HONOLULU!
Waikiki, Pearl Harbor & the Arizona Memorial
How did a Corvette get to Hawaii? The Z06 was shipped from Los Angeles on a cargo flight on April 30 (Day 6). Ray flew separately. They reunited at Honolulu Airport for a single day on Oahu before both flew back to the mainland.
Hawaii. State #4. And arguably the most logistically complicated stop of the entire All50 road trip — because you can't exactly drive to Hawaii.
The plan came together in the days before departure: ship the Z06 from Los Angeles on a cargo flight, fly Ray separately, reunite on Oahu, drive around the island for a day, then load the car back onto a plane and fly home. Simple in theory. A minor miracle in execution.
It worked. On the morning of May 1, 2003, Ray picked up the All50 Corvette at Honolulu International Airport and set out to see as much of Oahu as one day would allow.
Photos from the Day
Stops on Oahu
Honolulu Airport
Ray reunited with the All50 Z06 at Honolulu International Airport — the Corvette had made the journey across the Pacific on a cargo flight, and the two were together again on Hawaiian soil for the first time.
Waikiki Beach
A cruise along the famous strip of Waikiki — the Z06 drew plenty of stares from tourists and locals alike. Not many Corvettes make it to Hawaii under their own power (or by cargo plane, for that matter).
Waimea Bay
A drive up the North Shore to Waimea Bay, one of the world's most famous surf spots. The bay was calm on this visit — the big winter swells were months away — but the scenery was spectacular.
The Punchbowl — National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific
The National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, set inside an extinct volcanic crater above Honolulu, is the final resting place of more than 53,000 veterans. Ray paid his respects at this solemn and beautiful site — a fitting stop for a road trip that had already visited so many monuments to American history.
Arizona Memorial — Pearl Harbor
The USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor marks the resting place of 1,102 of the 1,177 sailors and Marines killed when the Arizona sank on December 7, 1941. Standing above the sunken hull, Ray reflected on the sacrifice that defined a generation. Oil still seeps from the wreck to the surface — what visitors call the 'tears of the Arizona.'
Back to the Mainland
By evening, Ray and the Z06 were loaded onto separate planes once again — the car heading back to Los Angeles as cargo, Ray in the cabin above. It was a whirlwind visit, but Hawaii was checked off. State #4 of 50, done.
Next stop: back to Los Angeles, then north up the California coast toward Oregon and Washington — where the Z06 would be loaded onto a cargo ship bound for Alaska.