I woke up in 
Nawiliwili on the “Garden Isle” of Kaua’i, the fourth largest Hawaiian island and furthest north we were scheduled to travel. It was Thanksgiving Day, and I was approximately 4,900 miles from home and the traditions celebrated there. Well, most of them.
Instead, after a satisfying breakfast at my usual spot, the 50’s theme restaurant on Deck 6, I walked the deck and got several shots (the panoramic one is below with the rest available at http://singin1.pics/piwigo/index.php?/category/Hawaiian-Cruise-2024-Day-8):
At 12:30, I went to the ship’s theater, where they were live streaming the Dallas Cowboys football game. Their season hadn’t gone as we fans had hoped due to so many injuries to players, but we faithful watch anyway, and it is a Thanksgiving tradition, so….
The main event of the day was the luau at the Kauai Plantation. It appeared that a lot of the ship’s passengers had been bussed there for the meal, featuring roasted pig, and a show with hula, fire dancers and history. Each of us was given a beautiful, flower lei, a closeup of which is included with the pictures at http://singin1.pics/piwigo/index.php?/category/Hawaiian-Cruise-2024-Day-8. Arrangements had been made for professional photographers for those of us who wanted a picture taken on site. Mine is to the left.
The train ride and walking tour of the plantation were tempting, but I had done a great deal of walking over the trip and was finally beginning to feel the effects. I decided to chill at the table and watch the preparations. It wasn’t long before we were called to the buffet and extensive spread. No turkey in sight, but the pig was extraordinarily delicious. I ate and drank mai tais until I could hold no more.
After dinner, the show began. It paid “homage to the bravery of the ancient people who endured incredible hardships and through their “inner fire of determination” ultimately carried them to the new land, Hawaii.”
A load of pictures from the luau are below:
On Friday morning, we spent the day touring the island, primarily along Kaumualii Highway, Rt. 50. The tour guide gave us a map of route in the lower part of the island (pictured to the left).
While there was mostly travel by bus, there was plenty of stops that required walking in order to view the location. At the Waimea Canyon Lookout, a series of ramps had been added to provide access to the canyon. Lots of walking, but it was worth the view.
We made other stops that I wish I could recall; however, the geolocation mapping of the pictures I loaded on http://singin1.pics/piwigo/index.php?/category/Hawaiian-Cruise-2024-Day-9-10. A small sample of pictures are below. Two things I want to note. First, as had happened through the trip, we again saw feral chickens. Also, the gas prices here tend to be at least double of what I’ve seen in the DMV, which isn’t exactly the cheapest gas in the country. One more thing: the hand gesture pictured is called the shaka, the state’s official hand gesture meaning aloha spirit, love and local pride.
Our last stop was the Wailua River State Park. We boarded a riverboat and joined others using a variety of canoes and watercraft venturing on the calm waters. After a short ride, most passengers walked up to the Fern Grotto. I declined to take on the steep inclines, although there had been an attempt to make the pathways accessible. Several folks who did go kindly showed me their pictures, though. Mine of the trip are below.
Remember that $50 credit I mentioned in my last post? Well, we barely got back to Pride of America in time for me to make my appointment at the ship’s spa. I’m not normally into this kind of thing, but it seemed to be an opportunity I should not miss. In addition to a facial and neck and shoulder massage, I got a body wrap. I had tried to imagine what would be involved, but my imagination didn’t come close to the reality of lying nude encased in foil. Absolutely NO pictures are available.
My last hours on the ship were spent packing so my bag could be taken down to the staging area on the dock. Passengers were expected to disembark early Saturday morning. By the time I went to bed Friday night, everything was ready so all I needed to do in the morning was shower and dress. My taxi delivered me to the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu 12 hours before my flight was scheduled to leave for Seattle. I thought about renting a car and driving around a bit, but I decided to get through the madness of the post-Thanksgiving travel throng, get something to eat, and keep myself entertained with the movies, games and books I had downloaded to my kindle until the flight was boarded. The gate where I sat had a gorgeous view of the city and mountain, so I got one final shot of Honolulu.
The flights back were a torturous reminder of why I drive, if at all possible. This was Thanksgiving weekend, so both flights were packed. For the flight to Seattle, I shared the adjacent seats with two Black women who had also been endowed with generous hips, so no space to do anything but endure. From Seattle to DCA, two football player-sized guys joined me. Need I say more?
Thus ended my first cruise and addition of my 49th state. I wasn’t as tired as I had expected to be despite the return flight and the very chilly weather in the DMV that my jean jacket wasn’t remotely adequate to handle. Now that I’ve had this experience, I want to consider the possibility of an Alaskan cruise and what pitfalls I can avoid simply by being more knowledgeable about what I can do to avoid them. It’s going to take some time to fund raise for that adventure, though, so I’ve got time to get ready.
Alaska, here I come!!