Today's Target is Mighty Mo

When we visited Honolulu in 2010, we took the Home of the Brave tour, seeing almost everything on the island that was connected to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, with one major exception, the USS Missouri. So we hopped on the hop-on, hop-off Aloha Bus, transferred to its Pearl Harbor Loop, and purchased the combination ticket for the USS Bowfin Submarine Museum and Park, the Battleship Missouri Memorial and the Pacific Aviation Museum. We assumed that we could tour the three sites during the morning and then tour the downtown area in the afternoon. In hindsight, we should have taken a city bus to Pearl Harbor and assumed that we would stay there all day, which we did.

The Bowfin, also known as the Pearl Harbor Avenger, is a fleet attack submarine that was launched on December 7, 1942, one year to the day after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Having sunk 44 ships, it ranks Number 15 of the 207 subs used in World War II. It is amazing to think that so many men lived in such a minuscule space. In comparison, the Pacific Princess seems like a luxury liner with our staterooms being penthouse suites. The sub had only 36 bunks, not enough for all the crew, so the men kept "hot bunking," waking up other sailors when they came off duty so they could sleep. We kept heading aft by stepping though the hatches that were more than two-feet high, seeing the officers' dining room, the galley, the crew's mess, the bunks, the control room with it red and green Christmas-tree like lights, the engine room and the torpedoes. What seemed out of place was the calming female voice coming through our headsets telling us that "nothing was more discouraging than to fire a torpedo and have nothing go off."

Then we headed up the stairs to the after deck, which had been teak to prevent slipping but has now replaced with metal to handle the more than 250,000 visitors annually. Above the after deck is the cigarette deck with its rapid fire guns and its view of the memorial to the brave men in the silent service who are forever on eternal patrol. One out of four sailors serving on submarines in WWII never returned.

After touring the museum, we took the shuttle to Ford Island to see the USS Missouri, America's last battleship that was launched on January 29, 1944, decommissioned in the early 1990s after serving our country in three wars--WWII, Korea and the first Gulf War, and took its final journey to Pearl Harbor in 1998. It is fitting that the ship that witnessed the end of WWII stands guard over the USS Arizona, whose attack resulted in the beginning of the United States' official involvement in WWII. On September 2, 1945, in Tokyo Bay, General Douglas MacArthur accepted Japan's unconditional surrender, ending the War in the Pacific. Neither President Truman nor the Emperor of Japan attended the ceremony because we were still officially at war. Even MacArthur doubted that the Japanese would really surrender that day. But at 9:04 a.m., Foreign Minister Marmoru Shigemitsu signed the document on behalf of the Emperor of Japan, and at 9:08, MacArthur signed on behalf of the President of the United States.

We stood near the plaque on the floor where the table was placed that day. Reggie, who has served as a tour guide since the Battleship Missouri Memorial opened in 1999, shook Ken's hand as a fellow Marine and told us that the table was not important until the paperwork had been put on it. The original treaties are in Washington, DC, and Tokyo but the copies were impressive. So was the quotation from Toshikazu Kasi, a member of the Japanese Foreign Ministry, "Happen what may in the future, this day on the Missouri will stand as a bright point that marks a tireless march toward an enduring peace."

The Might Mo still boasts its original teak decks that provide insulation from the sun and last a long time because termites do not seem to like teak. Standing on the deck, we marveled at the glorious weather with a light breeze, clear dark blue water, bright light blue sky and mountains as the backdrop.

Reggie told us he would love to handle any questions from us because we didn't yell at him like his officers in the Marine Corps. When he noticed that I was taking notes, he had me write down how much food was consumed on the ship daily while it was in service--240 gallons of milk, 500 gallons of coffee, 210 dozen of eggs to serve the 2,700 late-teen and early 20-year-old soldiers with limitless appetites who ate four times a day.

Our next stop on Ford Island was the Pacific Aviation Museum with its two large hangars, 37 and 79, both surviving the attack of Pearl Harbor with the bullet-pocked scars serving as badges of honor. While the hangers include a flight simulator and dozens of aircraft from WWII to today, what fascinated me the most was the large map of the islands in the South Pacific. Because many maps do not list the names of all the islands we have visited or will visit on this cruise, I was able to observe their locations in relationship to each other.

