America was stumbled upon by Columbus in 1492 and for more than 500 years people have travelled here seeking a better life in the land of opportunity. The land was fought over by colonial powers for centuries and finally won its independence from Britain in 1783. Despite the near annihilation of the Native American population, one of the bloodiest civil wars the world had seen, and ingrained racism (Native Americans were not granted citizenship until 1924 and racial segregation was the norm until as late as the 1950s), the American people have succeeded in forging one of the worlds most united, democratic and tolerant nations, a fascinating melting-pot of cultures, and the undisputed military and economic heavyweight of the world.
The country is made up of 48 neighbouring states of the continental USA, plus the huge state of Alaska, northwest of Canada, and the volcanic islands of Hawaii, 2,000 miles (3,219km) out into the Pacific. There are also the US territories, which include Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the Midway Islands and the US Virgin Islands. Tourism is focused mainly in the great cities such as New York and Washington, as well as sunshine states such as California, Florida and Hawaii where millions of tourists congregate each year to enjoy the fine beaches, natural wonders and man-made attractions such as Disneyland, Universal Studios and Hollywood. Too many miss out on the mind-blowing landscapes of the interior which can found in the wealth of magnificent National Parks like Yosemite, Yellowstone and the Adirondacks, as well as spectacular sights like the Grand Canyon and the Rocky Mountains. With all this on their doorstep, its easy to understand why most Americans have never bothered getting a passport.
No visit to Maui is complete without hitting the
highway - the Hana Highway, that is - that runs for about 50
miles (81km) between Kailua and Hana on the northeastern coast of
the island. This hair-raising but incredibly scenic coastal drive
was built in 1927 by gangs of convicts. It twists and turns its way
along the coastal cliffs, containing 56 bridges and 600 hairpin
bends. The route winds through numerous lush valleys lined with
dozens of waterfalls, dense rainforest, bamboo thickets, fern
groves and tulip trees. Visitors need at least a day to traverse
the route, stopping to enjoy a dip in mountain pools or exploring
off-shooting hiking trails, many of which lead to historic sites,
like the little 19th century church built of lava and coral in the
village of Keanae. There are two national parks on the route, some
lava caves, blowholes, temple ruins and of course unsurpassed
views.
Excursion: No
Forget about the Wild West, Hawaii gave birth to the
original cowboys about 40 years before they took over Texas. The
history of the Hawaiian Paniolo (cowboy) culture, going back 200
years, is captured in the Parker Ranch Museum and Visitor Centre in
Waimea. Here visitors can experience paniolo herding, cutting,
roping, branding and cattle-sorting on a wagon-ride that also takes
in some ancient Hawaiian artefacts and historic corrals in the hill
country, over and above the working cowboy station. The Parker
Ranch is the third largest privately owned ranch in the United
States. The Museum contains antique ranching tools, historic
photographs and furnishings and is complemented by two historic
homes on the site, which are open to visitors. The Mana Hale
saltbox house, built of koa wood by Parker Ranch founder, John
Palmer Parker, dates from the mid-1800s. The large Victorian home
Puuopelo houses an art gallery containing some original works by
Renoir, Degas, Dufy, Corot and Pissarro. Professional and amateur
rodeo competitions are held regularly at the arena.
Excursion: No Address: 67-1435 Mamalahoa Hwy, Kamuela Telephone: (808) 885 7655 Email: info@parkerranch.com Website: www.parkerranch.com Opening Time: Monday to Saturday 9am to 5pm Admission: $8 (adults), concessions available
The USS Arizona was one of several United States
battle ships that were sunk by the Japanese Imperial Navy during
its surprise historic attack on Pearl Harbour, Oahu, on December 7,
1941, causing the US to enter into World War II. Visitors are
carried by Navy shuttle boats to the unusual memorial centre, which
has been constructed over the sunken hull that lies six feet (2m)
below. The Arizona sank in about nine minutes, along with 1,177
sailors and marines who were on board. The names of the dead are
inscribed in stone inside the memorial. Visitors are shown a
documentary film and can view artefacts and exhibits explaining the
tragedy. The memorial is open daily, but there is always a large
queue for the free tickets, which are issued on a
first-come-first-served basis, so be prepared to wait. Bookings are
not taken.
