A Photo From Hawaii

Every photo tells a story.  But some can unlock a treasured, and perhaps forgotten memory. Such is the case with the photo accompanying this blog – which was recently sent to me by Carolyn who was married to my brother David for many years.  Carolyn asked where it was taken and how old we were.

Looking at the photo brought back a cascade of happy memories.  I immediately recognized it as being taken at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii.  We had toured the naval base there in 1952, so my brother and I would have been nine and twelve respectively.

I remember the year because my father was a musician, and he had accepted a job with the Xavier Cugat band touring Japan and the Philippines for three months, leaving my brother and me at home with mom.  Their tour ended with a week of performances in Honolulu.

In 1952 there were no cellphones, so regular communication was difficult.  Mom decided to take David and me to Hawaii to meet Dad.  We stayed there for a week at a small motel near the beach at Waikiki.  Although he was surprised to see us, I’m not sure my dad would have approved the cost of the trip if he’d been asked in advance, but ultimately our vacation was memorable for all of us.

I remember swimming in the ocean near the Royal Hawaiian hotel during a rainstorm.  My dad pointed out the obvious – in Hawaii it was warm enough to swim, even while it was raining.  That was an experience that both surprised and delighted me.  It was a treat, especially for a 12-year-old kid.

Years later, when I returned to Waikiki as an adult, I was shocked.  The small motel and empty lots had long since been replaced by multiple high-rise buildings.  Clearly, Waikiki had increased in popularity over the years.

Some of my fondest memories are of our family vacations.  One year we drove from Los Angeles to Seattle then boarded a ferry to Vancouver Island to visit Victoria and the renowned Bouchard Gardens.  On the same trip we also visited the dormant volcano at Mount Lassen in California.

I hope that you and your family have enjoyed many trips together, and that from time to time you run across photos that still hold wonderful memories – a lasting reminder of those happy times.

Alan