Day Trip

We decided last week that we wanted to go check out Meteor Crater - neither of us had been there or could remember being there so we decided that today would be the day.  Then on Thursday we were watching the news and they showed pictures and talked about a place called Grand Falls that is up on the Navajo Indian Reservation just East of Flagstaff - so we decided to head there since it stated that it was only flowing from about April-June....we after 10 miles of washboard dirt road.....this is what we saw

See all that water...what you don't - "oh come on...something that was on the news wasn't leading me astray....didn't tell us that the segment could of been taped a month ago to get the awesome shots that they had.....here is the "waterfall"  yes a little drizzle down to land on that rock and make a little trickle sound...it was a tad disappointing but we had a good time on the ride in and there were beautiful rock formations so the trip was worth it...besides I got to talk to these lovely ladies on our way out and they posed so nicely for a few shots.

We also had the fortune of seeing the backside of the San Francisco Peaks and they were just gorgeous today

We then headed to Meteor Crater....and it was a fascinating place.....

If you live here and haven't been...go and if you don't live here and are planning a trip...add this...

This was a sign into the crater...just thought it was pretty funny.....we finished off the trip with a drive through Sedona....which it never seems to disappoint...

A perfect way to end a wonderful day!  Next up...I'm thinking Antelope Canyon....need to do some research first though

Kauai

Kauai – Day 1

We arrived in Kauai right on schedule and we were off the ship and at Thrifty to get our car in no time flat.  Our first stop was going to be Waimea Canyon – we headed there and instead of taking the turn off that the road signs suggest we took the Waimea Canyon Road – which at first you think that you have taken a wrong turn and have ended up in a residential area…just give it a few and you will find yourself seeing some gorgeous scenery.  We soon came along the red rocks with waterfalls – these to us were just gorgeous…they just kind of mesmerized me….not really sure why but it may have been the white rushing water falling over the deep red rocks.

We then headed up to the first look-out….quite fascinating..we live in the “Grand Canyon State” and have visited it quite often and Waimea was so gorgeous..it definitely is worth the visit.  The greens mixed with the reds and then the blue skies…such a magnificent place.  We stopped at several of the areas on the way up to the top and went all the way to Pu’u o Kila Look-out – it is a pretty steep incline to the top but it is a ramp not stairs that lead the way.  Views are beyond awesome….the clouds were pretty good to us while we were there…it wasn’t completely clear but enough to be able to see the ocean down below.  I completely forgot about the Koke’e Museum as we left…so can’t comment on that.  We left via the Koke’e Road so we had completely different views on the way down – that didn’t disappoint either. 

We then headed North from here to Polihale State Park – which we had to drive on I believe it was 5 miles of dirt road – not all that rough but you definitely knew that you weren’t on pavement any longer….it was a beautiful beach and the sand dunes of average height here…the water was very nice…didn’t go all the way in but standing at the edge the surf came up and hit me about mid thigh….refreshing to say the least.  You could see the start of the Na’Pali coast line from here…again a gorgeous view.

We decided that we were hungry and we headed towards Island Tacos but once we got there we veered off and ate at Shrimp Station – ordered the garlic shrimp since at the time we didn’t know that they are known for their coconut shrimp….the plate was good but didn’t come close to measuring up to the garlic shrimp that we had at Giovanni’s on Oahu.  We decided then that since we had heard good things about Island Tacos that we needed to try one of those as well…we shared a taco…very good and very friendly people here. 

We have red dirt shirts here in AZ from our Sedona dirt so we definitely needed to have red dirt shirts from Hawaii….so we made a stop at the Red Dirt Shirt Warehouse – had a hard time choosing just one shirt so we ended up with two – one red dirt a piece and I had to get a purple one with all the islands on it and DH got a black one that says “Bite Me” on it with a big lizard.

We still had about 4 hours before we needed to be back at Thrifty to catch the last shuttle to the ship so we headed to Wailua Falls….the falls were raging since there had been quite a bit of rain in the last week and it was pretty red as well.  We left here and decided to hit another waterfall – Opaeka’a Falls….this was just as beautiful but not flowing quite as much as Wailua. 

At this point we had a decision to make….we were trying to decide to drive the rest of the way to Princeville or turn around and head to Duke’s to get a Hula Pie….we decided to head to Duke’s…this became an issue since we knew it was in the Marriott but didn’t know exactly where…we drove through the entire Marriott area – which is very pretty and was a really nice drive…we got to the end – turned around and headed towards Anchor Cove and that is when we spotted Duke’s – we parked in a handicap spot to walk over to Duke’s and we were told that we had to leave because it was parking for another restaurant (didn’t know that they could do this with handicap spots).  We decided at this point to just take the car back and head back to the ship – it was about 6:30 or so at this point.

