Hawaii - Jeff Campbell [90]
To visit the memorial, you must first buy tickets at Bowfin Park, then board the mandatory shuttle bus to Ford Island.
Pacific Aviation Museum
Still a work-in-progress, this military aircraft museum (441-1000; www.pacificaviationmuseum.org; 319 Lexington Blvd, Ford Island; adult/child 4-12 $14/7, with guided tour $21/14; 9am-5pm) covers the period from WWII through the US conflicts in Korea and Vietnam. Already the first aircraft hangar has been outfitted with exhibits on the Pearl Harbor attack, the Doolittle Raid on mainland Japan in 1942 and the pivotal Battle of Midway, when the tides of WWII in the Pacific turned in favor of the Allies. Authentically restored planes on display here include a Japanese Zero and a Dauntless navy dive bomber. Last entry 4pm.
To visit the museum, you must first buy tickets at Bowfin Park, then board the mandatory shuttle bus to Ford Island.
Kea′iwa Heiau State Recreation Area
In the hills above Pearl Harbor, this park (Map; 587-0300; off ′Aiea Heights Dr, ′Aiea; admission free; 7am-7:45pm April-early Sep, 7am-6:45pm early Sep-Mar) protects Kea′iwa Heiau, an ancient Hawaiian stone temple used by kahuna lapa′au (herbalist healers). The kahuna used hundreds of medicinal plants and grew many on the grounds surrounding the heiau. Among those still found here are noni (Indian mulberry), whose pungent yellow fruits were used to treat heart disease; kukui (candlenuts), a laxative; and ti leaves, which were wrapped around a sick person to break a fever. Not only did these herbs have medicinal value, but the heiau itself was believed to possess life-giving energy that could be channeled by the kahuna.
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DETOUR: WAIMANO TRAIL
Starting above ′Aiea, the challenging 14.5-mile round-trip Waimano Trail (Map) is a boulder-hopping, bush-whacking, stream-crossing and rope-assisted climbing adventure that scales knife-edged ridges prone to mudslides, all in pursuit of a spectacular lookout atop the Ko′olau Range.
It’s a stretch to do the entire trail in one day. Think about camping overnight in the backcountry with a free advance permit from the Division of Forestry & Wildlife (DOFAW; Map;587-0166; Kalaniomoku Bldg, Room 325, 1151 Punchbowl St, Honolulu; 7:45am-4:30pm), then hike to the pali lookout the next morning and back to the trailhead in the afternoon.
For a shorter day hike, it’s 3 miles round-trip from the trailhead to Waimano Pool, reached via steep ‘Cardiac Hill,’ where local kids go for waterfall swimming. To reach the trailhead, take the H-1 Fwy west from Honolulu to Moanalua Rd (exit 10); at the first stoplight, turn right onto Waimano Home Rd. Park at the end of the road in a dirt pull-out before reaching a security guardhouse.
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For hikers and mountain bikers, the park’s scenic 4.5-mile ′Aiea Loop Trail starts from the top of the paved loop road and ends at the campground, about 0.3 miles below the trailhead. Along the way you’ll get sweeping vistas of Pearl Harbor, Diamond Head and the Ko′olau Range. About two-thirds of the way along, the wreckage of a C-47 cargo plane that crashed in 1943 can be spotted through the foliage on the east ridge.
The park’s few campsites are maintained well, but there’s not a lot of privacy. In winter bring waterproof gear, as it rains frequently at this elevation. The park has picnic tables, BBQ grills, rest rooms, showers, drinking water and a payphone. There’s a resident caretaker by the front gate, which is locked at night for security. Camping is not permitted on Wednesday and Thursday nights, and advance permits are required (Click here).
From Honolulu or Waikiki, drive west on the H-1 Fwy, then merge onto Hwy 78 and take the exit 13A ′Aiea turnoff onto Moanalua Rd. Turn right onto ′Aiea Heights Dr at the second traffic light. The road winds up through a residential area for about 2.5 miles to the park.
From downtown Honolulu, TheBus 11 ′Aiea Heights ($2, 35 minutes, hourly) stops about 1.3 miles downhill from the park entrance.
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