There were two flights a week from Hawai'i to Pago Pago, American Samoa on Hawaiian Airlines -- the only major airline that went directly to Pago Pago. The flights were on Thursday and Sunday afternoons. We all -- John, Matt and myself -- got to Honolulu on Wednesday afternoon to minimize the chance of missing our flight down on Thursday, so we had a bit of time on Thursday to walk around Honolulu. I hadn't been to Hawai'i since about 1984 when I was in the Navy. It's changed a little.
After a bit of stop and go traffic in a taxi on highway H1 (it was the beginning of the afternoon rush), Matt and I arrived at the Pagoda Hotel in Honolulu. It was a pretty nice place, not too expensive, and within walking distance of quite a few places.
Below is part of the Ala Moana Shopping Center which was about a ten minute walk from the hotel. I went shopping there in the 1970's shortly after it opened. It seemed huge then and it seemed like it has only gotten bigger since then.
Across the street from the shopping center was Magic Island and the Ala Moana Beach Park. There was a lagoon in the park that was connected to the ocean by a couple of small streams that cut the area off from O'ahu Island proper and, technically I guess, turned the park into Magic Island. That's more of the Ala Moana mall in the background.
Below is Ala Wai Harbor that was just east of the park. Waikiki Beach was further up the coast in this direction.
Below is, of course, Diamond Head. The buildings are what's left of Waikiki Beach.
This was a "pool" that was at the tip of Magic Island. It was surrounded by the park and seawalls, but it was still open to the ocean.
The shoreline to the west of the park.
Ala Moana Beach Park beach.
2018-02-08