Day 2 - Pearl Harbor

Theresa's plan to get tickets worked well and with the help of a fun, energetic guide we had  a very full day at Pearl Harbor.  Between the two families and using all the digital cameras over 500 photos were taken.  So please bear with me as I hope to give some highlights of the day.

The ride out gave us a view of a few of the areas of the island.  Unfortunately since the bus windows were less than clean nothing came out worth showing.  We drove by a lot of sites: the capital, Punch Bowl, old churches, schools, and a lot more.

We got to the site with enough time to do a quick tour of the USS Blowfish.  A submarine that saw a lot of action in WWII.  It was a self guided tour and you just punched the numbers that you saw onto this little box and it told you what you were looking at as well as a bit of history.  The entire family went through this tour.

We then headed over to the theater to see a short film about Dec 7, 1941.  From it we hopped on a shuttle boat and went over to the memorial.  Now don't get me wrong but the memorial was good but it could have been better.  The guides the entire time said the memorial is a place to reflect and ponder.  Well, you didn't have too much time for reflection or thought for within 15 minutes they were getting you ready to board for the trip back.  It was humbling to see not only the list of names of the people that perished but to see the ship still sticking up out of the water.

The afternoon split us in to 2 groups.  Terry and Vince took the shuttle to Ford Island to go see the USS Missouri and the Pacific Aviation Museum. We headed over after checking out some of the static displays

The MO is HUGE and impressive and in great shape.  We took self guided tours again using an iPod app which not only told you about what you were looking at but gave a bit of history and interviews via video clips.  I would highly recommend doing either a small group OR iPod tour.

From there we took a shuttle over to the PAM.  It is a working museum where they get donated aircraft and attempt to restore it.  There were aircraft in all different stages of repair.  Each craft also had a plaque talking about the specific craft you were viewing.  It was a good experience if you like planes and/or history.

We ended the day with dinner at the condo and unloading all the photos of the day. Though it ws a longish day AND a lot of history and reading and learning, a good time was had by all. In the photo with Mary the lady behind her in the blue top and the gentleman she is talking to were from St Charles. Small world!