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Oahu is the most visited Hawaiian island, yet even here grandeur
reveals itself at every turn. The landscape is so rugged and mountainous
that many a developer has just shrugged his shoulders and walked away,
mumbling in frustration. The monster winter waves along Oahu's North Shore
are worth driving from Honolulu to see. Inside the "tube," time stands
still: master surfers experience a space like the inside of a glass
cathedral, a roar like a jet engine's, and unparalleled exhilaration.
Novice-friendly waves roll in at Honolulu's famous Waikiki Beach, where just
about anyone can hang ten on a rented surfboard under the supervision of an
experienced instructor. The neighborhood nearby, with its sprawling malls
and many diverse boutiques, is a reminder that this Hawaiian Eden has more
than one face. King Kamehameha I, who united the islands in the 1790s, could
never have anticipated the busy, modern neighborhood inland from his roost
in the capital's Iolani Palace. Hawaiian royalty called this Victorian
structure home between 1882 and 1893, when, on the heels of the uncongenial
arrival of 160 U.S. Marines, Queen Liliuokalani ended the monarchy once and
for all. The chill thrown over Hawaiian culture by this event lingered for
years.
Today a cultural renaissance is under way in Hawaii, and the lively
entertainment accompanying the revival of interest in ancient ways will
educate, sensitize, and broaden you particularly as it's on view in Laie at
the 40-acre Polynesian Cultural Center. Here, amid re-created villages from
Tahiti and Samoa, Fiji and the Marquesas, Tonga, and other countries all
over the Pacific, you can marvel at the hula and the Samoan Fireknife Dance,
both carefully explained. More Hawaiiana is on view at the fine Bishop
Museum. Or head for the Waimea Valley in search of the Hawaiian nene, the
state bird, and to watch an exhibition of cliff-diving. You can also explore
waterfalls or just sun yourself on any number of beaches. But it is Pearl
Harbor that is, without a doubt, Oahu's most moving sight. A surprise
Japanese air attack on December 7, 1941, crippled the U.S. Navy's Pacific
Fleet and prompted America's entry into World War II. Walk the paths lined
with memorial stones that front the U.S.S. Bowfin, namesake of a whole class
of submarines from that era; learn the names and read the stories of those
who died here on that hellish Sunday morning. Look at their photographs. Not
far from the Bowfin is a beautiful, massive, white memorial encasing the
sunken battleship U.S.S. Arizona, which went down with 1,102 crewmen aboard.
You will never forget what you see. To end the day, catch the sunset by the
pool at Honolulu's Halekulani hotel or dine elegantly at Orchids restaurant.
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