It was almost 4 p.m. when we finally hopped back on the Pearl Harbor Loop bus. We did not think that we could take the trip around the city because the schedule showed that the buses stopped running after 5 p.m. However, our hostess on the upper deck told us that when the cruise ships are in town, the Night Loop that goes to the hotels and beaches is extended to include Aloha Tower, near where the cruise ships dock. While we were unable to tour the buildings because they were closed, we viewed the outside of Iolana Palace that is the only royal palace in the United States and the Ft. DeRussy Army Museum, and drove past Waikiki Beach, very crowded, and the statue of Duke Kahanmoku who is best known as the father of modern surfing. We hopped off at the Ala Moana Shopping Center that claims to be the world's largest open shopping mall and walked to Walmart, where we spotted fellow ship passengers and purchased four $3.99 T-shirts for Ken to use in his boot-camp training program and other items that we must have.

After hopping back on the bus, we returned to the ship in time for the Folkloric Performance by Hawaiian children, who served as adorable ambassadors for their home state. It was a perfect ending to another perfect day.

Our Quest to See Kauai by Air

Our destination lecturer Debbie and every piece of literature we read claimed that the best way to see Kauai is by air--either helicopter or plane. Unfortunately, we received no response to our emails concerning booking a tour. When we docked at Nawiliwili, our telephone calls resulted in finding only an airplane tour in a six-passenger GA-8 Airvan offered by AirVentures (www.AirVenturesHawaii.com or toll free 1-866-464-7864) that would take off at 2:45 p.m. for a 70-minute tour. With an all-on-board time for the Pacific Princess at 4:30 p.m., we were afraid to take a chance.

Debbie warned us that we would dock on the opposite side of the island from all the attractions. If we did not have an arranged tour, we could take the free shuttle bus to the small mall near the Kalapaki Beach, and book a tour there. So we boarded the shuttle that the attendant assured us would take us to town. Unfortunately, we ended up at K-Mart. I cannot remember the last time I have actually shopped at a K-Mart, and I have never shopped in one with Ken. We immediately started snapping at each other. We talked with another couple from the ship who also reported that they were having a bad day, after such an incredible day in Honolulu. It must be the air in K-Mart because the day for all four of us got much better after we took the shuttle back to the port.

Again, we tried in vain to find some tour, any tour, that we could take to try to salvage the day. All the ship's tours had already departed. So we finally took the right shuttle to the tiny mall where we learned that the only tour we could take was the 2:45 airplane tour. But the owner of the store assured us that we would be back in time to board the ship. So we finally signed on.

Suddenly the day became wonderful. As if coming out of a heavy fog, we noticed that the island of Kauai was even more beautiful than Oahu, because it was unspoiled. We walked across the highway to the beach and spent a delightful hour with friends from the ship. (It was easy to spot our fellow passengers because we all had taken the familiar blue-and-white striped beach towels from the ship.) Then we walked back to the mini mall and ate the best slices of pizza we ever tasted. Right after I finished my Hawaiian shaved ice (an artistic masterpiece of pineapple, mango and cherry syrups), the gold van from AirVentures arrived to wisk us off to the Lihue Airport. The only other passengers were Victor and Ellenatta from the Pacific Princess.

Everything seemed to be working like clockwork until the minute hand on our watches ticked toward 3 p.m. and the flight before ours had not returned to the airport. Finally, the aircraft landed, and we walked out to have our pictures taken in front of it and climb on board. When Ken asked if we all would have a window seat, the pilot invited him to sit in the co-pilot's chair. He definitely had the catbird's seat!

Highlights of our air adventure included the river where Harrison Ford jumped off the rope swing to flee the natives in Raiders of the Lost Ark, the beach on which Harrison Ford and Anne Heche crashed their airplane in the movie Six Nights, Seven Days, the mountain range that formed the backdrop for the movie Jurassic Park, the Hanalei Pier made famous in the movie South Pacific, and Wailua Falls from the opening credits of the TV program that whisked us all to Fantasy Island. When we flew over the 17-mile-long Na Pali Coast, which can not be reached by a road, our pilot showed us Kalalau Beach named Best Beach in America in 2009 (Siesta Key is the 2011 Best Beach). Once we could see Highway 56, he pointed out Tunnels Reef that is a haven for scuba divers and swimmers who swim through the tunnels formed below the reef, the large red-roofed house with a tennis court that is owned by Pierce Brosnan, Princeville that is the Hollywood of Kauai with the longest barrier reef in Hawaii, and Anahola Mountain with its second peak being a profile of King Kong overlooking the ocean. Mt. Kawaikini, the highest point on Kauai is also the wettest spot on our planet with 40 feet of rain annually. Unfortunately, an afternoon rain storm kept us from seeing the Waimea Canyon, the "Grand Canyon of the Pacific."

