Return to Hawaii: Hale Koa

15 June 1985

We so enjoyed our “taste” of Hawaii in 1984 that we decided to take another bite out of the 50th state of the US.  (Click here for the story of our first trip.)  As was the case the first time around, the trip was short, but this time we had an extra day for a grand total of two — that’s not a typo — days on Oahu.

Again, our mode of transport was a KC-135 air refueling plane operated by the Utah Air National Guard.  This time, however, we traveled in comfort.  Instead of web-seats rimming the fuselage, there were regular passenger seats.  The same kind you’d find on a passenger jetliner, but a lot fewer of them.  We still shared the cabin with cargo, but the temperature was a great deal more comfortable.  Rumor had it that the commanding officer was flying the training mission, so perhaps that was the reason for the improved conditions.  Regardless, we weren’t complaining.

We took advantage of another military perk on this short trip to Hawaii — we stayed at Hale Koa, a military resort overlooking a stretch of beach in Waikiki.  I’m sure the rates have gone up considerably since 1985, but I remember we paid a ridiculously low nightly rate at the time.  And for an ocean-view room no less!

In 1906, a parcel of land that was deemed “undesirable” was sold to the military and became Fort DeRussy.  It was the fort’s Armed Forces Recreation Center that later became the 187-room Hale Koa (House of the Warrior) — a favorite R&R destination for military personnel.

[Click the picture to visit the Hale Koa website]

You know what my lasting memory of Hale Koa is?  Breakfast on the terrace.  And not breakfast in total — just the papaya … served on the shell with wedges of lime.  That was the first time I’d eaten papaya; I still remember how good it tasted as we sat there, overlooking the ocean, light breezes fanning over us.