Woohoo Oahu!

Story by Eden Washington, 6th grade FNN Reporter, Friendship PCS Online, Photos from Google

March 3, 2021,  Oahu is the third largest island in the Hawaiian chain and there is plenty to do and see here.  I had a few things I especially wanted to do like, swim with sharks, wander through the Dole Pineapple Maze, and pay my respects to the soldiers lost during the bombing of Pearl Harbor.  However, getting there during these COVID-19 times could be a pain, so I had to accommodate for that as well.

 As the saying goes, “getting there is half the battle,” but before you depart take note of the temperature there on the ground.  This week it is consistently in the mid to upper 70’s with showers later in the week.  I have to say this is a welcomed change from what is experienced in the DMV right now.  These cool temperatures are good for spring/summer gear, light comfortable fabrics and perhaps a light jacket as temperatures do drop to the mid 60’s at night.

Flights from the DC area to Hawaii, range from $632 to $1,311 depending on if you want a non-stop flight in economy or first class.  Some airlines offer lower prices if you have flexible dates and don’t mind 1 to 2 layovers.  Flight times range from 13 hours nonstop to 20 hours if you don't mind hanging out in an airport for 45 to 90 minutes.  I suggest booking a night flight and sleeping on the plane if you can, as you will pick up an extra five hours upon landing.

FYI, you can skip the mandated 10-day quarantine upon landing in Oahu if you take a COVID-19 test with negative results prior to departing for the Hawaiian Island.  Only test results from Trusted Testing and Travel Partners will be accepted.

Accommodations in Waikiki per Hotels.com range in price from $69 per night at a smaller highly rated establishment to $540 per night at a posh high end hotel on the beach with ocean views.  Many tour package vendors will arrange to pick you up at your hotel and take you to the destination for your designated tour.  There is no extra cost for this service.  It makes getting around super easy and it’s nice because some driver’s give you a bit of history along the way to your destination.  This is GREAT because if you want to come back, you already have some idea of where you want to tour on your next trip.  You can also use Uber, Lyft, or a taxi here as well.

Now that I am on the ground and have been officially welcomed with the placing of my lei, as per polynesian culture,  I am ready to dive in.

One Ocean Diving is a research, conservation, education, and diving company that specializes in making sure tourists understand what you should know about sharks. To know before you go, you can purchase Ocean Ramsey’s book, “What You Should Know About Sharks” on Amazon.com.  Ramsey specifically wants you to know about shark language, social behavior, human interactions, and life saving information.  I am not a shark aficionado, nor was I all that interested in the beginning,  however, I’ve learned some really cool things about sharks that has swayed my thought about them being scary predator creatures.  Sharks are extremely important to the health of the marine ecosystem because they help to maintain the species below them in the food chain.  They also help to remove the weak and sick as well as keeping the balance with competitors to ensure species diversity.

One Ocean Diving has done a superb job in helping to preserve  sharks in Hawaii. You can even adopt a shark here, can we all sing ‘Baby shark, doo doo doo doo doo.’ Hawaii was the first state to make it illegal to have or ship shark fins.  The state is also currently working on a bill to make it illegal to kill sharks in Hawaii.  Whew, all this swimming with sharks has made me hungry, so my next stop is the Dole Pineapple Plantation.

Did you know that the Dole Pineapple Garden Maze was the world’s largest maze?  It is over 3 acres and is stretched along 2.5 miles of paths created from 14,000 colorful Hawaiian plants.  The Dole Pineapple Plantation has many activities in which to partake including the Pineapple Express Train Tour, the Plantation Garden Tour, the Pineapple Garden Maze, and Plantation Grill.  I could not think of a better place to start the Amazing Race than the Dole Pineapple Garden Maze.  Tickets for entry can only be purchased on-site, the day of your visit, and an adult can expect to spend $8.25, children (4-12) - $6.25, military people can expect to spend $7.25 upon entry, and children under 4 are free with an adult.  Once I work my way through this maze, I am headed over to the Plantation Grill, care to join me?  

Of course I could not leave Oahu without visiting a place that I have learned about over the past few years.  Though I would not want to relive the horrifically tragic experiences of December 7, 1941, “a date that will live in infamy,” I do want to pay respect from one generation to another.  On this tour, you will have access to the USS Arizona Memorial, Battleship Missouri, Bowfin Submarine, and the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum.  If I were asked if I thought oil was still leaking from the ships at Pearl Harbor, I would say  “No, of course not,” but much to my surprise, 500,000 gallons are still slowly seeping out of the ship’s submerged wreckage.  Eighty years after its demise, the USS Arizona continues to spill up to 9 quarts of oil into the harbor each day.  Between 14,000 and 64,000 gallons of oil has already leaked into the harbor from the USS Arizona since the attack, and the National Park service estimates that it could continue to leak for another 500 years.  This tour was quite informative and filled in a lot of detail that is not covered in my history books. 

Ready for your tour?  Each of the tours includes a 23-minute documentary film about the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.  Package prices range from $79 to $875.  The prices mostly depend on your mode of transportation (car, boat, or chopper), and if you want a personal tour guide or if you want to tour with a group, or go it alone.  

Alright my friends, we swam with the sharks, navigated the Dole Pineapple Maze, and paid our respects to the departed soldiers at Pearl Harbor.  This trip  has been super fun and exhausting at the same time, but I wouldn’t trade this experience for anything.  I am so looking forward to coming here again or perhaps touring another Hawaiian island, but until then, hang tight!

Eden Washington is a 6th grade scholar at Friendship PCS Online.