Sep 23, 2011 - Lahaina, Maui

Friday - Lahaina, Maui. We sailed overnight to the Island of Maui and we reach the shore at Lahaina. This village does not have a deep water port, so the ship anchors off the coast and we take a small craft called a “Tender” to shore. Lahaina is a former whaling port and has managed to preserve a handful of its former buildings and landmarks. Our group went different directions here: Larry did a bus tour to the Maui Ocean Center to view the marine life exhibits, Kathy and Cheryl went aboard a submarine to look at coral, a sunken ship, fish...

Sep 12, 2011 - Front Street retail therapy

Today we decided to stick close to the condo and relax. Chris finished his presentation for work in the morning, then we took a trip down to Front Street for some retail therapy (aka shopping!) I bought matching outfits for the girls, some soaps for Mom (as a thank you for watching the girls and making this trip possible!), Chris purchased some Aloha shirts, and I bought myself a dress, 2 pairs of capris, and a new backpack. After we finished shopping, we went and had lunch and a drink at Moose MacGillicuddy's. They had the...

Sep 9, 2011 - Aloha!

This morning we woke up at 4 AM local time, which would have been 10 AM Eastern Standard Time. We were able to watch the sun come up, then enjoyed a breakfast of Hawaiian coffee, french toast with coconut syrup, and a glass of passion orange juice on the lanai while watching the waves lap the beach. The passion fruit taste was definitely interesting and the coconut syrup was TO DIE FOR as usual! I had come inside for a few moments, and Chris came in as well without shutting the screen door behind him. I come back out to the livingroom to...

Jan 23, 2011 - Lahaina

Další nevšední den, strávený v městečku Lahaina, bývalém hlavním velrybářském přístavu v Pacifiku, a dříve také hlavním havajském městě, takže má pár historických budov a hezkou atmosferu. Petrovým přáním bylo vyzkoušet plavbu ponorkou a jelikož byl odjezd z přístavu ve 13h, stihli jsme akorát oběd a prohlídku staré soudní budovy (z 1859), která je dominantou přístavu vedle náměstí zastiněného velkým košatým stromem z roku 1873. Plavba ponorkou byl zajímavý zážitek, z přístavu nás zavezli transportní lodí k ponorce Atlantis speciálně...

Jan 22, 2011 - Lahaina, Maui Hawaii

We were looking forward to this island because of previous visits. With that we decided to do something a bit more off the beaten path. We took another ( death ) trek to see 3 water falls--it was a bit more rustic and strenuous than we thought! Walking in streams and through lush tropical forrests sounds easier than it is! Tons of mud and rocks to twist an ankle--but we survived and the views were spectacular! The water in the pools under the waterfalls was about the same temperature as we have in Lake Michigan at home! Needless to say, we...

Jan 22, 2011 - Lahaina, Maui

Maui – our last stop in Hawaii! The island is similar to O’ahu with mountains covered in lush greenery. One main difference from the other 2 islands is that you can see the islands of Lanai and Kahoolawe in the near distance. We do not dock here and need to take the tenders to the small town. We sail past a shipwreck that remains as a warning to others! The resort town of Lahaina is quaint and maintains it’s pre 1920’s look. Much of the town has been designated a National Historic Landmark and new buildings conform to the old style of...

Dec 20, 2010 - Maui- Day 2

So, I woke up and it was still overcast!! So, I guess no beachtime in Maui for me. Instead, I went and got a pedicure at the ship's salon and then took a city bus for only a dollar to Lahaina, which is on the west coast of the island. It was about an hour ride on the city bus. This part was not fun, but I did see some nice views. Once I got to Lahaina, I walked around the shops on Front Street and had a Kona Coffee and Carmel Ice cream cone. It was delicious. Then walked around more into the art galleries. I wish I could buy some of these...

Nov 13, 2010 - Down to the Crunch

We were up early as usual...just don't want to miss out on the warmth! Last day of snorkeling at Honolua Bay. We spent over an hour fish viewing again-never get tired of seeing those colorful little gaffers. We came home and lazed around,reading and starting to think about packing. Before we knew it, the clock said 4:18.....time to get ready to head off to see Warren and Annabelle's Magic Show. We arrived in goood time and managed to get into Annabelle's parlor without too many hints! We were seated in comfortable chairs right in front of...

Nov 12, 2010 - Time running out

We woke up again fairly early as the surf was beckoning. Had breakfast out on the lanai again this morning as the sun came up. We decided to return to our friendly beach at Kahalua today. We were early enough to get a parking spot again. Just got down nto the beach and there on the beach was a huge goose! Dianne wanted to take a picture and got the camera out of the waterproof case to snap a photo and the batteries needed changing! She headed down to our spot and I quickly drove to Napili grocery to get some batteries before all the parking...

Nov 11, 2010 - Turtles Galore

We had quite the day today. We were up early...6:30 actually and had bfreakfast as the sun came up. We got ready to go snorkeling at the Black Rock. There are 27 free parking spaces there and when we arrived at 9:00 we got the last one!! It was an omen. There were a few people on the3 beach but within a half hour the beach population increased significantly. We went in the water right away and it was crystal clear this morning. Took some great photos of schools of fish and all of a sudden we came across a green sea turtle feesing along the...

Nov 10, 2010 - Shopping Day

Today we slept in a bit as we decided not to go snorkeling. Today we had to go back to the quilt store in Kihei as Dianne bought material there yesterday but came home without the actual patterns! We went up there and picked up the patterns. It was lunch time so we ate at Stella Blues restaurant - we had wanted to try it out before but were never there at mealtime. It wasn't as good as we had hoped! From there, it was off to the gigantic mall near the airport where we spent a good part of the afternoon before heading home about 4:30. Not a...

Nov 9, 2010 - Day ?? Can't Remember

We had another great sleep last night. The waves were really crashing in about 6:30 - so loud, it woke us up. Good excuse to get up though and have an early morning coffee on the lanai. As luck would have it, we were rewarded for the early rise. Just about 15 feet off the shore directly in front of us were 2 large turtles feeding. I got a few good pictures but of course missed the one where he stuck his flipper and half his shell out of the water and splashed like a surfacing whale. Very cool. Just finished breakfast...about 9:00 am...and...