The Big Island: Kayaking in Hilo

Tuesday, August 23rd

Larry rose early this morning, and spent his day in Hilo on a crater and waterfall tour and hike. The hike sounded like more than the girls and I wanted to undertake; we had plans of our own. And those plans started out with sleeping in!

After a leisurely morning, we gathered our belongings and headed out for a kayaking adventure. The two-person kayaks left our party of three with an odd-person out. Thus, I was paired up with a friendly, outgoing woman named Brenda. This was my first experience kayaking, although I have certainly put in plenty of canoe experience over the years. So, the general concept was there. After some discussion between me and my partner, I took the front position, with Brenda steering in the rear.

We set out from a black-sand beach with an overlooking monkey pod tree, and took off paddling across Hilo Bay.

  

We could see our destination beneath a bridge 1 1/2 miles across open water. Seemed straightforward enough; but straightforward was not on our kayak's agenda. For some reason, all the other kayaks were paddling in a nice, straight line. Ours zigzagged all over the place! At first we tried to blame it on current, but none of the other kayaks seemed to be having our problem. Was it my bum right shoulder? (We were listing to the right.) Or poor steering from the rear component? Some combination of the above? With no answers, we continued our "scenic route" across the bay.

    

Oops! Just before the bridge, one of the other kayaks went over! Thankful it wasn't us, we meandered over to the bridge where we entered the Wailuku River, joined the other three kayaks, and waited for the water-drenched pair to be uprighted.  While we waited, we paddled around idly, giving our tired arms a rest.

     

The river was lined with banyan trees with their prison-bar like trunks and trailing air roots. We paused for awhile beneath one, admiring the surrounding flora, including wild ginger, and looked for sea turtles rumored to live in these waters - which sadly, we never found.

    

Before long, we arrived at the prize, and discovered why this river's name translates to "water of destruction". A grouping of half a dozen waterfalls greeted us at the end of our route, cascading down lava-formed cliffs to the river below. So beautiful and such power!

    

One of our guides climbed up to the top of one cliff and dove into the water below.



None of us was that adventurous, but we did kayak beneath one of the falls. Pretty cool!

This video, compliments of Brenda, shows Sarah and Emily taking a dunk beneath one of the falls...



The trip back was tougher due to choppier water. Brenda and I continued to zigzag - now listing to the left! - but, having learned how to correct our course, kept a steady pace. We chatted along the way, and I was surprised to learn that she was the hypnotist on board, hired to do hypnotist shows for entertainment, as well as seminars throughout the week. What fun! (Sarah and Emily told me later they knew it all along, as they'd attended one of her performances earlier in the week.) Too bad she couldn't have hypnotized us into paddling in a straight line!

Despite our crooked course, we were the first to arrive back at the take-out point, thankful that we stayed upright the entire time. We greeted the other kayakers as they made their way back, and enjoyed splashing around at the end of the trip was a welcome way to cool off and reward ourselves for a job well-done.

  

We had read before our cruise that the evening's trip from Hilo to Kona passed spectacular views of lava flowing into the sea, making a breathtaking show that was not to be missed. Strangely, there was no mention of this in our daily cruise ship's newsletter. We later heard that the tsunami from Japan's earthquake earlier in the year had interrupted that event. Disappointing, but you can't argue with Mother Nature...

Our Anniversary in Maui

Monday, August 22nd

Because our earlier summer trip to Orlando was so highly scheduled with non-stop activities, the girls requested that we make sure this trip had plenty of down time interspersed with our planned outings. With that in mind, we spent much of the day today at the beach.

Unlike yesterday, we had plenty of sun, evidenced by our "sun-kissed" skin upon arriving back at the ship. Our shuttle took us to a beautiful golden-sanded beach in Wailea, complete with palm trees, crystal-clear turquoise water, beach chairs and umbrellas. We watched kayakers and paddle boarders, as well as the novelty of a water trampoline. Who knew?

 

Arms of lava rock on either side protected this beach from too many people. Two resort hotels overlooked the beach, and across the water was a view of a red-tinged volcano. What a view!

