Fourteen Days at Sea!

Our latest adventure consisted of a cruise around the Hawaiian Islands and then a sail back to North America, Ensenada, Mexico. Our friends the Griswolds had been wanting to go to the islands and so we were "forced" to join them!

Flying is not my thing but I have to say that the flight to Honolulu on Hawaiian Airlines out of Sacramento was as near to being good as it gets in my book! We were bussed to the ship and after getting unpacked, we began to explore Honolulu on our own. Our friends went their separate ways. We had fun. Jim and I hoped on the local bus and rode out to Pearl Harbor. We toured the Missouri, a battleship famous during the ending of the war. We also walked around the downtown and felt like locals. The fruit smoothies were so good. The next day during a light rain shower and beautiful rainbow, we sailed out to Kauai. That was the day we took a tour but up to Waimea Canyon. That was huge! Like the Grand Canyon. We learned also about their famous chickens. Next day we were in Kona. I kind of snorkeled, swam with turtles and got a slight burn. It was fun. The water was so warm. That night our captain sailed us by the volcano and we actually got to see the lava flowing off the side into the ocean. Hilo was next and we decided to hoof it around the city. We walked up to the Lyman Museum. They were one of the first missionaries in Hilo. Did some great things. It was a positive story, for which I was glad. We had some great shaved ice there at a hole in the wall place. The next day we were in Maui. We spent two days there (not enough). We took a submarine down 130 feet to a reef and way some wonderful fish. The history there in Lahaina was great too. And that's where I got sick. Jim and our friend Ray had been sickish and then Brenda and I got it too. Runny nose, fever, congestion etc. Shall we blame grandkids coughing on us before we left? Who knows. Anyway, the Pacific rocked me to sleep and Jim had plenty of food and company to entertain him so I just slept. In a couple of days, the seas smoothed out and it was pool time again.

We had a great time.... Thanks to the Griswolds and their dreams .