Excursion: No Address: 1 Arizona Memorial Place, Honolulu Telephone: (808) 422 0561 Website: www.nps.gov/usar Opening Time: Daily 7.30am to 5pm. Interpretive programs, including
a documentary film about the attack on Pearl Harbour and the boat
trip to the USS Arizona Memorial, begin at 8am (7.45am in summer).
The last program each day begins at 3pm Admission: Free, tickets issued on a first-come-first-served
basis
Visitors passing through the Kona International
Airport will not be able to miss the clearly marked space centre
that is dedicated to the memory of Big Island born astronaut,
Ellison Onizuka. The astronaut died in the 1986 Challenger Space
Shuttle disaster, and the educational centre not only commemorates
this event, but also contains displays about other manned space
flight programmes, an interactive rocket propulsion exhibit, a moon
rock, astronaut suit and models of spacecraft.
Excursion: No Address: Keahole-Kona International Airport Telephone: (808) 329 3441 Website: www.hawaiimuseums.org/mc/ishawaii_astronaut.htm Opening Time: Daily 8.30am to 4.30pm Admission: $3 (adults), $1 (children), concessions
available
Hilo has been destroyed several times by tsunami
(tidal waves). The first-hand oral testimony of tsunami survivors
is now preserved along with some other fascinating information in
the Pacific Tsunami Museum, located on Kamehameha Avenue in the
town. The museum features a series of permanent exhibits that
interpret the tsunami phenomena, the Pacific Tsunami Warning
system, the history of tsunami in the Pacific Basin, tsunami of the
future, myths and legends about tsunami and public safety measures
for tsunami disasters.
Excursion: No Address: 130 Kamehameha Avenue Telephone: (808) 935 0926 Email: tusunami@tsunami.org Website: www.tsunami.org Opening Time: Monday to Saturday 9am to 4pm Admission: $7 (adults), $2 (children 6-17)
The Bishop Museum in Honolulu is the largest museum in
Hawaii and the premier natural and cultural history institution in
the Pacific, recognised worldwide for its cultural collections,
research projects and educational programmes. The museum was
founded in 1889 by Charles Reed Bishop, in honour of his late wife,
Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop, the last descendant of the royal
Kamehameha family of Hawaii. Originally the museum housed the
extensive family heirlooms of the royal family, but now the
collection includes millions of artefacts, documents and
photographs relating to Hawaii and other Pacific island cultures.
It also has one of the largest natural history specimen collections
in the world. All these treasures are housed in the former
Kamehameha School for Boys in Bernice Street, Honolulu, established
by the princess, which moved to a new location in
1940.
Excursion: No Address: 1525 Bernice Street, Honolulu Telephone: (808) 847 3511 Website: www.bishopmuseum.org Opening Time: Daily 9am to 5pm, closed Christmas Day Admission: $15.95 (adults), $12.95 (children 4-12). Concessions
available
For a taste of the coffee industry that flourished in
the early 20th century on the Big Island visitors can tour the
Uchida Coffee Farm, south of Kealakekua town on the Kona Coast.
Tour guides in period costumes show off the original farmhouse,
bathhouse, coffee mill and drying platforms. Only a few miles away
is the Kona Historical Society Museum, housed in the old Greenwell
family store, where photographs, ranching and coffee farming
exhibits are on display. The store was built by Henry Greenwell in
1875.
Excursion: No Telephone: (808) 323 3222 Email: khs@konahistorical.org Website: www.konahistorical.org Opening Time: Living History Farm Tours Monday to Friday on the
hour between 10am and 2pm Admission: $20 for adults, $7.50 for children
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