Waukegan Air Show to Return

Good news! After being canceled last year, it looks like the Waukegan air show is back on for this year. An article in today's Lake County Sun Times gives September 19 as the date. If you are in the area, please try to attend. We need to support the event if we want it to continue in the future.

Hawaii Cruise - Part 4

Waikiki, Oahu - Friday morning, April 24, our cruise ended. We left the ship, collected our luggage in the terminal and caught a cab to the Outrigger Waikiki on the Beach. We would be staying there for the next three nights. We checked in about 11 AM but our room wasn't ready yet so we took the opportunity to get some lunch. The hotel has three restaurants and a sandwich shop. We chose Duke's Canoe Club for lunch and were pleased with the service, the food and the view of Waikiki beach. After lunch we got our room keys and went on up. We had an ocean view room on the eleventh floor. From the balcony we could see a portion of the beach on one side and the shops along Kalakaua Avenue on the other.

After we unpacked what we would need for the next few days, we went back down to the street level and checked out some of the shops both in the hotel and along the street. We came across several signs announcing Spam Jam coming up Saturday night. We knew that Spam is very popular in Hawaii, just check the menu in any McDonald's in the islands, but a festival to celebrate the canned meat was something of a surprise to us. That was something we would have to see. We didn't have a lot of time for exploration because we had to get back to the room to get ready for our evening at Germaine's Luau.

The bus to Germaine's left from the next street over but we weren't sure exactly where. We walked over there a little early and located the place. What we found was a whole block where buses line up for many tours. There were other people going to Germaine's as well as those going to different luaus and sunset dinner cruises. We got it all sorted out and got on the right bus with our guide Holly. Besides acting as our hostess at the luau, it was also her job to get us in a party mood before we arrived. She did well at both tasks.

Once on the Germaine's grounds, We watched the pig being pulled out of it's cooking pit then enjoyed a couple Mai Tais while we waited for the buffet dinner to get started. While we ate, we were entertained by the musicians and dancers on the stage. The audience participation bits were especially funny. We enjoyed the dinner and the entertainment but, it had been a long day. When we got back to the hotel we were exhausted. We had to be up early in the morning for a tour of the island of Oahu so we had to sleep fast.

Early Saturday morning we were back at the bus stop to catch the Grand Island Circle Tour. This was a full day trip that took us to Diamond Head, Nuuanu Pali Lookout, Waimea Bay, lunch at the Dole pineapple plantation, Byodo-In temple, views of the offshore Rabbit Island and Chinaman's Hat and many other locations on Oahu.

Our driver and tour guide, Dave, did an outstanding job of keeping us entertained and informed along the way.

The vog was finally almost gone giving us the clearest day of our trip. The view from Pali Lookout was fantastic with the green hills against the blue sky and water. This is what Hawaii is supposed to look like and does most of the time.

When we got back to Waikiki, the Spam Jam was getting started. The street had been lined with food booths and music stands and was packed from sidewalk to sidewalk with locals and visitors alike. We looked around but decided to have dinner at Duke's rather than at the festival. After our long day we wanted a real meal.

On Sunday, our last full day in Hawaii, we took the opportunity to relax. We started off at the International Market Place across the street from the hotel. This pleasant shopping area, covered by palm and banyan trees, has hundreds of shops and food stands. We didn't buy much but we enjoyed the window shopping anyway. For lunch, we even found a place called Hank's Haute Dogs that sold Chicago style dogs.

After lunch and a little more shopping, we crossed the street and visited Waikiki Beach. We took our pictures of the Duke Kahanamoku statue and waved at the web cam. Duke's Canoe Club restaurant at the hotel is named for this same man and the walls there are covered with Duke pictures and memorabilia. Duke was an important factor in making Waikiki the tourist attraction it is today and references to him are everywhere.

