Honolulu, Oahu (Part 3)

For our overnight in Honolulu we found a luau to participate in at the Waikiki Aquarium.  We weren't sure what to expect, but were treated to a great date night.  We toured the aquarium and saw species of fish we had never seen before.  Our favorite was the unicorn fish which, as you'd expect, had a horn on its head.  From there, we enjoyed a beautiful sunset stroll along the boardwalk before taking our seats for the show.  Great fun!

Joanne

Honolulu, Oahu (Part 2)

From the Arizona memorial we traveled to the National Cemetery of the Pacific where we were stunned by the sheer size. The memorial is enormous.  As you climb the steps you pass stone wall after stone wall which list the names of those lost during the wars.  On the top level are maps of the major conflicts,  You can't help but be impacted by the scale of loss.  Then as you turn to depart down those same steps and see the stunning view of the city and Diamond Head in the background.

Joanne 

Honolulu, Oahu (Part 1)

Our first day in Honolulu was a somber one.  We began the day with a trip to the Arizona memorial.  The memorial was crowded but the attitude subdued especially as the ferry left the dock and headed to the Arizona.  There we were able to see parts of the ship exposed above the water and watched as oil would periodically surface after seeping from the vessel.  One wall of the memorial lists the names of those lost.  It is a humbling site.

Joanne

Nawiliwili, Kauai (Part 2)

Just when we thought the views from the helicopter couldn't get any better we approached the Kauai coastline and were stunned by the sights.

Joanne

Nawiliwili, Kauai (Part 1)

In Kauai we took a helicopter tour.  It was amazing!  And if you think these photos of the interior of the island are great wait until you see the coastline!

Joanne

Lahaina, Maui

In Maui, we took the public bus to Whaler's Village and enjoyed the beach.  The water was murky following a storm but that didn't prevent us from enjoying the coral or sea turtles.

After a swim, we stopped by a beach bar and sampled some of the local drinks.

Joanne

Hilo, The Big Island, Hawaii

So onto our South Pacific voyage...

Our first port of call was Hilo, Hawaii.  Hilo is an industrial port and very much not what you expect to see in the Hawaiian islands.  Further, we never did find a walkable tourist district pulling us into local shops.  What Hilo does provide, however, is access to the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

Our first stop enroute to the park was at the Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Factory.  Here Dave immediately spied a giant sized can of macadamia nuts.  Unfortunately, it was not a real can of macadamias but an inflatable replica.  His disappointment was quickly put off to the side when he discovered he could sample flavors of macadamia nuts we never knew existed.

With sampling and shopping complete we continued onto the National Park.   There, we looked out over the crater and watched steam rise through the vents.  We also walked the lava tubes which was amazing given the amount of lava that was needed to create the tubes.

This trip we've upgraded our technical expertise and have figured out how to take video with our camera.  We've even figured out how to do limited editing to the videos.  Impressed?  Well don't be....as we are having difficulty sizing the videos for upload to the blog.  Perhaps next post....  

More to come.

Joanne