Exploring Pearl Harbor & USS Missouri with Kids ⚓ : A Heartfelt Hawaii Adventure on 9/11 🌺📸
🚢When Kid Feet Echoed Through History — Our Pearl Harbor & USS Missouri Adventure
The moment we arrived at Pearl Harbor, my oldest son was buzzing with excitement.✨ That energy set the tone for our entire adventure.
There are trips you take that change something in your heart. Our day at Pearl Harbor was one of them. We arrived on a clear, golden morning—September 11—which made the visit hit our hearts even harder. Visiting the USS Missouri, walking her decks, knowing this was the ship where Japan formally surrendered in WWII… something about standing there, with clean air, kids buzzing around, history all around, made my heart ache and swell at the same time. ❤️
🌊 Why It’s Called Pearl Harbor
Before it became one of the most famous places in history, Pearl Harbor was a calm, sheltered harbor on the island of Oʻahu. Its name comes from the abundant pearl oysters that once lived in its waters. Early Polynesian settlers and later traders would harvest these pearls, giving the harbor its sparkling reputation long before any battleships arrived. 🐚✨
The natural lagoon and protected waters made it the perfect place for boats to dock safely, and by the late 1800s, it became a key U.S. naval base. Its strategic location in the middle of the Pacific meant that Hawaii could serve as a refueling and repair station for American ships traveling between the mainland and Asia.
When you walk the harbor today, it’s hard not to imagine the bustling activity of those early days: fishermen in canoes, pearl divers diving deep, sailors unloading supplies, and the quiet beauty of the water reflecting the sun. That same harbor, calm and serene, would later become the backdrop for one of the most pivotal moments in modern history—the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, which thrust the U.S. into World War II. ⚓💥
Standing there on 9/11, all of this felt heavier—the loss, the bravery, the reminder of the fragility and strength woven into history.
⚓ What Made the Mighty Mo Mighty
Visiting the USS Missouri added another layer to the day.
The USS Missouri (BB-63) was the last battleship ever completed by the US Navy, stretching nearly three football fields in length 🏈🏈🏈.
Her nine 16-inch guns could hurl shells weighing as much as a car 🚙 over 20 miles.
Most famously, she was the stage for the official Japanese surrender in 1945—right on her deck, WWII came to an end ✍️🕊️.
Standing there, I could feel the weight of history pressing in.
To my surprise, I actually really enjoyed touring the battleship. It was fascinating to see how sailors lived day in and day out—tight corridors you can barely squeeze through, bunks stacked like sardines 🛏️, the constant hum of machinery. I don’t know how they managed it; it’s something I could never do myself 😅. The kids thought it was the coolest thing ever. 🙌 My oldest son basically hijacked my camera. By the end of the day, I had over 200 pictures taken by him. Every nook, cranny, and historical detail fascinated him. Moments like these reminded me that for kids, history isn’t just stories in a book—it’s tangible, weird, funny, and full of wonder.
🚤 What We Missed (and Still Felt)
Unfortunately, the dock was under construction, so we couldn’t travel out to the USS Arizona Memorial. That ghostly white structure floating over the sunken battleship is the resting place of over 1,100 sailors and Marines ⚰️.
Even from a distance, gazing across the harbor, you could feel the silence it carries.
🍜 Tanaka Saimin
After all that history, we headed to Tanaka Saimin, a cozy spot serving up bowls of noodles steeped in Hawaiian tradition 🍲In short, saimin is Hawaii’s answer to noodle soup—a blend of Japanese, Chinese, and local influences, and Tanaka Saimin is one of the classic, old-school spots to try it.
The recipes are old-school: the dashi (soup base) has a dried shrimp note and Hawaiian salt, brewed from scratch. Some say its special seasoning goes back ~55 years 😋.
An older couple sat next to us and struck up a conversation. They complimented my husband and me on how well-behaved our kids were (a parent’s favorite words! 🥰). She told us she had worked for the governor at one point, and that she and her son had acted in CSI: Hawaii and multiple other local televison shows🎬. Listening to their stories felt like stepping into a living slice of the islands’ history, culture, and entertainment scene.
We ended up visiting for quite a while, sharing laughs and learning about their unique experiences—a serendipitous connection that made our day even more special. 💕
🌺 The Takeaway
Walking through Pearl Harbor, you don’t just see history—you feel it. The steel of the Missouri, the silence of the Arizona, the tight bunks of the submarine, the smiles of strangers.
It’s a place where loss and resilience sit side by side, where children giggle in the same spaces sailors once wept, and where the past quietly insists on being remembered.
🏡 Ending the Day
After our adventures, we wrapped up the day at my friend’s house on Joint Base Pearl Hickam, sharing stories, snacks, and laughter as the sun dipped behind the mountains 🌅. It was the perfect close—a calm, warm, and joyful end to a day full of history, learning, and connection. ✨