Georgia was still recovering from her last foot surgery and had to stay out of the sand and water. That meant no swimming for us on this trip. We didn't really miss it though. It was fun to just relax in the sun and watch the people on the beach. The weather was perfect. This was a great way to spend our last afternoon of the vacation.

Dinner was on one of the patios of the Cheesecake Factory where we could enjoy the warm evening air. Then back to the room to back our bags for home.

Home again - Monday morning we got the airport shuttle from the hotel for our flight home. Due to some crew mixup, our flight was late leaving Honolulu but, they made up most of the time and got us to Los Angeles just a little late. We still had plenty of time to make out connecting flight which left at about 12AM LA time. That got us into Chicago a little before 6AM local time on Tuesday. By the time we got home it was 7:30 and we were worn out. Travel is fun but exhausting. I needed all of Tuesday to recover before going back to work on Wednesday.

Hawaii Cruise - Part 3

Kailua-Kona, Hawaii - We had no pre-planned tour in Kona so it was a shopping day. Getting off the ship proved to be more difficult than expected though. This was another tender port but rough waters were making getting everyone ashore a slow process. At one point, tendering was stopped while the crew switched the operation from the port side of the ship to the starboard side where the boats would be more shielded from the wind. Since we didn't have to be on shore at any particular time, we just waited until the lines to disembark got shorter.

When we did get down to the tendering platform we could see just why the process was taking so long. The lifeboat tied to the platform was moving up and down with waves that were close to five feet high. The deck of the boat would drop to over two feet below the platform and then rise to more than two feet above it. We had to time our step so that we made it as the two surface came into alignment. Two crew members on the ship side and two on the tender were helping everyone make the crossing safely. They did an excellent job but, it was slow going as each passenger had to wait for just the right time to make the transfer. Everyone was understanding and patient with the process and eventually we left the ship. The landing on the shore side was much easier than the loading. The boat docked in a sheltered area where the water was almost flat.

Georgia had been looking forward to a trip to Hilo Hatties so we got onto one of the stores free shuttles just as soon as we got off the tender. After a couple hours at the store we, and our shopping bags, took the shuttle back to the pier. Our priority now was lunch so we asked around about a good place. Quinn's seemed to be the popular choice so that is were we went. It is a friendly place with nice atmosphere and good food. If you are in Kona, I recommend you try Quinn's Almost by the Sea Restaurant.

The area along the shore is lined with small shops so we did more shopping there after lunch. Kona was our shortest stop with the last tender going back to the ship at 4:15PM. We didn't want to get caught in a long line so we caught a boat at about 3:30. The sea was much calmer by that time so the transfer back to the ship was no problem.

Nawiliwli, Kauai - Kauai was our third island of the trip. The tour for the day was a two parter. First up was a Wailua River boat tour. On the way to the boat dock, the tour bus made a photo stop at Opaeka'a Falls Lookout for a look at this double water fall. There is no boat or trail access to this waterfall so the lookout is the best spot for viewing it.

We continued on to the dock and boarded the tour boat. The trip is about thirty minutes from the dock to the Fern Grotto. A trio of singers and a lovely hula dancer entertained us on the way there. Once at the grotto, we got off the boat for a short walk from the dock to the actual site. The grotto is a popular location for weddings so, our entertainment group treated us to a performance of the Hawaiian Wedding Song while we were there.

The trip back to the boat dock was the narrative portion when we learned about the history of the area and about the plants growing along the banks of the river. Like so many places in Hawaii, we also heard about all the movie scenes filmed along the river bank.

Part two of the day's tour was a bus trip to Waimea Canyon State Park. Along the way, we made stops at the Spouting Horn blowhole, Koloa Sugar Mill (ruins of Hawaii's first sugar mill), Captain Cooks monument, and a fantastic lunch stop. This buffet lunch was absolutely the best we had on any of our tours. After lunch, we continued on to the canyon lookout.

