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The last time I checked, the price of 89-octane gasoline in Chicago was $3.69 a gallon. The same gallon of gasoline in Honolulu sells for $3.39 per gallon. It goes without saying that you’re better off driving a Toyota Prius than a Corvette in both places.
You see a lot of motor scooters in Honolulu, and quite a few tourists take advantage of the opportunity to rent one. Public transportation is plentiful and price-wise, the best way to go. Tourism is the major industry on all of the islands, so taxi and bus drivers are extremely helpful and friendly. Hotel concierges are exceptionally helpful and I highly recommend using them for those little sightseeing excursions. Jean and Barb from All About Travel made most of our arrangements prior to our trip, but we still checked with a couple concierges for needed additional information. Using a good travel agent can save you a lot of money, plus most of your trip can be paid for prior to leaving home.
The tour we took of the Arizona Memorial included a visit to the battleship Missouri and a visit to the historical part of Honolulu. This made for a full day of walking and sitting on a motor coach with a knowledgeable tour guide.
I didn’t take any pictures of the Arizona Memorial, because of the solemn feeling I had while at the site. After all, I wouldn’t take pictures at a funeral. It just didn’t seem like the proper thing to do. I was only one of several men who removed their hats while at the Arizona Memorial. This, I felt, was the proper thing to do, so as to show respect to those brave souls who still lie entombed aboard the USS Arizona. The Missouri was active during World War II, Vietnam, and the war in Iraq. It has been decommissioned, and now sits as a memorial about 2000 feet away from the Arizona.
The one thing that I’ll never understand is how many tourists just can’t leave their cell phones alone. They seem to never cease giving their thumbs the opportunity to dance around the cell phone’s keypad. This is especially true at restaurants. “Selfies” are also popular no matter where you go.
It amazes me how many families travel to Hawaii. This has to be quite costly, especially when it comes to dining out. A breakfast buffet for two of us came to around $35.00, and this included an $8.00 Senior Discount, but did not include a tip. One morning, I had an Egg McMuffin, hash browns, cup of juice, and some pineapple wedges under the golden arches, and I still paid over $8.00. From looking at the number of tourists visiting the fiftieth state, I can confidentially say that we are no longer in a recession.
Next week, I’ll continue with this travelogue, but for now, let’s get back to reality.
I’ve been spending a lot of time on the road lately, always looking for things to write about and share with readers. It seems the older I get, the less patience I seem to have for other drivers. Some things I just don’t understand. If someone has an answer to my curiosity, please let me know, so that perhaps I’ll better understand. One of many things that gets my attention is that some drivers insist on remaining in the left lane of a four-lane highway, when there is no one left to overtake. I believe there is a law against doing this. I’m pretty sure that the left lane is for passing only.
Speed limits are set for our safety. On most highways, the speed limit is 55, and on most four-lane highways, the limit is 70. It seems that if I’m maintaining the speed limit, there are always those drivers who insist on passing me, which means that they are exceeding the speed limit by more than just five miles per hour. I must admit that I usually drive at least three or four miles more than the limit, providing the weather and other driving conditions are suitable. I guess there are just some things that are meant to be a mystery. If the speed limit were raised to 80 mph, I’m sure there would be some drivers exceeding that. Some of these speeders are very good at what they do, because I’ve seen some people speed past me and text at the same time. Perhaps there should be a law against that.
See you Out and About!
Submitted by Norm Stutesman
