January 14, 2007

Carmine and I had breakfast at the Oceanarium. The two stingrays seemed to fly in the water. Schools of smaller fish went from one side to the other. We rented the car and picked up Justin. Carmine waved us off as we headed to hike up the .8 mile trail of Diamond Head. Diamond Head is a world renowed icon, a welcoming symbol for the islands, and a profile from Waikiki. This is volcanic crator. We walked at a steady pace, Justin giving encouragement and praise as we made our way. The 200+ steps were a challenge! But it was worth it; the view from the top was very special. We could see out past The Shell, beyond our hotel, across Waikiki Beach and into the mix of the city of Honolulu. We could see down to the beaches, the coral,and the incoming waves. For our efforts we each bought a certificate of our accomplishment.

We stopped at our hotel and picked up Justin's new suits, a graduation gift from Will. Kathy had them cleaned and pressed so they were all fresh hanging in plastic bags. Then we drove across town to Pearl Harbor. Here we stopped at the USS Arizona Memorial. First we saw a movie about the Japanees invasion. Then we boarded a Navy boat that brought us to the memorial over the sunkon ship. It is a solume place.
Next stop was the Aloha Tower,once the highest structure in the Islands, today a clock tower at the pior where cruise ships bring in passengers. Seventy harborfront shops and restaurants are here. Justin suggested Gordan Biersch for lunch; they served the best garlic fries! The Aloha Tower Mall area has statues and Justin had us stop at each one! We went up the clock tower, which used to be the tallest building on the island, and looked around. Justin had some "life" things to do like laundry and checking email. We dropped Justin off at home and drove to the beach at Ala Mona. We didn't get lost today! We layed on the sand, walked along the shore, dipped our feet into the salty water, and took another ton of pictures as the views of Diamond Head to the Waianae Mountains were wonderful. We watched the sunset then jumped in the car. It started to sprinkle. We returned the car to Dollar, too the shuttle back to our hotel. It is hard to believe it is our last night. Maria went straight out to do last minuteshopping then climbed into bed. The rest of us packed our suitcases then walked the streets stopping in shops for final souvineers. Before heading inside we stopped for icecream at the corner shop.