Waimea Canyon has been called the Grand Canyon of the Pacific. At 10 miles long, a mile wide and 3,500 feet deep, it is impressive. The wide spectrum of colors in the rock and vegetation makes for some spectacular views. We spent close to an hour at the look out but it still wasn't enough time to take it all in.

Our driver was silent has he concentrated on the winding road back down to sea level and soon after we were back at the ship. Tonight was another elegant night dinner and tomorrow would be our last full day on the ship.

Honolulu, Oahu - This was our fourth island and our last port of call. The Spirit would be spending a few days here so debarkation wouldn't be until the second day in port. For the first night, we could use the ship as our Honolulu hotel.

I tried, but I couldn't convince Georgia that climbing down into a small, confined space that sinks to the bottom of the ocean was a good idea. So, I would be taking a ride on the Atlantis submarine by myself. I had wanted to try a trip in one of these subs for a few years so, I was looking forward to this excursion.

A trolley picked the group up at the pier and took us to Waikiki where we got on a boat for the trip out to the submarine. We watched the vessel surface and the previous group of passengers get off and board our boat. Then it was our turn to enter the sub. The seating is close but not cramped and each seat has a view port for good visibility. With everyone seated, we cast off and sank beneath the surface. By the time we got to the 50 foot level, almost all the color to the red end of the spectrum had disappeared so everything looked greenish blue. It is actually easier to see objects than it is to photograph them. The camera just doesn't record as well because of the lack of contrast from the compressed spectrum. The human eye and brain do a better job of compensating.

We passed by several artificial reefs, two sunken ships and a couple sunken airplanes that were all swarming with sea life. These are not wrecked vessels but were sunk intentionally to provide underwater habitat. Without them, the ocean bottom off Waikiki would be pretty barren as we could see in the areas in between. When the submarine touched the bottom at 120 feet, there was nothing to see but sand and rock Near the structure though we saw fish, turtles, starfish, eels and more.

Back on the surface, we exited the sub and re-boarded the service vessel for the ride back to shore and the trolley trip back to the ship. While I was gone, Georgia had packed most of our suitcases. We would be putting them outside the door later so the porters could have them in the terminal when we exited the ship in the morning. Before that, we had one last dinner with Paul and Sally and caught our last show in the Pharaohs Palace. Our cruise was coming to and end but, at least, we still had more vacation to come.

Hawaii Cruise - Part 2

Hilo, Hawaii - After our five sea days, we made our first port call at Hilo. I was out on the balcony as the ship entered the harbor and tied up to the pier. I wanted to see the mountains inland but, a moderately dense layer of vog limited visibility. This cloud of sulfurous volcanic gas would be with us for most of the trip. Usually, the gases from the Kilauea volcano blow out to sea on the trade winds. A few times a year though, the islands get a Kona wind which blows from the south east and spreads the vog up the island chain. That is what we had for the first several days of our visit.

Georgia and I had an early breakfast then got off the ship. Our excursion wasn't until 10AM but, because of the same Jones act that had forced us to board the ship in Mexico, everyone on board had to report to the Pharaoh's Palace theater, with photo ID in hand, to clear U.S. immigration. We presented our passports and were given a sticker to wear where it would be visible when we again presented our photo ID upon exiting the ship. Bureaucracy in action.

As soon as we got through the immigration line, we went directly to the gangway and off the ship. Both of us were anxious to get our first close up look at Hawaii. There is no passenger terminal at Hilo but local crafters and merchants had set up sales tables in the warehouse building that was being used a temporary terminal. This was also where our first greeting by hula dancers. Before we knew it, it was time to check in with Blue Hawaiian Helicopters for the Circle of Fire tour.

A van took us to the Hilo airport where we got a short safety briefing and then were led out to the ramp to join our pilot and one other couple in the helicopter. I lucked out and got the front seat which not only gave me a good view outside but also of the aircraft's panel. It was fun to follow along on the instruments and GPS.

