2009 • O’ahu
August 14, 2009 to August 22, 2009
As if spending two-and-a-half months in Europe wasn’t enough, my family decided, spur of the moment, to go to Hawai’i in the Summer of 2009. As a history person, I had long wanted to go to O’ahu to take in some of the historical sites dating back to the Hawaiian Kingdom. Most of the historical sites on the island of O’ahu is located in and around the capital city of Honolulu. Perhaps the most unique would be ‘Iolani Palace—the only royal residence of American soil. The palace was once home to the monarchs of the Kingdom of Hawai’i up until Lili’uokalani was deposed in 1893. The palace later served as the capitol building for the Republic of Hawai’i, Territory of Hawai’i, and even State of Hawai’i until the current state house was completed in 1969. Also nearby is Pearl Harbor. Visiting this solemn place is an absolute must for anyone on the island of O’ahu. On December 7, 1941, the Japanese Empire attacked the United States naval installation at Pearl Harbor leading to the US entry into the Second World War. The USS Arizona remains at the bottom of Pearl Harbor and can be seen from the surface still bubbling small bits of oil almost 70 years later.
