9/11 Remembered: Paradise Interrupted
(On the 10th anniversary of 9/11, Tales Told From The Road ran stories from its readers and other sources about their experiences traveling in the days surrounding 9/11. Over the coming days we will re-run many of those stories to commemorate a day in the history of the United States and the world that will long be remembered.)
“9/11 Remembered: Paradise Interrupted” By Tom Wilmer
I was in Washington, D.C. days before 9-11, then flew to Hawaii one day before 9-11.

I was on Oahu. Powerful stuff: No aircraft in the sky; typically there are more than 1,000 take-offs and landings daily on Oahu so a plane free sky was a real stark anomaly on the island.
No boats on the sea other than a lone Coast Guard Cutter.