Turtle Tales: Day 33 - Anyone need a yacht?

Today started out rainy, but we decided to go ahead with our plan and venture into Honolulu, and by the time we got to Honolulu, the rain had stopped and the sun was out. We really wanted to have the opportunity to visit the Aloha Tower Markeplace and visit the surrounding area. We braced ourselves for heavy traffic and a parking nightmare as we had experienced last week, but we were pleasantly surprised to find the traffic was moderate and moving. When we got to the parking lot which was full the last time we were downtown, there weren't but maybe a dozen cars! This was way too easy!

We had heard a lot about the Alhoa Towers Marketplace, since it is the primary shopping center close to the cruise ships that dock nearby. I am sad to report that over half of the stores were closed - meaning no longer in business. Those stores that were open were mostly souvenir stores or specialty shops such as chocolates, surfing, and tropical clothing - grossly overpriced at that! However, there were several wonderful balconies which provided great photo opportunities! Below is a picture of a yacht of all yachts - took this picture just for my friends Stan and Susie Marshall! Actually, Jim took the picture - I inadvertantly left my camera card in the computer (fogot to put it back in my camera after I downloaded pictures to yesterday's blog) so I was not able to take any pictures with my camera. I did however take some pictures with my Iphone, and will post them to Facebook later! This particular yacht is used for sunset dinner cruises. Nice!

There was also a cruise ship in port and we watched the crew participate in a lifeboat drill! It is amazing to see how efficient and timely they are able to lower the lifeboats and then safely return them to their appropriate spots on the ship. (It's all done magically with cables!) This was reassuring to us to know that these type of drills actually do take place. We have been on a few cruises , and we had never really seen this drill put into action, although we had been assured that the crew was regularly trained and participated in "mock" drills!

When we finished exploring the Aloha Towers Marketplace, we proceeded down the shore front (bulkhead) to take pictures of the schooners at the Hawiian Maritime Museum. We crossed a bridge and looked down into the clear blue water and there were all kinds of beautiful fish dashing in and out of an artifical reef. Awesome!

After exploring the waterfront area, we decided to go to the Hale Koa Hotel for lunch. The Hale Koa Hotel is a military hotel, and the hotel where we stayed last year when we came to see Jeremy before he left for Iraq. You must be active, disabled or retired military to stay at this hotel. Rates are determined by rank. The military has operated this hotel since 1975. It is a beautiful five-star hotel right on Waikiki Beach. We have many wonderful sunset pictures from the beach located out front of the Hale Koa - just the most "perfect" spot for making memories in the world! The food was first class, and the ambiance was wonderful! The flowers and tropical plants are stunning at the Hale Koa and of course, the hospitality is first class!

After lunch we went shopping to pick up a few "Hawiaiian" sourvenirs, then headed back to our rental house. Tomorrow we will be busy getting ready for our departure on Wednesday. It will be hard to leave paradise, but we are anxious to continue our journey on the mainland - and of course, to reunite with our dogs! We really do miss them!

Aloha!

Aloha Tower