Hilo Day 4

We woke up to rain and it was pretty solid the entire day and from my weather reports it had been raining earlier in the week and was still raining when we left Hawai’i on Saturday.  I know that some people let this keep them from their plans but we headed out since we love the rain to begin with and besides we were in Hawai'i how bad can it get.   We headed towards Volcanoes National Park and went to the Visitor's Center and then to the museum.  It was still raining pretty well but we made our way down the Chain of Craters Road - this is just unbelievable and the feeling that you get walking around pretty much on an active volcano is pretty surreal.  We made it clear to the end and then I walked the additional what 1/2 mile or so to where the lava came across the road...I figured I hadn't come this far to not make that trek and lo and behold the rain subsided long enough for me to get there and get back before it started up again.  The seas were pretty rough that day so the waves crashing into the side were spectacular and the Hole'i Arch was beautiful. 

We also made a stop at the Orchid Farm - which there is not much to say except that those flowers are just beautiful....we didn't see the $20,000 dollar one but we did see the sister to it and I have to say with beauty and all...still can't see spending that kind of money for a flower...especially one that you have to handle with kid gloves to get them to live at least here in Arizona.

We then headed to the Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Factory...oh this was a BIG mistake...my wallet took a direct hit.  I am a huge macadamia nut fan and to be surrounded by them in every possible form I had a hard time deciding what I wanted.  We ended up with our selection and checked out.  Found out later that our favorite so far has been the Onion and Garlic ones – ended up picking up more of these later in the trip.  We headed out back of the store and had some macadamia nut ice cream....yum!  It was a great end to a very nice day.

Madame Pele'

Holei Arch



Sister of the $20,000 Orchid

Maui - Day 2

Maui Day 2

Today we rented a car with Thrifty again and it was again pretty painless.  We drove to Lahiana to go whale watching, everyone says that this trip takes about 45 minutes but it didn’t seem to take nearly that long.  Parking is a bear here...we arrived about 9:30 if I remember correctly and the free lot was already full.  We did find close parking to the Banyan Park but had to pay $16 for 4-6 hours.

We chose the Pacific Whale Company because not only do they do great tours but also some of the money goes to the conservation of whales which is important to us.  We arrived quite early for the tour so we had some time to check out the Banyan Tree and they were having a art show under it - so wish that we would of had a way to get some of the photos back...just awesome photography.  We boarded the boat and no sooner did we get out of the harbor that we were seeing whales.  They were everywhere.  I understand that a couple breached but I wasn't at the front of the boat to see this happen.  We must of seen at least 40 whales...doing everything but the breaching part for the rest of the trip.  The guide actually at one point counted over 10 whales all swimming together.  We saw them fighting, fin slapping, diving and blowing.  It was amazing watching all the activity.  There were babies all around as well.  This made the entire trip at this point.  I had unfortunately forgotten to pack my larger lens so the whale photos aren’t as close as I would of wanted them to be.  We finished up the tour and headed down Front Street - we were going to eat at Bubba Gump's but ended up going to the Aloha Mixed Plate - very good food and with it sitting almost right on the beach it was a perfect setting.  We then headed back towards the ship and on the way back there was a big traffic back-up and realized as we got closer that there was a seal laying on the beach.  All in all it was a very successful day.

