The Duck Crew - 18 Apr 2013 - We Take on Hawai'i - QUACK!

[ShipMaven]

The info that has been posted is VERY VERY useful and much appreciated. I just don't want to see it get lost.

 

[Jeanie]

And ... The "Attraction of the Week" -

[SIZE=+1]Planning a Day in Pearl Harbor [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]Oahu, Hawaii

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[SIZE=-1]The USS Arizona Memorial in Pearl Harbor is the #1 most popular visitor attraction in Hawaii. The information on this page will help you plan an Oahu day trip that includes visiting the USS Arizona Memorial and three of the next most popular attractions in Pearl Harbor: the USS Bowfin Submarine, the USS Missouri Battleship, and the Pacific Aviation Museum. Introduction to Pearl Harbor Pearl Harbor is located on the south coast of the island of Oahu and it is the largest harbor in Hawaii. It is also a United States National Historic Landmark. Pearl Harbor is most famous for being the target of a surprise attack by Japanese fighter planes on December 7, 1941. On December 8, 1941 the United States declared war on Japan and on December 11, 1941 Germany and Italy declared war on the United States. On September 2, 1945 the Japanese officially surrendered to the United States in a formal ceremony on the deck of the USS Missouri Battleship which, at the time, was anchored in Tokyo Bay. [SIZE=-1]Most Popular Attractions in Pearl Harbor [/SIZE] There are four main visitor attractions in Pearl Harbor, the USS Arizona Memorial, the USS Bowfin Submarine, the USS Missouri Battleship, and the Pacific Aviation Museum. The visitor centers and museums for the Arizona Memorial and the Bowfin Submarine are located next to each other, on the shore of Pearl Harbor, not far from the Aloha Stadium. A shuttle bus transports visitors from the Arizona/Bowfin area to Ford Island so they can tour the Missouri Battleship and visit the Pacific Aviation Museum. The bus stop for the Ford Island shuttle is located between the USS Arizona Museum and the USS Bowfin Submarine Museum. There is no extra charge for the shuttle if you have purchased a ticket for the USS Missouri Battleship Tour or the Pacific Aviation Museum. [SIZE=-1]The Cost of Visiting Pearl Harbor [/SIZE] If you want to visit all four of Pearl Harbor's main attractions the admission fees will total about $40. The cost will be a bit more if you rent the self-guided headset tours at the USS Arizona, USS Bowfin, and USS Missouri. They typically rent for about $2-$5 each. The audio tours are optional, but I rented them for all three attractions. I enjoyed all of the audio tours but I especially appreciated having the self-guided audio tour of the USS Missouri Battleship. Interesting features and historic spots on the battleship are marked with numbers. When you see a number you can key it into your handset to learn all about it. In some cases, you will hear actual historic radio news coverage of historic events. USS Arizona Memorial, Boat Transfer, and Museum (free) Bowfin Park Outdoor Exhibits and Submarine Memorial (free) USS Bowfin Submarine Tour and Indoor Museum ($ 7 Military/Seniors -$10 Adults) USS Missouri Battleship Tour ($ 20-65 depending on package) Pacific Aviation Museum ($15-30 depending on package) City Bus ($2.50 each way, about 1-1/4 hour each way) TIP: 4-day $25 city bus passes are available at Waikiki's ABC stores [SIZE=-1]Logistics of Visiting Pearl Harbor [/SIZE] Most Pearl Harbor visitors see the USS Arizona Memorial and the Bowfin Submarine first, because they are located next each other on the Oahu mainland. Next they typically take the shuttle to Ford Island to visit the USS Missouri Battleship and the Pacific Aviation Museum. The USS Arizona Memorial and the USS Missouri Battleship are actually located right next to each other, in the water just off of Ford Island, but you travel to the Arizona Memorial by boat, and you travel to the USS Missouri via a shuttle bus that takes you across the Admiral Clarey Bridge to Ford Island. [SIZE=-1]Where to Eat at the Pearl Harbor Historic Sites [/SIZE]Between the USS Arizona Museum and the USS Bowfin Museum there is a 1940's canteen style open-air cafe with several food stalls. Inside the Pacific Aviation Museum on Ford Island there is a nice little cafe that sells things like stir-fry