Hanging Loose

Denise’s brother Mark and wife Wendy invited us to be part of their 25th wedding anniversary celebration in Hawaii. We booked all our reservations with the plan of doing it during Thanksgiving week. That was two years ago. Hawaii had stopped travel to the state due to the covid pandemic and finally this year they have opened it up to fully vaccinated visitors. The timing couldn’t be better, it was getting cold in the mountains of North Carolina and we were ready for some tropical island weather.

We flew from Charlotte to LA, spent the night, then flew to Honolulu. In total, it took 11 hours in the air and 5 time zones. When we landed, we were surprised to find out that we needed to be screened for covid before we could get our luggage. That process took over an hour. Once you have proven vaccination, you are given a certificate that is needed at every business before you can enter. It’s almost like showing a passport to enter a country. Everyone carried this certificate. If you could not prove you are vaccinated, you were place in quarantine and not allowed in any businesses.

Pearl Harbor National Memorial was one of the stops we looked forward to most on our trip. We spent most of the day there visiting the museums, the USS Arizona Memorial and the USS Missouri. The sites are a memorial and are treated with regard and respect. Cell phones turned off and no loud noise. It’s been 80 years since ‘The Happening’ on December 7, 1941.

I been to Pearl Harbor Naval Station a few times on the destroyer USS Henry B. Wilson (DDG-7) during 9 month WesPac (West Pacific) cruises in the mid ’70’s. Our stop-overs would last a couple of days giving us some liberty time to explore Hawaii. Much has changed, Honolulu is now a big city. It has age wrinkles and it just looked old.

From Pearl Harbor National Memorial, we took a shuttle bus to the USS Missouri moored at Ford Island Joint Base Pearl Harbor. Being on a Navy base surround by sailors, a natural impulse came about me as I walked up the gang way, I saluted the flag on the fantail. Then it occurred to me what I had just done. It brought me a comfort smile. That was something you did every time you boarded and exit a Navy ship for the 4 years while I was in the Navy.

I spent the next couple of hours talking Denise and Mark’s ears off explaining and reminiscing. They took it in stride. Of course, I enjoyed every minute of it and just kept talking.

After two days in Honolulu, we island hopped to the Big Island, Kona for the rest of our stay in Hawaii. This is an active volcano island with 90% covered in lava rock. It’s less populated and has more of the old Hawaii tradition and culture. Many of the residence are very friendly native Hawaiians.

Camera in Tow Photo

Visiting Hawaii provided us with another check-mark of states that Denise and I have visited. We still enjoy the adventure of traveling and discovering new places. On our return back to the mountains of North Carolina, we will be starting up our diesel engine, lifting our jacks and pointing our motorhome to somewhere else. Stay tuned!