Native Hawaiians Take Over Historic Palace

CNN reports that a group of Hawaiian natives have taken over the historic palace, formerly representing the ruling powers of the Islands.

Pearl Harbor

USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii

An old Naval photograph documenting the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii which initiated US participation in World War II.

The Navy's caption was: Battleships USS WEST VIRGINIA and USS TENNESSEE after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941

Today, Pearl Harbor is still home to a major US Naval presence, as well as the beautiful USS Arizona Memorial which pays respect to the thousands of dead on the many ships that were destroyed in this fateful battle, arguably one of modern history's most significant events. The USS Missouri is also a superb floating museum and is great to visit while waiting for your spot on the small boats that take tourists out to the Arizona memorial.

Hawaiian Luau

The Hawaiian Luau has generally come to mean a feast featuring a pig roasted underground combined with exhibition dancing and other food and drink. Hawaiians may use this term to mean a "party" and it can be associated with a variety of celebrations.

Feasting is a traditional activity dating back hundreds of years in Polynesian History even though the name Luau has been dated back only to about 1856 when it was associated with commercial feasts rather than traditional ones.

Here, at the popular Luau held daily at the Polynesian Cultural Center on Oahu's North Shore, a pig is roasted kahlua style - wrapped in banana leaves and bulap and then buried underground with hot coals for many hours. This cooking method results in very tender and moist pork which is served with Taro rolls and other Hawaiian treats.

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Originally uploaded by JoeDuck

USS Arizona Memorial, Pearl Harbor

USS Arizona Memorial, Pearl Harbor
Originally uploaded by JoeDuck

The USS Arizona Memorial rests dramatically above the wreckage of the sunken battleship at Pearl Harbor. Inside is a memorial to the sailors lost in the attack on Pearl Harbor of December 7th, 1944 which began the US War with Japan. Germany declared war on the USA four days later.

The only access to the USS Arizona Memorial is by boat. Free tickets are available at the Pearl Harbor Museum which generally have you returning later in the day for the boat trip. Consider going early in the day to pick up your tickets and if there is a long wait for your boat you can take a shuttle to visit the USS Missouri which offers an excellent tour of the ship on which the US accepted the surrender of Japan at the end of World War II. As of December 2007 admission to the USS Missouri is $16 and a guided tour is an extra $7. The USS Missouri is well worth the price and the money goes to preserve the ship and provide interpretive services. You may want to eat lunch in the working galley.