ANOTHER VIEW: Remembering a vacation to Hawaii years ago

Diamond Head in Hawaii; via Wikipedia.

(Editor’s note: Roving Photographer Frank Sharp has fresh in his mind a trip years ago to the 50th state of Hawaii. –eeb)

By Frank Sharp

LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga.  |  After eight hours and 40 minutes in the air, our nonstop flight from Atlanta to Hawaii finally landed at Honolulu International Airport!

Sharp

We retrieved our luggage, hailed a taxi and headed for the white sands on Waikiki Beach with its miles and miles of restaurants and stores.  We made our way to our apartment on the second floor, a walk-up – no elevator here!  After flying all night, I was tired; it was only about 8 a.m. there since we gained six hours of time flying westward.

We took a hotel van to Diamond Head, which overlooks the whole city.  I turned on my camcorder toward our driver, who was also an excellent tour guide, as he began his narration. After a short drive, we finally reached a tunnel leading inside the mountain.  You see, Diamond Head is an extinct volcano, 

There’s a state park and military installation inside.  The area is called Diamond Head since the Marines stationed there used to climb it for recreation and thought the glittering stones they saw on the mountainside were diamonds, but later found to be calcite deposits.

Polynesian dancing.

My late wife, Pearl, and her Mom waited patiently on me while I followed the zigzag trail along with all the other tourists; many people were climbing. I had forgotten that the guidebooks had said to bring water!  Getting thirsty and thirstier as I inched my way up the cliffs, I finally asked in jest, a tourist coming down how far was it to the concession stand. Surprisingly, nice-looking Japanese lady behind me overhead me and had opened a Thermos with cold water to pour into a cup for me! Those Japanese certainly come prepared !  After receiving this bit of fortitude, I made it to the lookout for a splendid panoramic view of the harbor.

Our guide brought up that there was one bird that wasn’t allowed on the island  by law — the hummingbird!  If the hummingbird was on Hawaii, it would cross-pollinate the pineapple, causing it to have seeds, which the producers don’t want. We never saw any hummingbirds on the islands.  All luggage arriving or leaving must pass an inspection by the U. S.  Department of Agriculture to keep out unwanted products…and hummingbirds!

We passed one stretch of highway where the movie Jurassic Park was made.  On another day, after a 30-minute flight, we landed on this golden island of Maui years before the horrible fires of recent days. We jumped into our rental car and headed up the twisting road by the coast. The views were spectacular and breathtaking, to say the least. We skipped all the shops on Maui and took in all the great views by the coast.

Among my best remembrances of the island are these: 

1. Polynesian village show;
2. View of Pacific and beach from Māui;
3. USS Arizona Memorial;
4. Polynesian Cultural Center; and
5. Dole Plantation.

All too soon we boarded the plane to return home. It was a great feeling to be back in the mainland!