Honolulu

Approximately ten hours after leaving Singapore ( including a brief stop in Shanghi), we arrived in Honolulu (meaning "Sheltered Harbor"). Located on the island of Oahu, it is the Capitol of Hawaii and its largest city. Considered to be the most remote city of its size in the world, it also is said to be both the westernmost and southernmost major U.S. city. According to oral history, there is evidence that the original Polynesian migrants settled here as far back as the eleventh century. By 1794, the first "foreigner" to sail into Honolulu harbor was the British captain William Brown. At the time, several indigenous groups laid claim to ruling the various islands. King Kamehameha I, ruler of the island of Hawaii, finally united Hawaii following his conquest of Oahu in 1804, and moved his royal court to Waikiki. In 1809, it was moved again to what is now downtown Honolulu. Thirty six years later, Kamehameha III made Honolulu the permanent Capitol of his Hawaiian Kingdom. However, in 1893, the monarchy was abolished by a provisional government. Six year later, the territory was annexed to the United States. Our preconceived idea of Honolulu was there would not be much for us to explore here, other than beaches. We're we ever wrong! We discovered there is so much here that two weeks may not be enough time to see everything..

Diamondhead (from across Waikiki beach) is one of the most recognizable symbols of Hawaii.

Hawaii's state flower is the yellow Hibiscus..

While not originally native to Hawaii, the pineapple is considered to be the unofficial state fruit.

Since 1845, the Iolani palace was the residence of the rulers of the Kingdom of Hawaii.

King Kamehameha I unified the islands of Hawaii in 1804.

Kawaiaha'o Church, built between 1836 and 1842, is considered to be the Mother Church (and Westminster Abbey) of Hawaii

The one attraction in Honolulu that has the most impact of folks is the Arizona Memorial.

Seen in the movies "Tora, Tora, Tora" and "Pearl Harbor", this observation control tower is part of the Pacific Aviation Museum.

The USS Missouri received the surrender of Japanese forces on September 2, 1945 and now serves as a museum ship.

Honolulu as viewed from the summit of Diamondhead...

...and on the other side, across the crater of the volcano that last erupted 300,000 years ago.