  

Relatively calm when we arrived, the wind picked up and within an hour the surf became rougher, though still quite swimmable, accompanied by blowing sand. Adjusting our chairs took care of the latter problem, though we did find sand in surprising places later on! The water was cooler than I expected at first, but it didn't take long to acclimate, especially as the day grew warmer. Sarah and I enjoyed reading, taking in the view, and the occasional romp in the waves. Larry and Emily were more active, Larry alternating between water and walking about; Emily lived in the water the entire time.

A lovely, relaxing way to start our anniversary.

That evening, we sent the girls off to find their own dinner and entertainment, and Larry and I had a romantic dinner in the Jefferson Bistro. The ship's French restaurant, it was suitably special for our 30th anniversary celebration.



I enjoyed a delicious four-mushroom soup and Fruits de la Mer: a puff pastry filled with scallops, shrimp, and lobster in a silky cream sauce. Larry declared his swordfish beyond reproach, as well. We shared chocolate fondue for dessert, dipping strawberries, bananas, pineapple and melon chunks, grapes, and pastry rounds into liquid dark chocolate. Healthy and sinful all at once! LOL!

Just as we finished, we were presented with a cake while three waiters serenaded us with "Let Me Call You Sweetheart". Very sweet! There was a lot of singing going on that night. This was clearly the place to celebrate special occasions! Stuffed, the cake accompanied us back to our stateroom, where we enjoyed it over the next few days - and shared it with Sarah and Emily, of course...

In an attempt to walk off some of those decadent calories, Larry and I walked around the ship's upper decks, as we made our way to the Big Island. Admiring the stars, so apparent in the ink-black sky, I witnessed a shooting star for us to make a wish on! A perfect ending to a pretty perfect day.

Cruising the Hawaiian Isles!

Saturday, August 20th

Five years ago, for our 25th wedding anniversary, we'd planned to celebrate by taking a trip to Hawaii. Then the bottom fell out of the economy and Larry lost his job. Undeterred, we promised ourselves that we would go for our 30th, come hell or high water. And that we did! Having never been to Hawaii before, we decided to take a cruise that circled the islands, making several stops along the way, and spend a few days in Oahu at the end. We took the girls along with us, of course - they would have never forgiven us if we'd left them behind!



Our last cruise was 30 years ago for our honeymoon. Things have changed a lot since then. The first thing we noticed was how strict security was. Even though we never left the US (as opposed to visiting three Caribbean countries before), we and our bags were thoroughly scanned every time we left and re-entered the ship. Secondly, our honeymoon cruise was the then-typical "dress for dinner" affair, and much of our packed clothing was more formal in nature in order to have appropriate attire. This was a "Freestyle" cruise, and was much more casual. The strictest dress code denied shorts and flip flops and required close-toed shoes for men. Certainly a more comfortable approach with two teenagers along.

After an uneventful flight across the Pacific Ocean, we arrived in Honolulu, boarded NCL's Pride of America and found our stateroom.

 

Unlike the inside cabin of our honeymoon cruise, this one had not only a window, but a balcony accessed by a sliding glass door. Considering the cramped size of our room (especially once the beds were all extended at night!), we were delighted to have the balcony to add to our living space, and afford us with ever-changing views. A rainbow greeted us as we readied to leave port.

  

We had purchased the Anniversary Package, but were still surprised to find our room decorated with anchor streamers, balloons, and signs congratulating us on our anniversary, as well as chocolate-dipped strawberries and a bottle of champagne.



Sarah and Emily took off to explore the ship and swim, while Larry and I enjoyed a glass of champagne on the balcony as we left port. After dinner later that night, we sipped more bubbly and enjoyed the warm breeze as we watched the sea birds follow the ship-produced waves across the ocean toward Maui.

Sunday, August 21st

Our first port of call was Kahului, Maui. We started the day with a volcano tour. This bus excursion took us to the top of Haleakala. The day was rainy with nothing but clouds, the remnants of a hurricane accompanying us the whole way. The result: zero visibility from 3000' up, and absolutely no view from the top . At the 10,000' mark, we were lucky to see a few yards ahead of us. Disappointing, but you can't control Mother Nature!



