Oahu – 2 Chicks, 50 States

Aloha from the Rainbow State! We arrived in Oahu to be greeted by golden beaches, coconut trees, smiling people and the scent of Mai Tais in the air. In other words, exactly like you see in the movies. So many people have told us that there is something special about Hawaii but it was not until we got here that we really understood what they meant. With only a few days here we decided to just stay on Oahu and see what the island has to offer. From the cocktails to the birds to the blue skies above, Hawaii bursts with colour everywhere you look.

Waikiki Beach with Diamond Head in the background

Pearl Harbor was our first agenda item. It was as moving, somber and emotional as we were warned by many that it would be. We spent 6½ hours reading every word, watching every video and paying our respects at the USS Arizona and Oklahoma memorials as we travelled back to a moment in history that changed the world.

The flag was flying at half mast in honour of Donald Stratton, one of the three remaining Arizona survivors, who passed away on February 15th at age 97

Oil continues to leak from the USS Arizona 78 years after it sunk

The USS *Bowfin* (SS-287) is a fleet attack submarine that fought in the Pacific during WWII. It was launched exactly one year after the Japanese attack on Oahu.

Each pillar is named for one of the 429 sailors and Marines who lost their lives when the USS Oklahoma sunk during the 1941 strike on Pearl Harbor

The white marble pillars represent the white dress uniforms of the fallen

Back in Waikiki, we enjoyed an evening of Polynesian culture at a traditional luau where we were entertained with singing and dancing that represented not only the Hawaiian people but also other Pacific Ocean nations.

Day Two in Oahu saw us setting out to explore the island beyond Honolulu. Danno, named in deference to Hawaii Five-0, was our journey’s last car and we couldn’t have ended our road trip in a better way.

We visited the Dole Pineapple Plantation, the North Shore, shrimp food trucks, the lush green landscape and Round Top Drive which brought us back to Honolulu.

One of the Pineapple Express trains that run through the Dole Plantation giving visitors a tour of the property

The Big Wave Shrimp Truck Restaurant in the North Shore’s Haleiwa, as featured on Guy Fieri’s Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives

The colours of the water are constantly changing

The ever-present mist and scattered showers give the landscape a vibrant lushness

*Diamond Head* (Lē’ahi) presides over the the eastern edge of Waikiki’s coastline

Diamond Head and the city of Honolulu from Round Top Drive

The sunset views in Oahu are spectacular. But just as beautiful as the sunsets are the vibrant rainbows that decorate the skies in between sun showers.

And that, our friends, is our final stop on this incredible journey! Leaving Hawaii for last was an absolutely perfect way to celebrate the end of our 50-state road trip. We have many places we want to revisit and Hawaii is firmly placed on that list. We have one more day left here before we head home… the camera has been put away, the laptop is being closed and we are parking ourselves on the beach to reflect upon the last seven months which have been more than we could have ever hoped.

With much love to everyone,

P&S 😊