Maui

Maui – Day 1

We had the Road to Hana planned today with Valley Isle Tours.  We get to the meeting point and our van is pulling up to meet us.  David our tour driver for the day and he did an outstanding job.  It started out as a pretty dreary rainy day but that didn't let us hold us back.  He stopped at just about every waterfall that was out there and let me tell you there were a ton.  My DH is a little impaired when it comes to walking due to arthritis and Dave was so fantastic - never made him feel rushed or pushed him at all.  This tour takes you around in a circle instead of going part of the way and then turning around.  We were also in a van instead of a big bus - I think there was something like 12 of us on the bus.  At our first stop Dave pointed out turtles in the water – I think I caught a glimpse of one of their heads but he said that this is a very popular beach for them...it wasn’t too far from the ship.  When we started on the Road to Hana – he stopped at the first waterfall and I mentioned that he could do that all he wanted to so he did – seriously we stopped at tons of waterfalls all the way thru the trip.  We stopped for the world famous banana bread at Aunt Sandy’s and they ran out before we could get up there so Dave kindly stopped at another roadside stand to get us some more and the place he stopped had a bunch of fruit as well and let us sample some of it.  We spent quite a bit of time at Black Sand Beach - enough time to enjoy the beach and use the facilities if it was necessary.  We stopped at a house on the side of the road that sold flowers and bouquets that shipped anywhere and this is also where we had our lunch - which was quite tasty – it included macaroni salad, chicken, drinks, rolls and dessert – which was chocolate covered macadamia nuts - yum.  We stopped at the Oheo Gulch which is a little bit of a hike to get to them and we couldn’t swim in since the waters were running at such a rate.  We visited Charles Lindbergh’s grave.  At one point on the back side of Hana, Dave stopped and pointed out some waterfalls up the mountain – one of the ladies on the tour said she counted 19 of them...breathtaking.  Our last stop before returning to the ship was at the winery - which I think is probably a mandatory stop.  The wine was pretty tasty but we didn't purchase any.  All and all I wasn’t big on taking a tour but I would highly recommend Valley Isle – you definitely get your money’s worth and you don’t have all the hassle of driving the road and someone not enjoying the day.  I know that several people say that it isn’t that bad of a road and it really isn’t if that is what you want to do is drive...but if you want to look at the scenery and enjoy the views then this is the way to go.

Our Hawaiian Vacation

February 16th - February 25th – POA cruise from the 18th - 25th

I basically had to twist my John's arm to get him to go.  I had a huge list of things that I wanted to show him and see myself while we were here.  I was working on convincing him that we needed to make a few more trips in the very near future!  Now if any of you saw my itinerary for the first couple of days on Oahu – you know that we were planning on not wasting any time.  I actually made it to everything that was important for us to see.  I think that the only things we missed were Diamondhead and the Blow Hole – which I didn’t even remember until late into the evening on the second day – figure we can catch that the next time.  We encountered almost no traffic but we also did not go into Waikiki – which was a choice I made on purpose.

 We flew into Oahu on the 16th landed at 11:25 a.m. and then rented a Mustang Convertible from Thrifty as Blue Chip members and were at our resort Aulani by about 12:15 or so. The arrival here was nothing short of wonderful.  We each received leis as we arrived – they also met us at the car and referred to us by name.  After a short tour of the grounds – pointing out where the restaurants were...giving us some brief information concerning the resort we were handed our room keys and were headed to our room on the 15^th floor overlooking the grounds and out into the ocean.  We are serious Disney freaks so this was perfect for us.  The grounds and resort are amazing.  I was sorry that we didn't have time to enjoy them - just gives us a reason to go back again (which we are already planning for next year). 

Our room was ready so we headed up to it and then had our luggage delivered.  Shortly,   we were on the road to the North Shore to experience some of the things that I had read about on Cruise Critic and Oahu Revealed book. We stopped at the Dole Pineapple Plantation - walked around the grounds - had a Dole Whip with fresh pineapple, went into Haliewa and stopped at M. Matsumoto for a shaved ice - we both got cherry with ice cream in the bottom and condensed milk on top....oh yum!  Definitely worth the drive and the waves weren't too bad to watch either.  Stopped at several beaches along the way...looked for turtles (never saw any – for the entire trip) and ended up at Ted's Bakery which was another yum spot. They didn’t have a lot to choose from this late in the day but enough to get us to return the next day.

The next day we started our day at Pearl Harbor - we arrived at 8:00 and our ticket time was for 9:15 which I didn't think was too bad.  We got the video tour and walked around the museum and listened to the all the information until it was our time to go into the theatre.  Like many have said this is so much more and makes you understand the events so much better.  It is really hard to explain your feelings about seeing this.  We left here about noon and headed again to the North Shore - we really fell in love with this side of the island.  We headed towards Giovanni's Shrimp truck with a side trip to Ted’s Bakery and oh my goodness we both thought that these were the best shrimp we had ever had.  We both ordered the Shrimp Scampi which came with rice – so glad that I read about these trucks.  We finished the meal off with a fresh half pineapple from the Smoothie truck that is right there as well.  We went to Chinaman's Hat and Byodo-In Temple – which I think is a serene and beautiful place – we made sure that we rang the gong and onward back to the resort via H3 – seeing this beautiful piece of highway was another thing on my to-do list.  Heading back to the resort we pulled off and picked up some malasadas at Leonard’s Jr – this is a little trailer in a parking lot of a K-Mart...if the malasadas are any different at the original Leonard’s then I don’t think that we could of stood it....they were amazing!  Unfortunately we didn’t get to try them all – another reason to go back!

Saturday morning - we walked around the grounds at Aulani and then checked out and headed towards the ship.  Checked the car back in and were at the pier by about noon, check in went extremely smooth and we were on the ship in no time.