Our bus driver/tour guide narrated the sights we passed on the way. She showed us sugar cane fields and the sugar mill, as well as identifying much of the flora and fauna we encountered.



The highlight of the trip for me was visiting with my seatmate. Because we happened to be the last four people on the bus, our family was split up. I sat in an empty seat next to a woman from Boston, traveling with three generations of her family. She was very social and liked to talk - we were well-paired and had some lovely conversation the entire way. Nothing to see, so we just made the best of it!

Mama's Confirmation trip

It's been a really busy summer. We got Sarah off to OSU right after school let out, followed immediately by our Orlando trip. Emily and I were at Day Camp for a week after our return, so we were all really looking forward to three weeks of down time before our big Hawaii trip. Lo and behold, out of the blue, came a call from Mama that led me to fit a trip to Mobile into the mix!

It seems that my mother, after 61 years of marriage to my Catholic father, and after having raised four Catholic children, has decided to convert to Catholicism. She's been going to church with Daddy a lot, and has become really comfortable in the parish community and close to a lot of the parishioners. She likes Father Tokarz and his teaching and has decided that this is where she wants to be.

So, a date was set and my plane tickets purchased. Luckily, Mama allowed me to help her choose a date that would fit in with  my availability. I'd hate to have missed this occasion...



She asked Ruth Ann to act as her sponsor, a very appropriate choice. Ruth Ann is, after all, probably the most active Catholic of all four children. (An understatement, perhaps?)  She chose St. Margaret of Scotland as her confirmation name.

 

I asked if I could sing the "Ave Maria" during the service. I felt that would be an appropriate gift for my mother, and meaningful to us both. I met with the organist beforehand, and felt comfortable with his accompaniment. Fr. Tokarz placed my song at the Offertory, a last minute change, but appropriate. I was happy overall with my performance. Mama seemed very pleased.

The actual Confirmation was next in the order of the Mass. Fr. Tokarz got a little carried away with the anointing - Mama had oil all over her face - but it was a touching ceremony, and Mama answered all the questions correctly. Whew! Ruth Ann led the recessional hymn, "Amazing Grace", one of Mama's favorite hymns. Kind of a nice way of including her past religious experience with the new.

  

After Mass, we held a reception at the house. We estimated later that about 40 or so people attended, but it never seemed crowded. Pollman's catered most of the food: meat and cheese platters, rolls, chicken salad, and petit fours. Mama baked her famous chocolate sheet cake, Ruth Ann contributed a cheese ball, Megan made spinach dip, and I prepared a wild rice salad. Rounded off with champagne and mimosas, everything  was a big hit. I was surprised at how popular my salad was; I gave away eight recipes before the night was over!

I especially enjoyed seeing and visiting with family members at the reception. Aunt Beverly, Corinne, and Fred, Jr. were there. I've not talked with Fred before, and was especially impressed with his personable and intelligent conversational ability. It was fun to catch up with my cousin, Sharon, too, and with nephews Matthew and Justin. (We bonded over cleaning up spilled wine on the carpet in Nana's room - shh!) It's unusual to have the whole of our family together, so it was the perfect time for a family photo.



While in Mobile, I squeezed in a quick trip to the beach. Susan, always generous with her beach house, arranged her schedule so we could have a full day and two nights at Dauphin Island. It was lovely taking in the sand and warm waters of the Gulf. Perfect conditions at the beach meant bath-water temps, a gentle breeze, a beach practically to ourselves, calm waves, and no undertow. Heaven!



Back at the beach house, we played two games of Scrabble (both of which Susan won!), tasty food, lots of time to catch up, and a dinner at Bailey's for crab claws and West Indies salad. Yum! Having our morning tea on the porch while enjoying the canal view was delightful, too.

A short trip, to be sure, but one I'm glad I made. Next year, we need to get the whole family back for a longer stay.