Oahu, known as “the gathering place” appears to be an appropriate title as we met with my doctor and his wife in Honalulu during our visit to this most beautiful Island. We had dinner with them and some of their family twice during our week there. The rest of the week was spent with friends we had often traveled with.

On Oahu, Hawaii seems more like an exotic hideaway that it does a State of the America’s. Waikiki beach, a stones throw from our hotel, invites us to walk its beaches, watching swimmers and surfers towards the waters while viewing mountains looking inland. History abounds on this Island. From cultural native customs to more recent war time events, Oahu did not lack for things to see and do.

We visited the famous Pearl Harbor, named for the pearl oysters once harvested there, is the largest natural harbor in Hawaii, a World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument and the only naval base in the United States to be designated a National Historical Landmark. The devastating aerial attack on Pearl Harbor resulted in 2,390 dead and hundreds wounded, and drove the United States into World War II.

Here too, we visited the famous USS Arizona Memorial. At 8:06 a.m. on December 7th, 1941, the USS Arizona was hit by a 1,760-pound armor-piercing bomb, which ignited its forward ammunition magazine. The catastrophic explosion that resulted sank this massive battleship in nine minutes, killing 1,177 crewmen.

Each evening our hotel provided wonderful entertainment. Local singers would dawn the hotels tiny stage and provide music, both familiar and native to Hawaii’s heritage.

But, one of our evenings, we splurged and had dinner at the Ruth Chris Steak House - one of the best meal experiences we had ever had. The atmosphere was beautiful, the service was suburb, and the food was outstanding. I’m not one to spend the money it cost too often but it was worth every penny.

But the days were filled with excursions, driving our rented car to Hawaii’s for Queens palace of just cruising around the Islands parameter,; experiencing deferring culinary delights, taking in the incredible views and renting four wheelers to bring us far into the interior jungles.