After a rather bumpy ride near the end of our epic journey with our pilot suggesting the need for "aloha" bags, we came to a smooth stop at the terminal. Awaiting us was the driver of the company's gold van to take us quickly back to our ship by 4:20 p.m. The flight over Kauai was a highlight of our trip to the beautiful 50th state.

Incredible Beauty, Endless Sun and Good Friends Meet Us in San Diego

From the port guide and the port lecturer, we learned about numerous places of interest that awaited us when we docked at the Broadway Pier in San Diego. These treasures includes the world-famous San Diego Zoo, Seaworld, the Old Town, the USS Midway, Seaport Village, Balboa Park for it flower gardens,the Botanical Building built in 1915 for the World Exposition and numerous museums. However, the first question that a person asked of our port lecturer Debbie was, "How do we get to the nearest Walmart?" What we learned was it wasn't that close but we could meet our need to buy most of the items that we had forgotten or not packed enough of at the drug store in the Westfield Horton Plaza that was about a 20-minute walk up Broadway from the terminal.

After we cleared immigration, we were picked up by my friend Jennifer and her husband, Don, who live in San Diego, for a tour of their city. Jennifer and I am "fake" cousins. Her mother's sister married my mother's brother. In the same year, all three couples had baby girls so we share a real cousin Paula. In the town in which I grew up in Western Pennsylvania, having "fake" aunts, uncles and cousins was the norm. No differentiation was made between real and "fake" relatives. In addition to attending Grades 1-12 together, Jennifer and I joined the same Girl Scout troop, were initiated into Rainbow Girls and took tap dancing lessons together.

Ken (once a Marine, always a Marine) had requested that we tour the Marine Command Museum. We spent most of our time in the exhibit for the Vietnam War in which the Marines were first ones with their boots on the ground in 1962 and the last to fly out of Saigon in 1975. At the entrance to that section is a quotation from Ronald Reagan, "Who can doubt that the course for which our men fought was just. It was however imperfectly pursued, the course of freedom." We appreciated a replica of the Cu Chi Tunnels, where Ken's cousin Ricky served as a tunnel rat, and a listing of the names of those who received the Medal of Honor that informed us that the men who wear it call themselves recipients, not winners, for what they received it for was not a contest but a time of terror and death. Unfortunately, the gift shop was not open on Saturday so Ken could not purchase a souvenir.

Then Don drove us to the Point Loma section of the city for a casual lunch at the Red Sailfish Restaurant on its fantastic outdoor dining deck with a picture-perfect view of the yachts in the San Diego Bay and California-style crab cake sandwiches that are lump crab meat without the added ingredients that are formed into a cake on the East Coast. Then we walked along the bay at Point Loma, enjoying the high 80s temperature thanks to the Santa Ana winds, the clear turquoise water and the view of Mexico because San Diego being so close to the Mexican border.

After our walk in the sunshine, Jennifer and Don honored our request to find stores in which we could purchase the items we had forgotten, not packed of enough of, or decided would be nice to make our stateroom more like home (such as a folding end table). Liberty Station, a part of the former San Diego Naval Training Station, perfectly blends the exteriors of its shops into the historical, architecturally accurate restoration of 26 buildings in their Spanish Colonial Revival-style splendor. Jennifer brings her dog there to exercise on the days that the park welcomes our four-legged friends.

Don and Ken obliged Jennifer and me as we reminisced about what has happened to us since we both left Big Run after our high-school graduation. Jennifer met Don at a bar in San Francisco, where she worked for the federal government, when she was celebrating a friend's 21st birthday. They dated on and off for five years, deciding to marry in 1973 when Don received an offer to sell yachts in San Diego. Their marriage in 1973 took place at the condominium of Don's aunt, and their honeymoon took them to San Diego where they searched for a place in live. Jennifer worked for four months as a meter maid, deciding whether or not to give tickets to drivers who pleaded with her not to depending on how much they irritated her, before being hired by the police department to care for its horses. Don waited until they had paid off their 30-year mortgage before retiring so they now both enjoy all the benefits of retirement. Their son, Brian, who is now 30, graduated from San Jose State College and works for Southwest Airlines, where his benefit package includes free air travel for him and his family. So it is not uncommon for them to meet in a location such as Denver to have dinner together.

All too soon, it was time to return to our ship for the 5 p.m. sailaway. We were met by many of our fellow passengers who were carrying shopping bags of the precious treasures they had purchased to make their travels more enjoyable. On Sunday, I talked with Tom (husband of Lynn), who lives in San Diego and had gone home for the day to exchange clothes and enjoy a reunion with their children and grandchildren. When he asked me what we had done in our day in San Diego, I told him that we went to Point Loma. He exclaimed, "That's where I suggested that every one go!" so Jennifer and Don had taken us to the "best of the best" that San Diego has to offer from its extensive list of must-see attractions.

