OT: Touring Pearl Harbor...

missouridawg

Junior
Oct 6, 2009
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Going to Hawaii this summer and have a question about Pearl Harbor.

What's the best way to tour the Harbor? I see lots of boat tours online... can you do it by foot as well? How much time should be allot for that part of our trip? A full day? Half a day?

Any help would be appreciated.
 

The Peeper

Heisman
Feb 26, 2008
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I went a few yrs back, this was the part of the trip I was most looking forward to but personally, it was not what I expected. I enjoyed the visitor center/museum part of it, pretty interesting. The boat trip out to the Arizona was the slow part. You get off @ the memorial and look down at the tops of the stacks. If the waters clear you can kind of see them if not there's not much to it. Occasionally you will see some oil slick colors floating on the surface, its oil still slowly leaking from the Arizona and other ships. Don't remember the exact number given but they said this will continue for years to come due to most of the wrecks having full loads of fuel oil when sunk. I wouldn't count on spending more than 3 hrs there.
 

msu4life07

Redshirt
Nov 28, 2008
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I went last December. You'll take a boat, and before the ride over you'll sit through a film about what happened - really makes you hate Japan all over again (also, the girl on the video is quite hot). Unlike the poster above, I thought it was very moving and something I'm glad I got to see. The peeper is correct in that oil is still leaking out of the ships, and that to me is astonishing.

The museums are neat, as well. I think we spent about 4 or 5 hours in all.
 
Nov 16, 2005
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Was there exactly a year ago today. You do it on foot. There are ferries that take you to the Arizona and you can also tour the Missouri. It's one of those things where you can spend a couple of hours or all day.
 

Sutterkane

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Jan 23, 2007
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Oahu sucks. Spend a day at Pearl Harbor (it really is moving and worth going to) but there's not a whole lot on Oahu other than Pearl Harbor, a lot of traffic, and Japanese people everywhere. I guess Diamond Head is alright.

If you go to the state of Hawai'i, go to Maui and Kaua'i for 90% of your time in the state. You'll thank me later. Have yet to go to the big island so I can't chime in on it.
 

missouridawg

Junior
Oct 6, 2009
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Oahu sucks. Spend a day at Pearl Harbor (it really is moving and worth going to) but there's not a whole lot on Oahu other than Pearl Harbor, a lot of traffic, and Japanese people everywhere. I guess Diamond Head is alright.

If you go to the state of Hawai'i, go to Maui and Kaua'i for 90% of your time in the state. You'll thank me later. Have yet to go to the big island so I can't chime in on it.

I'm spending 5 days at Maui (playing Kapalua and Ka'anapali). Spending about 28 hours in Honolulu. I'm essentially trying to figure out if I can do Pearl Harbor AND play Koolau or if I just have time for Pearl Harbor in that 28 hours. We land at 3 PM on a Saturday and leave at 7:45 PM Sunday night. I'm hoping we can do Pearl Harbor Saturday night and I can golf on Sunday morning. Thanks for the advice.
 
Nov 16, 2005
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Good deal. Maui is awesome and Oahu does suck. Traffic is awful. Try and eat at Momma's Fishhouse on Maui.
 

BhamBully

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Sep 10, 2012
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I'm spending 5 days at Maui (playing Kapalua and Ka'anapali). Spending about 28 hours in Honolulu. I'm essentially trying to figure out if I can do Pearl Harbor AND play Koolau or if I just have time for Pearl Harbor in that 28 hours. We land at 3 PM on a Saturday and leave at 7:45 PM Sunday night. I'm hoping we can do Pearl Harbor Saturday night and I can golf on Sunday morning. Thanks for the advice.

The 5 days in Maui will be 5 of the best days of your life. It takes a REAL early start, but you MUST see sunrise over Haleakala. Wife and I spent our 10th anniversary there a few years ago. 5 days in Maui, 3 days in Kauai and about 24 hours in Honolulu on the way home. Our schedule was similar to yours. Arrived in Honolulu 6 pm Sat, flew out 7pm Sun. That day was strictly for Pearl Harbor. Seems I remember we had to schedule our ferry trip over to the Arizona. We allotted all morning and all we did was visit the museum, walk the grounds around the museum and see the Arizona memorial. We didn't have time for anything else. Round trip it took about 4 hours, including shuttle time to/from hotel. As has been noted, traffic around Honolulu suuuuuucks. Don't know where history ranks against your desire to play golf, but Pearl Harbor is the most sobering visit to a historical site I've ever had. Bar none. No better time can be spent in Honolulu, IMO. Enjoy!
 
