winter.  Regrettably, the chassis battery was dead, forcing us to use the coach batteries for backup starting.  Driving did recharge the chassis battery, but some sulfate probably collected on the plates, so to maintain its longevity, it’s being desulfated.  While driving, we noted the driver’s side brake light and turn signal was not working, so we made that repair as well.  We also exercised the on-board generator.  After about 4 hours, the water tank was drained, fresh water was added, and faucets opened to evacuate the heavily chlorinated water.  (The latest issue of the Family Motor Coach Association magazine has a really good article on the whole process of dewinterization.)  Now, it time to pack for the RVing season.