Hawaii! Part 1

My husband and I enjoy traveling, and through the years we have both been in all of the continental states, or as Alaska refers to them; the Lower 48. A few years ago, I was blessed with the opportunity to visit Alaska. I've been there twice! Larry has been to Alaska several times as part of his job. We still had one of the 50 states left to visit. 

Recently, we visited Hawaii! Getting there is not as easy as taking the RV out west. Let's face it; that's what earns Hawaii a place on the bucket list. We are great road trippers, but Hawaii is no road trip. It's hardly an easy trip for even its closest American residents. 

We flew into Honolulu on a 9-hour, non-stop flight from Atlanta, in the most cramped seat I've ever had the 'pleasure' of sitting in.

It is no wonder airlines are experiencing a rise in passenger grumpiness. You can't pack 300 people into a tube, take away wiggle room for toes, let alone elbows, and expect them to remain jovial when the person wedged into the seat next to them spills over into their personal space. But we survived, unscathed. Actually, the flight was very smooth and the flight attendants didn't have to wrestle anyone to the floor or handcuff some surly dude to his seat. Our passengers were well-behaved.

 Two Weary Travelers, Happy to be off a very crowded plane!! The leis, presented by our transportation company, were made from fresh orchids and smelled heavenly! (I'm glad I'm not sensitive to fragrances.)

There is the Hawaii we know, and then there is the Hawaii no one hears about. Most travelers visit the islands of Hawaii (the Big Island), Oahu--home to Honolulu and Waikiki Beach, Kauai, and Maui. There are 4 more lesser islands that get fewer visitors. However, did you know that the State of Hawaii extends 1500 miles and encompasses 143 volcanic islands? I had no idea, until we listened to a lecture on our ship. Most of the volcanoes are extinct but a few are dormant. And one, we are all now quite aware, is ACTIVE. Our visit took place the week before Kilauea 'woke up', so I won't be sharing any stories related to the current situation there.

 The city of Honolulu, with Diamond Head in the background.

Waikiki Be.ach, a block from our hotel room (Diamondhead in the background)

After flying to Hawaii, we spent two days in Honolulu, on Waikiki Beach, before boarding our cruise ship, the Carnival Legend. We toured Pearl Harbor, (more about that in a future post) and a bit of the city.

The National Cemetery located in The Punchbowl

The National Cemetery in The Punchbowl

Iolani Palace, official residence of Hawaiian kings; the only official Palace in the United States

I enjoyed walking around the city and just taking in the sights that were different from my Georgia mountains. The Monkeypod Trees provide filtered shade everywhere.

Monkeypod Tree

The Monkeypod Tree has it's fans, and it's detractors. It is beautiful but it is not indigenous to Hawaii and Honolulu is trying to ban further plantings of it.

The Banyan tree is easily recognized by the extensions (roots) growing from branches to the ground. 

One afterenoon as I was crossing a bridge, I noticed the sign above and looked over the wall. There they were; 6 feet away!

I was amazed at the clarity of the water and that I could photograph these beautiful fish and corals using a cell phone, not an underwater camera!

On our second day in Oahu, we boarded Carnival's Legend. However, the ship remained in port for one more day of sightseeing.

After leaving Honolulu, the ship would visit Kauai, Hilo and Kono on the Big Island, and Maui, before turning northeast on a 5-day voyage to Vancouver. (Funny story: Larry had read that Legend was refurbished in 2018 so we thought we were getting on a newly overhauled ship. Upon seeing our room, the TV remote that looked ancient, didn't work. The air conditioning was questionable, the bathroom light wouldn't come on, and the garish old turquoise sink had a faucet that was falling apart. As we found out, the ship was on its way to Vancouver where it would be put it in drydock. The refurbishment was about to begin! And it was overdue!)

Hawaii is wonderful, with lots to see. Unfortunately, when we booked this trip months ago, we fully intended to get out and explore every port. Due to some recent health issues, our in-port experiences have been very limited. Even so, there are photos to share and stories to tell. (As I said before, there won't be any stories related to Kilauea.) Over the next few days I will be sharing some of what we learned or saw while we were there.

The Clock Tower at night, marking Honolulu's port.