20090209 Honolulu
Link To Pictures
Up at a decent hour, breakfast and talk.
Off then to Lyon Arboretum up in the Manoa Valley. We got our briefing at the visitors center and were supplied with "Off" for the mosquitos. Then we hiked through the gardens, Dolores & Glenn taking pictures all the way. Very interesting and strange plants. We reached Inspiration Point, where there is a great view up the valley. Took more pictures. After a couple of steep climbs and descents we realized we were not going to cover the whole 200 acres. We wandered slowly back to the start and bought a couple of souvenirs.
Then we wandered off toward Diamond Head. We found the way into the crater off Diamond Head. After evaluating the trail to the top of Diamond Head, with a 700+ foot vertical ascent, we chickened out. We did walk around and take a few pictures and learned something of the history of the place.
We wanted lunch someplace and couldn't find anything local out in the Diamond Head region so we wound up at the WYC again. Great lunch. We decided it was too late to continue with the rest of the plan.
Marylou said she could stand to do some shopping so we proceeded to the Ala Moana center. She traded a few dollars for a dozen tee-shirts for her grand-kids at the ABC store, and got some other things besides. We stumbled through part of the center but not all of it just looking around.
We got back toward the condo a little early so we drove up into the National Military Cemetery of the Pacific, in a volcano crater called the Punchbowl. The last time I was here (1962?) it was wide open and one could easily see the dimensions of the crater. Now, the trees have grown and it's not so obvious, other than the boulevard down the middle from the entry to the memorial. It's still an impressive place.
Then we came home, watched some of the TV news, read the paper (the Navy got the Port Royal off the reef early this morning and relieved the CO of command), had a glass or two, and made a small dinner of all the leftovers and previously-unused things. It was nice. We chatted for a bit, then mutually agreed that an early bedtime was not a bad idea.
So I'm doing this, then settling in.
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