dishes, salads, hamburgers, and other sandwiches Inside the USS Arizona Museum there is a self-serve, automat-style vending machine area. I think there might be another one near the USS Bowfin Museum. [SIZE=-1]Shopping at the Pearl Harbor Historic Sites [/SIZE] There are interesting museum shops at all four spots: the USS Arizona Museum, the USS Bowfin Museum, the USS Missouri Battleship, and the Pacific Aviation Museum. [SIZE=-1]Security Measures At All Pearl Harbor Attractions [/SIZE][SIZE=-2]<-- IMPORTANT! [/SIZE] Strict security measures prohibit purses, handbags, fanny packs, backpacks, camera bags, diaper bags, luggage and any other items that offer concealment. Visitors may bring a camera and cam-recorder. A storage facility, operated by a private vendor, is available for visitors coming to the USS Arizona Memorial, USS Bowfin Submarine Museum & Park, the Battleship Missouri and the Pacific Aviation Museum. The facility can be found at the entrance to the USS Bowfin Submarine Park. There is a nominal storage fee. The storage facility is in operation daily 6:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Visitors may use the same bag storage and parking stall for all three tours. Security measures are strictly enforced at all visitor destinations on Pearl Harbor. Federal law enforcement officers and security bike patrols monitor the parking lots. However it is not recommended to secure items of value in your car. Be safe: do not travel with valuables and use the storage locker. [SIZE=-1]USS Arizona Memorial and USS Bowfin Submarine [/SIZE] [SIZE=-1](Oahu Mainland) [/SIZE] The visitor's center for memorial to the sunken USS Arizona Battleship and the USS Bowfin Submarine, Museum and Park are located next to each other on the shore of Pearl Harbor, near the Aloha Stadium. [SIZE=-1]USS Arizona Memorial[/SIZE] This memorial is the final resting place for many of the USS Arizona Battleship's 1177 crew members who lost their lives when their ship was sunk by the Japanese on December 7, 1941. The Arizona Memorial commemorates the site where World War II began for the United States. It is open from 7:30 am to 5:00 pm and I highly recommend arriving early to avoid a long wait. Visiting the memorial is free, and since it is the most popular visitor attraction in Hawaii, the lines can be very long during peak periods. Sometimes all of the tours are sold out by noon. When you arrive at the museum you will have an opportunity to rent a headset audio tour for about $5. The Arizona Museum audio tour is interesting, because it is narrated by actor Ernest Bourgnine and real-life survivors of the attack on Pearl Harbor, but if you don't want to spend the money you can enjoy the museum without it. You will be invited to tour the USS Arizona indoor museum while you are waiting for the tour you have been assigned to. If you will have an exceptionally long wait you can also visit the Bowfin Submarine Museum while you are waiting for your Arizona tour time slot. When your tour begins, you will first watch a very moving 25 minute film about the attack on Pearl Harbor and the sinking of the USS Arizona. Then you will board a boat for a short, scenic cruise across Pearl Harbor. When you arrive at the memorial you will be given 10 or 15 minutes to walk around on the memorial before you are transported back to the visitors center. [SIZE=-1]USS Bowfin Submarine[/SIZE] The USS Bowfin Submarine was launched for the first time on December 7, 1942, exactly one year after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. It was nicknamed the "Pearl Harbor Avenger". The USS Bowfin Submarine Museum and Park is located right next door to the USS Arizona Memorial Visitors Center. There are three different attractions in Bowfin Park. There is a free outdoor museum on both sides of the indoor museum with missiles, memorials, and gunnery exhibits. The 10,000 square foot indoor museum is filled with interesting submarine-related exhibits. Visitors can also walk through the actual USS Bowfin Submarine, which is docked in the water just outside the museum. The outdoor museum is free but there is a $10 admission charge that covers both the indoor museum and walking around inside the submarine. You can also rent a headset audio tour of the submarine for about $2. See also USS Bowfin Introduction and USS Bowfin Photos. [/SIZE]