After takeoff, our flight took us over the city of Hilo, and the harbor where our ship was docked. We saw streams and waterfalls, fields of banana, guava and coffee and much more.

The main attraction of the tour was the volcano and the lava fields and that is where we spent the most time. It is a pretty bleak place with clouds of volcanic gases escaping through vents in the black lava. We saw the former location of the town of Kalapana and the Royal Gardens subdivision which were buried by a 1990 eruption. A paved road just ends at a ledge of lava with nothing but the new rock beyond. The only house now remaining in the area is a Bed & Breakfast owned by Jack Thompson. The consensus is that, sooner or later, his house will also be lost to the hot lava.

Our volcano tour ended at the coast where we got a close-up look at the columns of steam and gas that we had seen from the ship the day before. From there we followed the coastline back to Hilo and the airport. After we exited the aircraft, our pilot Wes invited me to try out his seat. It is awkward to get in around cyclic stick but, once in, the seat is roomy and comfortable.

Back in the office, we purchased a video of our flight then were taken to the pier in the Blue Hawaiian Helicopters van.

Kahului, Maui - Our second full day in the islands brought us into the port of Kahului on the island of Maui. We had to make an early start because our tour for the day would last for over nine hours and started at 8AM. We were taking the Heavenly Hana tour along the road to Hana and beyond. The road to Hana has over 600 sharp curves and 54 one lane bridges. Once past Hana the road gets even worse. It is very rough and even unpaved in some sections. The vog was with us here too so the visibility wasn't the greatest. The haze obscured clear views of the mountains but the scenery was still spectacular. We had thought about renting a car for the drive but, in the end, we were glad someone else was concentrating on the tricky road so we could enjoy the scenery.

Even this early in the morning, the wind was starting to pick up and the surfers were out. We saw many of them as we passed the beaches near Kahului. Our trip was a little late in the season so, these were about the best waves we saw. The really big ones come in the winter.

As our drive continued along the shore, we got away from the sandy beaches and came to more rocky shorelines. The contrast of the black lava rock and blue sea was striking. Shortly after this photo spot, the road started climbing and we got away from the ocean for a time. This is where the curves really started.

We kept our eyes moving from side to side to catch one beautiful scene after another. Small streams and waterfalls were common and the water action is what is carving this spectacular landscape. We made a stop at the Palapalo Ho'omau Church Cemetery in the little town of Kipahulu where we visited the grave of Charles Lindbergh. Just a few miles past that, we arrived in Hana itself and stopped for lunch at the Hana Ranch.

After lunch, our tour continued past Hana. In addition to several photo stops, we visited a flower farm, a winery and Ulupalakua Ranch Store before we arrived back at the pier in Kahului. We had made it back just a few minutes before dinner time and had considered skipping the dining room but, as we walked back to the gangway, Georgia and I heard someone yelling our names. We looked up to the seventh deck of the ship and saw our our dinner table mates, Paul and Sally, waving to us. We made a quick stop to drop off our cameras in the cabin and then went on to the Empire dining room where we were just a few minutes late but able to share the days activities with our companions.

Lahaina, Maui - The main activity for today was whale watching. Lahaina was the first of two tender ports meaning that the ship anchored offshore and the ship's crew used the life boats to ferry us ashore. Our tour would leave from the same pier the tenders docked at but not for a couple hours. We located the tour company slip and then did some exploring of the town. The courthouse square near the harbor is the location of Hawaii's largest banyan tree and it really is impressive in size. The day was getting warm so a few minutes in the shade of the tree were welcome.

We made the short walk back to the pier and boarded the Lahaina Cruise Companies boat Kaulana Maui for our tour. Late April is the end of the whale watching season but, there were many of the animals still in the area. In fact, I had seen a couple from the ship that morinng. From the whale watching boat, we saw ten or twelve. I was hoping to see some breaching but we only saw a couple babies jumping and tail slapping. Still, they were big enough to make quit a splash. A couple rain squalls came through while we were out forcing us inside the boat for a while. They were short though and soon we were back on the deck watching the whale show. The tour was over too soon and the captain turned us back toward shore. As we cruised back into the harbor, we got a good look at the Spirit anchored off the Lahaina shore.

