Oahu Travel Planner 2008 - (Page 20) CENTRAL O‘AHU KUKANILOKO, WAHIAWA Just past Wahiawa, look for a grouping of eucalyptus trees. In their midst are the Kukaniloko birthing stones, a gathering of sacred stones marking the place where ancient Hawaiian Royalty gave birth and a place much revered by native Hawaiians even today. You’ll need a full day to take in the many significant and moving exhibits of Pearl Harbor. Wear comfortable shoes and get an early start at this popular and historically important landmark. And heading directly north, the fertile central valley of O‘ahu still bears remnants of its plantation past. Charming historic towns dot the landscape up through the center of the island between bustling Honolulu and the wide sweep of the dramatic North Shore. CENTRAL O‘AHU ALOHA STADIUM FLEA MARKET In addition to hosting football and baseball games and concerts, the Aloha Stadium is home to Hawai‘i’s largest flea market on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. PEARL HARBOR Named for the pearl oysters once harvested there, Pearl Harbor, located in the Ewa District of O‘ahu, is the largest natural harbor in Hawai‘i and the only naval base in the United States to be designated a National Historical Landmark. Vividly recounting the events of December 7, 1941, Pearl Harbor is poignant, informative, and haunting. The visitors’ center and monuments provide meaning for all ages and draw over 1.5 million visitors each year. Visit the sunken U.S.S. Arizona Battleship and pay respect to the 1,177 men that lie entombed. The Arizona Memorial is a shrine to the crewmen that lost their lives, their names now etched eternally in a marble wall. The U.S.S. Bowfin is one of the 288 U.S. submarines that carried out the war in the Pacific following the start of the World War II and the bombing of Pearl Harbor. It is one of the last remaining submarine memorials to preserve wartime history. Climb aboard the U.S.S. Battleship Missouri for a peek into a memorable chapter of America’s history. “Mighty Mo” was the last and most celebrated battleship ever built. It was aboard her decks that the documents ending World War II were signed. Now located at Pearl Harbor’s historic Battleship Row, the Missouri is a living museum, with exhibits highlighting her HAWAI‘I PLANTATION VILLAGES, WAIPAHU Escape the present day and explore O‘ahu’s plantation heritage and culture at the Hawai‘i Plantation Villages in Waipahu. You’ll learn how more than 400,000 immigrants who arrived between 1852 and 1947 to work on O‘ahu’s plantations actually shaped Hawai‘i into the vibrant multi ethnic community it is today. 808-677-0110 O‘AHU RAILWAY, ‘EWA Step onto a restored O‘ahu Railway car for a train ride and historic tour of the Ewa Plantations, which reflect O‘ahu’s former sugar and pineapple plantation lifestyle. 808-681-5461 LEILEHUA PLATEAU, WAHIAWA Compared to the towering ranges that border it, the Leilehua Plateau is a valley. But its protected central location and 1,000 foot elevation has made it a rich agricultural region as well as a vital military headquarters. career spanning three wars and five decades. On Ford Island at Pearl Harbor, the Pacific Aviation Museum has recently opened its doors on the 65th Anniversary of the bombing of Pearl Harbor. The museum displays aircraft from both sides of the battle, now hang silently in the air, and standing frozen in time on aircraft carrier decking, with plasma screens and historical footage re-creating the cacophony of war. USS Battleship Missouri Memorial 808-973-2494 www.ussmissouri.org USS Bowfin Submarine Museum & Park 808-423-1341 www.bowfin.org USS Arizona Memorial 808-422-0561 www.nps.gov/nsar Pacific Aviation Museum www.pacificaviationmuseum.org 20 THE ISLAND OF O‘AHU http://www.ussmissouri.org http://www.bowfin.org http://www.nps.gov/nsar http://www.pacificaviationmuseum.org
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