5 Things You Should Know (+ Tips) for Visiting Pearl Harbor & Ford Island

thank you my filming ladies Hello friends and welcome back to sincerely Kilani my name is Kilani and I make videos about my chaotic sewing journey and my lifestyle as a stay-at-home girlfriend trying to use her college degree to make a small business We are continuing my mini Vlog series about our trip to Oahu Hawaii and today I'll be going over five things you should know as well as some tips for visiting Pearl Harbor and Ford Island disclaimer I am no expert in terms of travel Hawaii or War history if I use incorrect terms or get some information wrong I am only human the research done for this video is from my personal experience from visiting the harbor and the websites given down below start us off I'm going to give you two tips before you even get there number one is that Pearl Harbor is an active military base and your GPS does not know that if you're traveling on the highway you will want to get off at the Arizona Memorial Stadium highway exit and then turn on to Arizona Memorial place as this will be the way to the entrance to Pearl Harbor Visitor Center and parking lot if you pass by the Arizona Memorial place you will have gone too far and you will end up at Ford Island which is only accessible for Visitors by the free shuttle from The Visitor Center or by military personnel you will be turned around by an officer on dirty if you are not part of these two groups and travel back to the main entrance number two is that CIS is an active military base there is a no bag policy you are allowed to carry a water bottle snacks you can fit in your pockets as well as cameras and GoPros the only time you cannot record or take photos is on the shuttle to Ford Island if you're worried about eating while at the parks there are a plethora of snack Shacks food trucks and small restaurants near each Museum area you visit the first thing to know is that there are different ways to visit the first way is to just visit the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center which includes a memorial two museums a gift and snack shops and a museum about the attack as it is considered part of Hawaii's national parks there is a seven dollar a day fee for parking but admission to the section is completely free the second way to visit is by paying for individual museums or getting one of the packages available for purchase Nathan and I did the password to Pearl Harbor which cost 90 American each and included admission to the USS bowfin submarine and museum at Pearl Harbor Visitor Center and the USS Missouri Battleship the Aviation Museum and the USS Oklahoma and Utah memorials on Ford Island as well as a bonus VR experience and the audio tour you can also add a visit to the control tower for a discounted price when you get the passport can pay for each of these separately but if you're planning on visiting all four areas I suggest getting the pass to make things easier so tip number three is that the free admission to the visitor center and the passport do not include USS Arizona Memorial the USS Arizona Memorial is a boat ride that takes you out to the battleship that was sunk in with most of its crew inside on the day of the attack in order to visit you will need to hope that there will either be walk-up space for the next boat which could have you waiting in line if it's a busy day or to make your visit less stressful you can make a reservation either eight weeks in advance or the day before it costs one dollar per reservation and there are eight time slots throughout the day when you can start booking starting at 8 45 and ending at 3 15. if you reserve eight weeks in advance only certain times will be available and if you choose to reserve the day before the reservations open at 3 pm Hawaii time and will include all time still available for the following day Nathan and I had to reserve the day before since we didn't decide the day that we were going to visit until it was too late to our luck we were in our layover in Vancouver waiting to board the plane when the reservations opened up so we were able to quickly snag those and head on to our second flight number four is that I did not realize that the reservations don't include the Pearl Harbor movie this movie is part of the free section of the park and has a separate standby line with viewing times at the quarter after the hour in the quarter to the hour the second thing to know is that if you're going to do the passport this will be a full day experience we got there at around 7 30 a.m which was half an hour after opening and we stayed till just about close around 4 30 pm we spent about an hour and a half to two hours in each area and we're able to get through everything except the VR experience which was included in the passport and the USS Utah and Oklahoma memorials we also did not pay the extra to go up to the control Towers on Ford Island as this wasn't a big interest of ours so tip number five is that if you're a lover of history and enjoy reading everything at museums you may want to consider multiple dates Nathan and I did have to rush through the two free museums while we waited for our USS Arizona Memorial visit as we prioritize the areas we paid for on our passport [Music] the third thing to know is to come prepared to spend most of your day outside rain or shine although there are indoor museums and the free shuttle that takes you from The Visitor Center to the museums on Ford Island most of the areas included have an outdoor section as well we had all the different types of rain during our visit and it was easy to get out of the Heavy Rain by going into the museums but a little rain helps to cool you