U.S.S. Missouri BB-63 - Pearl Harbor, Hawaii

The USS Missouri BB-63 is a symbol of American freedom.  Now docked at Pearl Harbor (well, technically at Ford Island) tourists can tour the battleship for a small fee. 

For those unfamiliar with the USS Missouri, it was where the Japanese surrendered during WWII.  There are some famous photos of the surrender on the deck of the battleship that have become important iconic images imprinted in the minds of many ...

I went to a commissioning ceremony where I had a chance to take some up close photos for free! Here are some photos of the USS Missouri

Teddy Bear World - Waikiki, Hawaii

Teddy Bear World in Waikiki is a kid's dream.  There are teddy bears everywhere from the moment one walks into the shop below and even more upstairs at the museum. 

I wasn't sure what to expect when entering Teddy Bear World, but I thought it would be a lot of fun to explore. 

Of course, Teddy Bear World isn't free.  It's in Waikiki! However, the cost to enter isn't that outrageous.  But if you think it is, you can always take pictures with the free teddy bears in the gift shop.

What do you get to see in Teddy Bear World?  take a glimpse into the museum ...

Teddy Bear World has a musuem upstairs with numerous teddy bear displays.  But what I found most interesting is the numerous displays of teddy bears dating back from the 1920s and 1930s!  I could tell those teddy bears were used a lot because they barely had fur left.  But it was interesting to see how the teddy bear had evolved into what it is today.  Teddy bears today are much cuter!

At the end of the teddy bear musuem tour, there's a teddy bear concert.  The Elvis teddy bear sings to the crowd.  It is really cute and something that any kid would enjoy.

Iolani Palace - Honolulu, Hawaii

The last time I visited Iolani Palace, I was an undergraduate student, taking a required course on Hawaii.  I learned so much from the visit and always planned to return.

During the week, I had an opportunity to visit again for free since I was leading a "tour group."  It was an excting adventure. 

After walking to Iolani Palace, everyone watched a movie on the history of Hawaii's monarchy.  It isn't easy quickly gathering everyone to get their tickets, store their bags, and to meet scheduled times at the palace's theater, but we tried our best.  As quickly as the movie started, it ended rather abruptly because we had to get everyone ready for the next part of the tour - the audio tour in the palace.

Everyone is required to wear shoe coverings to enter the palace.  Then, staff members at the palace help tourists set-up their audio devices.  Afterward, one is free to roam the palace, which is an eye opening experience.  Too bad no pictures are allowed inside the palace, but it is for a good reason. 

According to the audio device, Iolani Palace had electricity before the White House.  Also, royalty from around the world visited Iolani Palace.  It was also interesting to hear how each room had been used to welcome these guests.  Inside the palace, it is amazing, but there is also sadness, as one learns how Queen Liliuokalani was imprisoned in her room for 5 years, where she was only allowed to receive 3 meals a day.  She also knitted an impressive quilt that can still be seen in the palace today. 

It was a great tour and one that I would recommend for tourists who enjoy history. 

After the tour ended, we rounded all of the people in our group.  However, one of them was missing, so I searched the palace with a friend to find her.  She was no where to be found!  She disappeared, most likely to the beach according to other group members.  It was a fun tour, but being "tour guide" for the day can be quite interesting ...  It was a great day and I was ready for a nap.

If you want to see more of the area, walk across the street and there will be more to explore!

Ali'i Kai Catamaran - Honolulu, Hawaii

I can now cross off another "to do" on my 101 in 1001 list since I've now watched a sunrise and sunset in two interesting ways.

In Indonesia, I had a chance to watch the sunrise at Mount Bromo.  (Of course, I didn't see much since the clouds covered most of the sun, but it was an amazing experience).   In Hawaii, I saw the sunset on the Ali'i Kai Catamaran cruise in Honolulu, which was also spectacular.  
 
Although the tickets are as much as $73 dollars per person to have dinner on the Ali'i Kai Catamaran, I was able to take advantage of a great "buy one, get one free" discount.  It was the beginning of a beautiful day and an unforgettable night with friends and family. 

I have been on the Ali'i Kai Catamaran once before when I won free tickets during a work place party.  It was just as good then, as it is now.



From the window of the catamaran, one can see the beautiful view of Aloha Tower.  The view becomes even more incredible as the catamaran breaks away from the harbor and nears Diamond Head.

Before the sun sets, everyone is ushered to the buffet line. The buffet line looks much larger than it actually is and there aren't many selections, but the food is decent.  It's an all you can eat buffet, but be warned that the food is also taken away rather quickly to make room for the dancers who will use the space for the show that follows the dinner. 

There's also a delicious cheesecake for dessert to enjoy as the sun sets.  I loved the cheesecake.

There's also entertainment.  The dancers not only dance the hula, but show off dances from Tahiti and New Zealand.

During the performance, people are encouraged to dance.  It is one of the best parts of the catamaran cruise. One man, a Texan, was made fun of as he tried to dance the Tahitian hula.  Of course, it was all in fun and for great entertainment!

In the end, more than half the people on the catamaran danced.  It was a great night and a lot of fun.  I didn't want to get off the boat.

The Waikiki Zoo - An African Safari!

One of the areas of the zoo featurues an "African Safari."  I really enjoyed this part of the zoo because I had a chance to see animals I've never seen before, such as a African Wild Dog and a Wart Hog.  I even had to see a Rhino!

A Wart Hog - I've only heard of these!

A Rhino!  It was HUGE.  It was cute to see a bird hanging out on this Rhino's back.

I love giraffes! 

The Zebras were beautiful too.

I never realized how huge these creatures were ... I definitely wouldn't want one to run after me.

An African Wild Dog

I almost couldn't spot this animal until I looked closely ... very adorable!

There were peacocks scattered throughout the area.  Gorgeous for sure!  If only it spread its wings!

The "African Safari" portion of the zoo was a lot of fun.  I had a chance to see a lot of amazing animals, some I've only heard about on T.V. 

There's still more to come on the zoo!  For a small zoo, I sure did see a lot.

The Waikiki Zoo! Check it out!

I haven't been to the zoo in forever! While spending the weekend in Waikiki, it was nice to take a small break from the "city."

The Waikiki Zoo has a lot to offer.  There are a ton of animals, although the zoo is a bit small and not as well kept as other zoos I've been to.  "It's a lot bigger than I thought" were my husband's suprising words.

I love flamingos!  Aren't they beautiful? When you first walk into the zoo, the flamingos are the first birds you'll see once you walk in.  There are some amazing birds scattered throughout the area too.

Happy Halloween!

The monkeys, lemurs,  and other creatures were sooo cute!

Some of the cutest animals at the zoo!  You may recognize this animal from the movie "Madagascar."

Most of the animals below were resting, except these two.

A turtle in the water with guppies ...

There are more photos to come ...