One of the options offered with our chartered trip to O‘ahu was a bus tour of the highlights of Honolulu.
It sounded interesting so away I went. One of the highlights could only be seen (and photographed) from a
bus window such as Aloha Tower. This is located at the harbor where cruise ships used to bring most of the
tourists to Hawai‘i. Of course, most folks now come on airplanes and, as a result, the area around Aloha Tower has
been turned into a shopping complex.

Fans of the original Hawaii 5-0 television show will recognize this as the headquarters for the state's elite investigatory police force supposedly formed along
the lines of the FBI. In reality, Hawaii 5-0 is fictional and this structure is ‘Iolani Palace, which was the royal residence of the rulers of the Kingdom of
Hawaii beginning with Kamehameha III under the Kamehameha Dynasty (1845) and ending with Queen Liliʻuokalani (1893) under the Kalākaua Dynasty,
founded by her brother, King David Kalākaua. It was later used to house the Hawai‘i legislature after statehood was granted.

Looking at this photo, I was struck by how weatherbeaten it had become — an appearance that differed from my memory of subsequent trips. So I checked
my photos and it is apparent that the palace has been refurbished sometime after this visit. If you would like to see a more recent photo from my website,
click here.

We were able to get off the bus and tour the palace — this is the Throne Room. It was interesting but some years later, I toured it again and the interior has
now been refurbished and many original furnishings have been obtained and are on display. Where originals were unavailable, similar period pieces made
suitable substitutes.

Now when you tour, you have to put booties over your shoes to protect the beautiful koa wood floors. The koa staircase just inside the main entrance has
been polished so it glows (like it probably did when Hawaiian royalty lived here).

If you visit Honolulu, I highly recommend a visit to this historic residence.

And here is the Hawai‘i State Capital Building which houses both the legislative and executive branches of the state's government. According to Wikipedia, "The
Hawaii State Capitol is an American adaptation of the Bauhaus style termed 'Hawaiian international architecture'. It was designed by a partnership between
the firms of Belt, Lemon and Lo (Architects Hawaii Ltd.), and John Carl Warnecke and Associates. Unlike other state capitols modeled after the United States
Capitol, the Hawaii State Capitol's distinct architectural features symbolize various natural aspects of Hawaii."

The next stop was at the Soto Mission of Hawaii, a Zen Buddhist Temple. According to their website, "Our Mission is to promote the happiness
and general welfare of its members and the community by promoting the spiritual beliefs of Soto Zen Buddhism and raising awareness
of charitable and beneficial works."

We were permitted to get off the bus and tour the temple. Here is their alter — very impressive even if the lighting proved problematic to my
Kodachrome slide film.

Here was another place where we were allowed off the bus — the Morman Temple. We could stroll around the grounds but only members of the Morman
Church are allowed inside.

Back on the bus, we rode past huge fields of sugar cane (and took photos as we slowed down). You won't see this anymore on O‘ahu or any of the Hawaiian
Islands. The last sugar cane plantation, which was located on Maui, shut down in 1999.

Here we slowed down to see a banana plantation, many of which still produce fruit for the islands. By the way, when you visit Hawai‘i, look for apple bananas —
they are so good! If you cannot find them in the regular grocery stores, look for a farmer's market (you may have to ask at your hotel or condo).

This used to be a common sight in Hawai‘i — workers harvesting pineapples. Unfortunately, production costs caused the large producers to shut down their
operations throughout the islands.

I am only aware of one pineapple tour still available and it is in the tiny plantation town of Haliʻimaile in beautiful upcountry Maui — home of Maui Gold
Pineapples (check their website — click here).

Pineapples are considered an expression of "welcome" in many homes and symbolizes assets we appreciate there – friendship, hospitality and warmth.