off so don't be afraid to dish with a plastic Poncho in favor of getting a little wet otherwise wear your sunscreen hat sunglasses and comfy shoes and with that comes tip number six and that is to dress appropriately is Hawaii it's hot and sunny so most people will be dressed to absorb the sun rays as much as possible however when visiting the memorials and museums think about where you are outside the park is your vacation but inside is the resting place for those who lost their lives that day as well as it being an active military base so dress modestly maybe leave the beach wear for your other days of vacation the fourth thing to know is that there are some difficult areas to walk through the USS bowfin submarine and USS Missouri Battleship are naval crafts that you get to explore the USS bowfin has Steve stairs and small doorways that connect the different areas of the main level of Submarine you get to explore please note that due to safety concerns children under the age of four are not permitted in the submarine for me being only 5'2 I can easily step through the doorways without crouching but if you're taller there may be a little bit of crunching in Aura to get through the doorways on the submarine you get to walk through the main level where a lot of the daily life occurred it is crazy to think that up to 80 men would be living and working in these tight quarters the USS Missouri offered more space as it held up to 800 men and was a battleship in order to see the whole ship you have to climb up and down some Steep and short metal stairs they aren't long flights but they are exposed to the elements so it is something to consider if you're traveling with people who may have conditions that would make this difficult there are accessibility ramps to the main deck of the ship and an elevator available that goes from the main deck up to the surrender deck but no further so the majority of the ship is not accessible if you are unable to do any stair climbing the fifth and final thing to know is to plan your day ahead of time so tip number seven is to visit during the week and go for opening like most places it's less busy first thing in the morning and during the week rather than on weekends we went on a Thursday and had the USS Beaufort Museum to ourselves for most of the time that we were there as it was the first Museum we visited our suggestion is to leave plenty of time for the USS Missouri it is your largest place to explore with the three different levels with the main and the upper deck there's also the lower deck which seems to have never ending corridors it would be super easy to spend all your time just absorbing the information and history that the battleship has to offer otherwise plan to spend one to two hours in other areas we personally found the aviation museum in Hangar to be the place where we spent the least amount of time this area houses planes and other military vehicles as well as the original Hangar that still has the glass with the bullet holes in it for you to see during your visit tip number eight conversely though is that the aviation museum does have what I consider to be the best souvenir for only 26 Cents which would be the Pressed penny machine I have been collecting press pennies whenever I find them on vacation and I was able to get a couple in Hawaii to commemorate the trip with which made me very happy but of course it is hard for me to say definitively how much time you need everywhere as we didn't get to do absolutely everything that they had to offer and I am not you but understanding where your interests lie will help you determine where to go my final tip number nine is that when you're planning refer to the Museum's open and closing times the USS bowfin museum opened at 7am with the visitor center but some of the areas on Ford Island don't open until 8 or 9 A.M if you're ending your trip on Ford Island you also have to ensure that you get back to the visitor center by closing time and each museum has a different time in which the last shuttle leaves so be sure to check with their respective websites or ask someone at the visitor center to get all your timing information while walking through Pearl Harbor I was constantly awed and seeing what the men went through and did to keep these submarines and battleships going on a daily basis and during fighting times I will never truly understand the strength and will power and work that they went through but it gave me even more respect for those who fought and those who were fighting in our militaries this awareness is something which I would hope most people would have after their visit to these historic sites and there you have it those are my need to know tips and tricks for your visit to Pearl Harbor and Ford Island in the description you'll find links to the different websites so you can start planning your visit most of the information I've given you in terms of logistics is on their website so be sure to check out the plan a visit and FAQ sections for more information or clarification I hope this has helped you understand what to expect from your visit to Pearl Harbor and I will see you in the next Hawaii video on Waimea Falls bye guys [Music] oh my goodness what these men see those round ones they're mainly men yeah those are the men we need and you're one of them like look it's so cute to the bridge I feel like I'm in Uncharted when we go through the German summary yeah yeah or like this feels like the most recent game that we're playing the submarine okay come on gauges [Music] and lots of stuff here football

Channel: Sincerely, Kaylani

Views: 1,253

Keywords:

Id: PvlpD2AohE4

Length: 12min 55sec (775 seconds)

Published: Sat Jun 24 2023