Honolulu, Hawaii

Honolulu is the capital of Hawaii, located on the island of Oahu. It is the largest city in Hawaii and the major port and economic center of the state. The name Honolulu comes from the Hawaiian language and means ‘sheltered harbor’. Flying over the state capitol building, the U.S. flag and the state flag are almost like flags of two separate countries, each symbolizing a culture of its own. In Honolulu, old Hawaiian culture is captured in the grand Iolani Palace, America’s only royal palace. The Iolani served as the last seat of Hawaiian monarchy to King Kalakaua and his successor Queen Liliuokalani. The monarchy was abolished in 1893 when American forces overthrew the Queen-ruler. The palace has since been used as the capitol building for the provisional government of Hawaii, Republic of Hawaii, and finally for the State of Hawaii. Honolulu and Juneau, Alaska are the only two U.S. state capitals that cannot be reached directly by road from the contiguous 48 States. Among the many places that tourists flock to in this popular city are its legendary beaches – such as Waikiki Beach, “Shangri La” the Doris Duke estate near Diamond Head, the Honolulu Academy of Arts and the USS Arizona Memorial located at Pearl Harbor, site of the infamous attack by Japanese forces on December 7, 1941.