Day Two: Pearl Harbor

In the morning, take a half-day tour to Pearl Harbor. Visit the Pearl Harbor Museum and shops. Make sure you stop at the Arizona Memorial. The USS Arizona has been laid to rest at its watery grave in Pearl Harbor since December 7, 1941. There were 1,100 sailors caught by surprise by the Japanese bombs that attacked this ship and sunk it during World War II. Their bodies were entombed in the hull.   

The memorial was constructed in 1961 as a homage to all the men and women who lost their lives during that attack. It crosses over the original Arizona’s mid-section, and openings along both sides provide a dramatic view of the ship resting on the floor of the harbor. You can view all the names of the sailors entombed here on the marble wall of the chapel.

Spend the afternoon at the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center. With over 120 boutiques and craft stores, this is truly a shopper’s paradise. Here you can take a stab at hula, Hawaiian quilting, or just sit back and relax while you enjoy outdoor cultural performances by the Polynesian Cultural Center.

 

Spend the evening watching a Hawaiian Luau at the Royal Hawaiian Lu’au. As the only beachfront lu’au, the Royal Hawaiian will fill the night with dance and song, delicious food, and culminate in a breathtaking fire knife dance.