| A Return
to the "Loveliest Fleet" of Islands
By ALAN S. LLOYD
Alan S. Lloyd is parliamentarian of the Honolulu Council and a national
director emeritus.
The Navy League's 2003 National Convention (18
to 21 June) in Hawaii will give attendees another opportunity not only
to develop plans for the League's 2003-04 programs, but also to visit
one of the world's most spectacular archipelagos.
The convention will be headquartered at the Hilton
Hawaiian Village on Waikiki Beach on the island of Oahu. In addition to
the full NLUS business agenda, the convention will feature a number of
special events, including visits to the Arizona Memorial, the battleship
USS Missouri, and the WWII fleet submarine USS Bowfin, all of which are
now permanently "homeported" in Pearl Harbor.
During their free time, Navy Leaguers also may wish
to visit the U.S. Army Museum of Hawaii at Ft. DeRussy, within walking
distance of the hotel, and the Hawaii Maritime Center Museum at Pier 7
in Honolulu Harbor.
A very special event has been tentatively proposed:
a one-day guided visit to Midway Island, 1,200 miles northwest of Oahu.
In the late 1930s, Midway was an essential fueling stop for Pan American
World Airways China Clippers. This beautiful atoll, now a wildlife preserve
administered by the U.S. Fisheries and Wildlife Service, was the site,
on 4 June 1942, of perhaps the most famous naval battle of the 20th century--one
that stopped the previously all-victorious Imperial Japanese Navy and
led to the eventual U.S./Allied triumph in the Pacific theater.
For those who would like a beautiful drive over
the Nu'uanu Pali Pass and the spectacular H-3 Freeway, there will be an
opportunity to sign up for a Friday night (20 June) special dinner at
the newly rebuilt Officers Club at Marine Corps Base Kaneohe Bay. Registration
for this event will be available at the Honolulu Council desk at the Hilton.
Because the convention includes such a full schedule
of meetings, seminars, and workshops, attendees may wish to arrive early
and/or extend their stays by exploring some of the state's other islands.
Following are some of the numerous scenic attractions available:
On Kauai:
Geologically the oldest of the main Hawaiian Islands,
Kauai is 100 miles northwest of Honolulu. Because of the 500-inch annual
rainfall on the summit of Mt. Waialeale, Kauai's spectacular mountains
and precipitous cliffs are complemented by particularly lush vegetation.
The Princeville Resort on the northern coast of the island boasts magnificent
mountain vistas, gorgeous summer sunsets, and rainbows for breakfast.
For those who enjoy hiking, there is a two-mile
trail running from the north end of the coastal road at Haena to the isolated
valley of Hanakapiai. The trail cuts across the face of the sea cliffs,
rising to about 1,000 feet before descending to the beach.
Among the other "must-sees" on Kauai are
Waimea Canyon and Kalalau Valley, both of which are on the southwest side
of the island. Waimea Canyon has been accurately described as the "grand
canyon" of the Pacific. Kalalau Valley features sheer cliffs and
waterfalls cascading 3,000 feet to the valley floor.
Other Kauai attractions include a boat ride up the
Wailua River to the "fern grotto," excellent golf facilities,
and spectacular helicopter rides.
On Maui:
Maui, 100 miles east of Oahu, is a figure-8-shaped
island featuring a huge mountain on each side. The old whaling port of
Lahaina is on the west coast at the foot of mountains that rise to the
5,788-foot summit of Puu Kukui.
Some of the most beautiful beaches in the world
are available to visitors to the resort areas of Kaanapali and Kapalua,
in west Maui. Wailea, in east Maui, offers many first-class hotels and
golf courses.
East Maui is dominated by the 10,023-foot Mt. Haleakala
(House of the Sun), at the summit of which is Haleakala National Park.
The park, which is accessible by car, is particularly beautiful in late
afternoon.
Other Maui attractions include the famous wind-surfing
beach at Hookipa on the road to Hana. The two-lane 51-mile Hana Highway
features numerous hairpin turns, spectacular sea cliffs, parks, and waterfalls.
The recreational activities available on Maui include snorkeling, sightseeing,
cruises, helicopter rides, and excellent golf.
On Hawaii:
Hawaii, 200 miles east of Oahu, is the largest island
in the chain and home of the two highest insular mountain peaks in the
world--Mauna Kea (13,796 feet) and Mauna Loa (13,680 feet)--as well as
two of the world's most active volcanoes and literally hundreds of waterfalls
and sea cliffs. The island also is known as an excellent location for
astronomical observatories--one of the world's largest telescopes is on
the island, at the summit of Mauna Kea.
Among the other major attractions on Hawaii are
orchid farms and Rainbow Falls in Hilo; Volcanoes National Park--Kilauea
Volcano's east rift has been erupting for nearly 25 years; numerous jeep
tours, including one from the sea cliffs to Walpio Valley; the 442-foot
Akaka Falls; and world-class golf courses.
On Molokai:
Molokai, 50 miles east of Honolulu, features the
world's highest sea cliffs (4,000 feet) and the beautiful Kalaupapa Peninsula--which
is accessible by mule ride or small aircraft. The Hansen's Disease Settlement
on the peninsula is administered by the National Park Service.
On Lanai:
Lanai, a small, privately owned island 70 miles
southeast of Oahu, was for many years best known as a Dole pineapple plantation.
Today, it has two first-class resort hotels, one of which is comfortably
nested in a beautiful forest of Norfolk Island pines. The island also
features excellent golf courses, horseback riding trails, and jeep trails--one
to the top of 3,300-foot Lanai Hale Mountain.
Members of the Honolulu Council look forward to
welcoming Navy Leaguers from "the mainland" and elsewhere to
the 2003 NLUS National Convention and to the beautiful Hawaiian Islands,
the "loveliest fleet" in the Pacific. *
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