Nov 16, 2005
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The whales will be there while you are there. We went on a whale watching tour one morning. I thought it was going to be goofy but it got pretty awesome when one jumped completely out of the water right by the boat.
 

Sutterkane

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Jan 23, 2007
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On Maui, I recommend passing on the road to Hana; it's way overrated. If your companions insist on doing it, get a very early start and then insist on taking the unpaved road on the south part of the island back....it's one lane 2 way traffic with very bumpy parts and unpaved, but the views are spectacular and it will save you 2 hours back to the west side of the island. It will also save you from driving all the s-curves in the dark.
 

JimboJumboJambo

Redshirt
Aug 23, 2012
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Biggest advice that I don't already see here: go early in the day for the Arizona. If the winds get too high, they shut down the ferries out to the memorial. My parents went this December, and barely made it before they stopped.
 

missouridawg

Junior
Oct 6, 2009
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History is a big deal to me. I am, without a doubt, doing Pearl Harbor. It take precedence over anything I do in Honolulu. I'm just hoping I get Sunday morning to travel up to the rainforest area to play Koolau.

My late grandfather got shipped into action because of Pearl Harbor. Thank goodness he survived the war or you jerks wouldn't be putting up with me!
 

missouridawg

Junior
Oct 6, 2009
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Biggest advice that I don't already see here: go early in the day for the Arizona. If the winds get too high, they shut down the ferries out to the memorial. My parents went this December, and barely made it before they stopped.

Thanks for the advice. It sounds like I should probably do this Sunday morning and just give up the golf on Honolulu.
 

maroonmadman

Senior
Nov 7, 2010
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I've been to Pearl about a dozen or so times. Yes do the tour out to the Arizona memorial. It's really a very moving experience. Legend says that the oil leaking out of the sunken ships is the tears of the sailors entombed there. The USS Missouri is also uber cool. Nothing is as bad assed as a battleship. There is also a WWII era submarine you can tour but its' name escapes me. Don't miss out the chance to go onboard it. It took a serious pair of brass ones to serve on one of those.

Although Oahu is, generally speaking, one big tourist trap there are some pretty decent things to do there. On Sat. go to the flea market at Aloha Stadium parking lot. The last time I was there I saw The Rolling Stones in concert there. You'll be able to buy all of the touristy crap you'll ever want for prices much lower than the downtown shops. i.e. Hawai'ian shirts, coffee, semi-native crafts, etc. There is also a flea market during the week there but I can't remember what day. The Dole pineapple plantation is ok if you're into pineapples. Weiamei(sp) bay and the state park right next to it are neat places to go. Watch the surfers, learn a little about Hawai'i. The Ploynesian Culture and Historical center is also on the north shore and is worth a visit if you're into that kinda stuff. On Oahu the north shore is the best place to go to get away from most of the designed touristy crap.
 

bankerbullie

Redshirt
Mar 3, 2008
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don't miss Pearl Harbor

I'm spending 5 days at Maui (playing Kapalua and Ka'anapali). Spending about 28 hours in Honolulu. I'm essentially trying to figure out if I can do Pearl Harbor AND play Koolau or if I just have time for Pearl Harbor in that 28 hours. We land at 3 PM on a Saturday and leave at 7:45 PM Sunday night. I'm hoping we can do Pearl Harbor Saturday night and I can golf on Sunday morning. Thanks for the advice.

Whatever you do, if you are in Oahu, go to the Pearl Harbor tour that goes to the Arizona....any thoughts you might have as to what is there is not as important as just the reverence you feel while in the place so many American Heros fought and died...on the Memorial site, you will hear a hushed silence that is almost earry...it's somewhat like the Vietnam memorial in DC..some of the outlying areas of Oahu are pretty nice scenery, but agree Maui is the most beautiful island of the group....
 
Nov 16, 2005
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You should be ok this month as far as wind goes. Lots of times it's out of the north keeping Pearl Harbor fairly calm.
 

missouridawg

Junior
Oct 6, 2009
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I'll be there the first week of June, actually. Planning WAAYYY ahead. I'm actually taking the trip to celebrate my masters degree graduation.
 

Dawgsnsaints

Redshirt
Aug 30, 2012
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Please make time to go to Pearl Harbor...I am a grown *** man I was very moved by the experience ... sounds silly I know but I first got really mad then I had dust in my eye...very powerful memorial...Maui is fantastic and if you are a coffee lover pick up some Kona beans...
 

Dawgsnsaints

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Aug 30, 2012
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Road to Hanna.....I turned he rental car around around the halfway point..how my damn one lane bridges with a 90 degree turn can a man do sober