Love this information

 

[GloBug]

I agree Mary Ann. And I am sure it would be helpful to others in the future planning a cruise to Hawaii. That's why I thought it would be a good idea to have a HAWAII section on the PORT INFORMATION section of this site, instead of just the three that are there, ie, ALASKA, CARIBBEAN, EUROPE.

 

[Jeanie]

I agree Mary Ann. And I am sure it would be helpful to others in the future planning a cruise to Hawaii. That's why I thought it would be a good idea to have a HAWAII section on the PORT INFORMATION section of this site, instead of just the three that are there, ie, ALASKA, CARIBBEAN, EUROPE.

Yes this is a great idea

 

[Calgon1]

Maybe under PORT INFORMATION we can get a Hawaii section added. I enjoyed the Pearl Harbor info, and it was fun to be able to get excited more about this upcoming but still far away cruise. That way we could read about it now and still have it saved for later reference.

*sigh* ... There you go ... Doing that 'thinking' stuff. Take it from me ... It never wurks!


Actually (hoping this doesn't give her any more of a swelled head), that's a pretty good idea .... QUACK !!!

 

[ShipMaven]

Mele Kalikimaka. Mele Kalikimaka - Jimmy Buffet - YouTube

Thursday is rolling around again, which means...

69 Weeks
until we sail for
Paradise in the Pacific,
our Circle Hawai'i
cruise aboard HAL Zaandam.




Oahu

Maui

Big Island

Kauai

Welcome aboard HAL Zaandam's
17-night Circle Hawai'i cruise
departing Vancouver 18 April 2013.



Aloha nui loa,
Mele Ana
(Mary Ann in Hawai'ian)​

 

[GloBug]

My fav pics for this part of the week!

 

[Calgon1]

483 Days. Hmmmm. That's a lot.

69 Weeks. Still a big number.

16 Months. That's a little easier to digest.

Or ..... In one short year ... I can start packing !!!!!!





QUACK -

Am begining to seriously look at pre-cruise travel, tourism and hotels. Our current thinking is:

Fly in around the 13th. Spend a couple days in Seattle. That gives us one day to visit w/Calgon's family and a second day for SunFlower's kin. Plus, SunFlower wants to spend a lot more time at the Pike Place Market. There's also an organized tour of "Emerald City" chocolatiers that's starting to get her attention ...

On the 16th, relocate to Vancouver. We'll have a day to play tourist and wander Vancouver; and a final day to join in the "gathering of the flock". Mele Ana has mentioned that getting goods across the border, via commercial carrier or the post, can be a bit of a hassle, so we'll probably just have Oriental Trading ship the "duck stuff" to the Springhill, then just drag it with us when we change hotels. Have an excellent limo service (which we've used in the past) that should be able to accommodate a couple/three couples, luggage and cases of rubber duckies.



I have a co-worker who grew up in Oz, and he's made the following recommendations:

1) For the best coffee house - Cloud City Coffee (Cloud City Coffee - Maple Leaf's Community Cafe - Seattle), in the Mapleleaf neighborhood. Quite a claim, considering that there are more coffee houses in Seattle than just about anywhere else on the planet! Has my curiosity peaked ...
2) Restaurants:
American - The Oak Table Cafe' (The Oak Table Cafe in Sequim). We want the one in Kingston. Pretty good menu and reasonable prices.
Chinese - Judy Fu's Snappy Dragon (Snappy Dragon), in Maple Leaf. I agree. We've been there before. Very, very good. Some of the best I have ever had.
Eclictic European - Cafe' Nola (Cafe Nola | Welcome!), in Bainbridge. The owner/chef is a personal friend of my co-worker and he will call ahead if we decide to giv it a try.
Mexican - Barrio (Barrio Mexican Kitchen & Bar), over in Capitol Hill. Totally authentic.
Pub grub and micro-brews - Harbor Public House (The Harbour Public House - Heritage and Hospitality On Tap) - Awesome 'pub food" and micro-brews, in Greenlake.


Will start looking at Vancouver stuff this afternoon ....

Know a bunch of you have been to Seattle, and/or Vancouver, before and really want everyone's suggestions.

 

[ShipMaven]

Thanks, Calgon.

In Vancouver, you cannot pry me away from the Pan Pacific Hotel at Canada Place...but I know it's at the pricier end of things.......and not far from the hotel is the SteamWorks, a nice microbrewery and fun place for dinner.

 

[Calgon1]

Thanks, Calgon.

In Vancouver, you cannot pry me away from the Pan Pacific Hotel at Canada Place...but I know it's at the pricier end of things.......and not far from the hotel is the SteamWorks, a nice microbrewery and fun place for dinner.

OMG. The Pan Pacific is a fan-tab-u-lous hotel. I spoke with their front office and, unfortunately, they only participate in the GHA (Global Hotel Alliance) loyalty program. Those properties are a just bit out of my price range for disaster deployments (how I rack up the points). However, I ran a check on their prices and a "Pacific Club King" looks very affordable. Will have to bounce it off SunFlower, but you may have one refined lady and a court jester as pre-cruise neighbors !!!

 

[ShipMaven]

Actually, the past few years, Pan Pacific in Vancouver has been slightly less expensive through the cruise lines than booking direct - especially since the tariff includes transfers. Well...the only transfer that really counts is airport to hotel. The transfer to the pier is going down the elevator and walking into Canada Place terminal. But your luggage is handled.