Hawaii Cruise - Part 1

Chicago to San Diego - We left Chicago O'Hare for San Diego early on Saturday, April 11. Our cruise didn't start until Sunday but we flew out a day early to avoid any airline delays that might cause us to miss the ship. Spending the night at the Hilton San Diego Airport/Harbor was our insurance policy. We checked into the hotel early in the afternoon and had time to relax and explore the harbor shore before dinner in the hotel restaurant. We spent the rest of the evening organizing and tagging our luggage for the cruise and just unwinding. I did get outside to take a few photos though.

San Diego to Ensenada and embarkation - I woke up early Sunday morning and saw that the Carnival Spirit was already in port. It was strange to have the ship we would travel on so close but know that, because of the Jones Act, we would not be able to board here in San Diego. Although Carnival is a U.S. company, it's ships are flagged in Panama. For that reason, they cannot embark passengers at one U.S. port and disembark them in the same, or another U.S. port without a stop in a foreign country. So, we would have to travel to Ensenada, Mexico and board there.

About 10 AM, we watched the Spirit sail out of San Diego harbor and head for Mexico. Shortly after, a hotel shuttle took us to the San Diego airport where we handed our luggage over to the Carnival porters and made the short motor coach ride to the Port of San Diego. This was our first experience checking in for a cruise at an empty pier. Shortly after check in, we boarded the first coach out and headed for the Mexican border where we hit a short delay.

Three Carnival employees were on the bus with us. They would help with the embarkation process in Ensenada and then return to San Diego. Because they would be working in Mexico though, they had to get off the coach at the border and apply for temporary work permits. That held us up for about a half hour. By then two more buses had arrived at the border and, when we left as a group, we had an escort consisting of a Mexican army pickup truck and a Tijuana police motorcycle patrol man. The recent border violence between the drug cartels and the Mexican government called for extra caution. They stayed with us until we were out of Tijuana then left us on our own for the rest of the trip down the beautiful Baja coast.

Boarding the ship in Ensenada was a quick process and soon we had dropped our carry on bags in our cabin and were enjoying a very late lunch on the Lido deck. By 8PM, all the buses had made it down from San Diego and we set sail across the Pacific for the Hawaiian Islands.

Five days at sea - For five relaxing days at sea we could do as much or as little as we chose. With nothing in sight from horizon to horizon, the ship was our whole world for those five days. The voyage started with seas running twelve to sixteen feet. Georgia and I weren't bothered but many passengers did suffer from mild sea sickness. By late afternoon of the second day though, the ride became much smoother.

We divided our time between strolls on the open decks, shows and activities in the lounges and just kicking back in our cabin or on our balcony. I really enjoyed the talks by the ships naturalist. He gave a different one every day covering topics of interest to Hawaii's visitors. The one on volcanoes was especially interesting but I liked them all.

We went to dinner in the main dining room every night and got acquainted with our table mates Paul and Sally. We got along well with them and really enjoyed their company.

We had our first elegant night dinner and captains cocktail party on the second night and the past cruisers party on the third night. There were shows in the main theater every night and deck parties on the Lido on most nights. The highlight was a luau night with roast pork and traditional Hawaiin dishes.

During the afternoon of the fifth day, the shoreline of the big island of Hawaii appeared on the horizon. As the island grew larger in our view, we could see the steam vents where lava from Kilauea was running into the sea. As darkness fell, we made our closest approach to the south shore of the island and could see the orange glow of molten rock through the skylights in the lava tubes. The captain stopped the ship there and turned it completely around so those on both sides could get a look. We turned in that night looking forward to our first port call in Hilo, Hawaii and to a closer look at the volcanoes.