  Once we were on I went over and made reservations for two of the specialty restaurants - Jefferson's Bistro for that night and Teppanyaki for Tuesday night.  Again this was quick and painless.  We then headed to the Aloha Cafe on Deck 11 - wasn't crowded at all.  Ordered a drink immediately and then went and got some food.  Shortly after finishing our meal it was announced that our room was ready.  We headed to Deck 9 Aft Room 9702 to be exact.  I had heard that the rooms were small so I wasn't surprised when I walked in and I loved our balcony.   Bags arrived before 3 p.m. and ended up with an issue here - I had checked my camera bag - now my bag has a zipper and has a latch on it to keep it sealed and all of its contents safe which had been done.  I received the bag and the zipper was unzipped and the bag was completely open when I opened the door.  No worries at first since I checked that my lenses were in place - I had kept my camera with me.  Upon further examination I found that my battery charger for my DSLR was missing.  I contacted Guest Services immediately and they kept in contact with me concerning this for the rest of the trip.  It was never located and I have paperwork to give to the insurance company which I'm not sure what that means yet but the entire staff at customer service was wonderful in the whole process.  I believe what may have happened is since I had so many wires inside the bag that it may have been opened at security and never sealed up again - I figure it is really my fault since I should of just kept it with me.

On to the room - we had plenty of space for all of our clothes and essentials.  I had enough hangers for 20 shirts, shelving for all the shorts and jeans and two drawers held all of our undergarments.  The suitcases fit nicely under the bed and the power strip I brought worked perfectly for all of our electronics.  The two drawers under the television we didn't really use - I put the beach towels in there and a few things that we wouldn't need.  I used the medicine cabinet in the bathroom for everything that needed to be in there and the shelving next to the closet for snacks and other items.  As has been said on here more times than I can remember - the rooms are smaller than most ships but you aren't in them all that much either and I felt that the space was very good for two people.  Now the balcony was awesome - we had two chaise lounges, two chairs and a small table and still had plenty of room to walk around.  The downside to this is that our neighbors were smokers and of course, it came right into our area. 

When we arrived our beds were separate so we needed to get our room steward to fix that, clear out the refrigerator and give us ice.  He accommodated us fantastically while we were on board - never had to ask for anything and our room was always spic and span clean when we came back from whatever we had been out doing.  We also always had a towel animal!

As far as the food went we are pretty easy to please...my DH can have a hamburger and be satisfied.  The Aloha Grill - we ate in it for dinner every night but the two nights we were in the specialty restaurants.  It was just easier and it had enough of a selection to make us both happy.  Everyone was always very pleasant and accommodating.  Once we got separated and ended up at two different tables - my DH sent one of the crew to see if they could find me - which they did and then escorted me to where he was sitting (he was in the wrong place). 

Jefferson's Bistro - we had the "Best of All" meal on embarkation night and it was fabulous.  We were given the menu but also told that we needed to go and get food from the buffet that they had and then order off the menu as well.  The buffet had a ton of different foods - salads, sushi, pasta, carving station and a dessert table.  After getting a plate from there I didn't really think I needed anything else but the crew member said "oh come on" so we ordered off the menu as well - I got the Onion soup, which was fantastic, the crab cakes - were yummy and then my DH ordered the filet mignon which I tried as well and it was as tender as could be.  This was all for $15 per person.  We never felt rushed or like they wanted us out of there - the atmosphere was very nice and they had a guy playing the keyboard too.

Teppanyaki - If at all possible you must do this once on this cruise.  The show was spectacular and our chef was hilarious.  The food was amazing.  I ordered the Shinto which was scallops and shrimp and DH had the Land and Sea which was filet mignon and shrimp.  We also received prior to our main course -  Miso soup and Seaweed Salad - both very good in my opinion.  For dessert we had fresh fruit and Green Tea cake and ice cream.  At this point we were so stuffed that the dessert was good but so not needed.  The chef asked before he left if anyone wanted more and he cooked up about 4 more filets and dished them out to the guests that had ordered that originally and even asked those of us that didn't if we wanted any.  They only do 3 shows a night - 5:30, 7:30 and 9:30 so I would suggest booking this as soon as you get on the ship because it was sold out the entire time we were there.

Since we did Jefferson's Bistro on Embarkation day we missed lobster night and the other night that is lobster night is Wednesday in Lazy J Steakhouse. 

If you have any questions please feel free to ask....next up Maui!

Photos are being posted at http://travel.webshots.com/album/582418523ZPcCYF