 

[GloBug]

OMG. The Pan Pacific is a fan-tab-u-lous hotel. I spoke with their front office and, unfortunately, they only participate in the GHA (Global Hotel Alliance) loyalty program. Those properties are a just bit out of my price range for disaster deployments (how I rack up the points). However, I ran a check on their prices and a "Pacific Club King" looks very affordable. Will have to bounce it off SunFlower, but you may have one refined lady and a court jester as pre-cruise neighbors !!!

Or two! Neighbors, not court jesters...

 

[JacquieP]

Absolutely the Pan Pacific Hotel! I love the hotel and I love going downstairs and getting on the ship. It's never been easier anywhere!!!!

 

[Calgon1]

QUACK !

Gave SunFlower the details last night. She's made up our mind. It's going to be the Pan-Pacific! I especially like the Pacific Club. She likes having the cruise terminal (basically) attached. She also talked about revising my travel plans. Now, it looks like we'll fly from DC to Seattle on the 16th; and, yes, I realize that it's WAY too early to do any serious looking at airfares; but, if the 2013 schedules are anything like 2012, it'll probably be Frontier Airlines, thru Kansas City, MO. Hmmmmmm. Any other Ducks considering flying through, or out of, KC on the 16th?

Didn't know we could book the hotel thru HAL. But, somehow, I bet Mama Duck can fill us in on the details.

On that note, does HAL offer transfer from Seattle to Vancouver? If so, great!

If not, then I think we'll probably fly in to Sea-Tac early and take the 12:30 pm Quick Coach (Vancouver, Seattle Bus Transportation) to the Pan-Pacific, arriving around 5:30 pm. At $89 per person, round trip, luggage included, that's not too bad of a deal. Yeah, it's a five hour bus ride and an additional $178, but I can always read or sleep on the bus. Besides, flying DC to Vancouver is about $250 per person, round trip additional. The Quick-Coach will at save us enough to pay for the Pan-Pacific!

Now, I have to figure out how to get the "duck stuff" to the hotel. May have to just suck it up and pay Frontier for the extra bag. It would only be another $20, so I can probably afford that.

Mele Ana, think Vancouver has any idea what they're in store for ?

 

[ShipMaven]

Merry Christmas to the Duck Crew from
Mama Duck!

 

[Calgon1]

MERRY QUACKMAS !!!

 

[GloBug]

Merry Christmas to all my Duck friends

 

[Calgon1]

QUACK !

Traditional Kalua Pig is pork roasted in an underground oven called an Imu, but simpler versions can be cooked in a modern oven or a crock pot. Modern recipes sometimes add seasonings like garlic, soy sauce, and ginger, but more traditional recipes are often seasoned only with salt and smoke from the Imu. Here are two good recipes. My favorite is oven roasted. It's a touch more wurk, but a lot more flavor.

But, . . . you be the judge. Try 'em both!

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[SIZE=-1] [SIZE=-1]TRADITIONAL KALUA PIG [SIZE=-1] [/SIZE][SIZE=-1]Ingredients: 4 pound pork butt roast 1 tablespoon liquid smoke 2-1/2 tablespoons Hawaiian salt [SIZE=-1] Instructions: [/SIZE]Preheat [/SIZE][SIZE=-1]oven to 325 degrees. Rub pork with liquid smoke and 1-1/2 tablespoons of the slat. Wrap pork in foil and seal tightly. Place foil packet in a baking pan (to prevent drippings from getting on your oven) and bake for 5 hours. Shred pork and sprinkle with remaining Hawaiian salt. [/SIZE]OVEN ROASTED KALUA PIG [SIZE=-1] Ingredients: [/SIZE]3 to 5 pound pork butt roast 6 ti leaves or 2 banana leaves 3 teaspoons of salt 1/2 cup tamari soy sauce 2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce 5 garlic cloves, crushed 2 inch piece of ginger, crushed 2 teaspoons liquid smoke [SIZE=-1]Instructions: [/SIZE]Combine seasonings and rub all over pork, and marinate the pork for 1 hour. Wrap roast in leaves, then in heavy foil. Bake at 325 degrees farenheight for 4 or 5 hours. Drain off the fat and shred meat. [/SIZE]​ [/SIZE]​

 

[JacquieP]

Merry Day After Christmas! QUACK

 

[ShipMaven]

This is how a kalua pig is cooked in an imu - it's at least an all-day process.