Our first stop in Hawaii was to be Kona on the big island of Hawaii. This was a tender port. Due to rough seas, we were not able to make it to shore.
In Maui, Oahu and Kauai we were blessed with much better weather. Unfortunately, the islanders are not having such luck. They have been getting so much rain that they are dealing with flashfloods and slides. Hope the storms pass by them soon.
Upon arrival in Kahului, Maui we picked up a rental car and headed to the surfing town and beaches of Pa’ia to check for turtles. No turtles, but beautiful scenery at the surfing beach. Next up was the drive to Haleakala National Park. It is a 10,023 feet climb to the summit of Haleakala (House of the Sun). The two-hour drive to the top has breathtaking views of North, South and Western Maui. At the top as we were driving in the clouds, we encountered monsoon rains, so we did not get out to explore. Making our way back down the volcano we took a detour driving through the Ulupalakua Ranch lands where we stopped for a nice lunch at the Country Store before going across the street to check out Maui’s only winery. The Tedeschi Vineyards tasting room is in King’s Cottage, built in 1874 for King David Kalakaua. It was then time to gas up the car and head back to the ship.
The following day we arrived in Honolulu, Oahu. Picked up a car downtown and started our tour of the island. It was a Saturday, so there was a lot of traffic, and the beaches were busy (three quarters of Hawaii’s population live on Oahu). We headed East in the direction of Diamond Head, and then North up the “Scenic” coastal highway. One of our stops included a viewing spot for a blow hole. Always fascinating to watch. As we turned West, we stopped at a shrimp shack for a snack of fresh garlic shrimp on our way to Bonzai Beach on the North shore. So much for plans – we almost made it – just a couple of miles short of our destination, the road was closed due to rockslides on the road. Could not even get through to take the road down the middle of Oahiu., so we backed tracked about 30 miles and headed to Honolulu. Decided to have dinner at a Teppanyaki restaurant in the Hilton Village where we dropped off the car. Again, one must be flexible. We sat down had our salad and the grills stopped working – I felt so sorry for the staff and how much business they were going to lose on a Saturday night. Allan and Sandra had been to another one several times in Honolulu, so we called, made reservations and had a magnificent meal at Tanaka of Tokyo.
Sunday in Honolulu was a shorter day, we took care of some shopping and errands, then had lunch at a noodle bar before heading back to the ship.
Our last day in Hawaii was in Kauai. It was pouring rain and was only a half day stay, so since I had been here numerous times before, I decided to call it a wrap. Funny, after we sailed away, the clouds cleared and the sun came out. Six days at sea until we reach Seattle.
