After sifting through hundreds of tour options that did or did not include guided tours of the many attractions at Pearl Harbor, we went for the simplest option and just got a shuttle return from the hotel. The fact that all the tours picked up from the hotel at 6:45am and we got an 8:30am shuttle may have been a factor in our decision... We bought a combo ticket for the USS Bowfin submarine and the USS Misouri battleship. Why any sailor would choose the cramped...

The longest day of our trip began with waking up at 4:55 for a 7am flight from Rotorua. We arrived in Auckland about 30 minutes later and, in keeping with our earlier experiences in Auckland, ran into the honeymooners, Sarah and Martin, at the airport. We then flew on to Honolulu and, like a pair of star-crossed lovers, Dean and Julie were ripped apart by a foul-up at the airport, which gave us seats in the middle section. Julie's claustrophobia meant she swappe...