Personal Reflections on Segment 1

The first segment of the 2012 World Cruise from Ft. Lauderdale through the Panama Canal to San Diego is the shortest with only 15 days versus 29 to 32 days on the remaining three segments. When I checked the notebook I had developed for the world cruise, I had absolutely no information on any of the ports that we visited. My research started with Honolulu, the first port on the second segment. Of course, I blamed that on breaking my ankle with that bone obviously connected directly to the brain resulting in the 3S syndrome--stupidity, sarcasm and skepticism. Obviously, planning in short supply must be another symptom.

I have realized that breaking my ankle has slowed me down more than I ever expected. An article that Ken read stated that the three stages of retirement are Go-Go from 60 t0 75, Slow-Go from 75 to 85 and No-Go from 85 onward. I now have been treated to a glimpse of the Slow-Go. We have been told by more mature retirees and the semi-retired, such as I who teach college part-time, that we should travel as much as possible while we are physically able. After falling in early November, being diagnosed with a bad sprain but having the loan of the big black boot that is a family heirloom in Ken's sister's family, suffering from pain and swelling that resulted in a new diagnosis of a broken ankle in early December, still failing to heal after Christmas, having a CT scan to determine what was wrong, being told that I had flat feet by the foot and ankle specialist (which I informed him I inherited from my father), learning that having flat feet causes a degenerative condition of the tendons and ligaments that I exacerbated in my right ankle when the tendon stretched and broke the bone, and being downgraded to a tie-on ankle brace the Monday before we boarded the ship on the Friday (that I considered an upgrade because I can now wear a regular shoe with good support on the right foot), I am not looking forward to the health concerns that inevitably accompany aging.

On the ship, we met Jim, who stood out like a "sore thumb" but in his case was a broken tibia bone in a big, black boot. The crutches also were a giveaway of his condition. When he was golfing a week before the Pacific Princess set sail, his right foot got caught in a hole while his body continued forward. I definitely feel his pain! Jim debarked in San Diego to look forward to many future visits to his doctor. However, even with a boot and crutches, he did enjoy the cruise! (And what a story he will have to tell his family and friends back home.)

I had told Ken that if I did nothing more than sit on our balcony with my foot propped up on the table, had most meals delivered to our room and read books on the Kindle Fire or from the Pacific Princess Library during the first segment, I would still be happy to be on the trip. But I am so glad that thanks to friends from Cruise Critic and luck, we had fantastic adventures in four ports and our best of five transits through the Panama Canal. If you are planning a cruise, our recommendation is that you join Cruise Critic at cruisecritic.com. There you can join the thread of a forum for the cruise ship on which you will be sailing. You can ask any questions that you have, inquire about what to do in a specific port or ascertain if your future fellow passengers would like to join you on a tour that you are arranging.

Our fearless, capable and extremely organized leader Bryan came on board with dates for Meet and Greets for each segment, Port Meetups before each port so we can share ideas about what to do and a Fantastic Fifteen Foto showing at the end of each segment. As secretary for the group, all I have to do is keep track of new members, arrange for a Cruise Critic luncheon at the end of each segment, and deliver notices about upcoming events to the cabins of our group members. At our luncheon on Friday, Chef Antonio prepared a special penne pasta with shrimp that was served by the him and the Master Chef Commendatore Alfredo Marzi with assistance from the Maitre d'Hotel Carlos De Rosa and head waiter Rui. Where else in the world could anyone receive this level of service? We also celebrated the birthday of Sergio who gratefully accepted a Gold Medal from Bryan (who had won it for placing first in ping pong) for being the best male Zumba dancer on the ship. Sergio also requested and received hugs from all the female members of our group and some of the males.

Many people do not receive the credit that that they deserve for their work. In this case, I received more. I was the beneficiary of numerous compliments from the group for organizing such an exceptional luncheon when I only set up the date with the Club Restaurant and then created and distributed an RSVP form. The special pasta dish and the presence of the chef and master chef were their ideas that we appreciated enormously. To meet my obligations so I deserved the credit that I received, I wrote heartfelt thank-you notes as my mother had taught me.

Now I need to "get on the stick" about what we are planning to do in future ports. We have arranged or signed on with other Cruise Critic members for tours, will take some ship tours and look for tours on shore in other ports. Third time does seem to be the charm!