I’m a pretty big WWII history buff, so Hide and I definitely needed to stop by the USS Arizona Memorial and Pearl Harbor on our trip. Well, Hide had already been there, so I was the one that needed to go.

Hide felt a little uncomfortable there…under the ‘angry’ stares of American tourists. This is definitely one of the few places in Hawaii where there are more white Americans than Asians. The memorial itself was extremely crowded and we were shuttled around from a theater to a ferry and then to the memorial. Ultimately, the memorial was a little disappointing and boring. I find reading about Pearl Harbor and WWII more interesting than visiting the submerged remnants, but I also understand the need to commemorate the significance of the event. Interestingly enough, the USS Arizona still leaks about a quart (or was it 9 quarts…) or oil per day.

Another stop we made was to the Punchbowl Cemetery.

Tags: hawaii, oahu, pearl harbor, punchbowl, Travel

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