School for the Deaf and the Blind
|
In order to discover the island of Oahu a little bit more in depth, some of us
arrived in Honolulu three days prior to the cruise. Since our hotel, the Marriott Waikiki, was
only 15 minutes walking from the School for the Deaf and the Blind we visited the school. Although
it was spring break we were lucky enough to get a guided tour.
|
|
The Luau, a must when visiting Hawaii, invited us to take a canoe ride, make
our own beautiful flower leis, watch the Shower of Flowers, the Hukilau on the Beach, and the Royal
Court Procession. |
Making Leis
|
|
The Grand Circle Island Tour was an all day tour that covered 120 miles of Oahu’s
best sightseeing spots. Included were the Halona Blowhole, Sandy Beach, Kualoa Ranch where we had
lunch and a tram ride, Kaneohe Bay, Waimea Bay and the Dole Plantation. Our bus driver was very
knowledgeable about the history, flora and fauna of Hawaii. He even found a chameleon in the wilderness.
|
The Pearl Harbor & City Tour provided a chance to visit the Arizona Memorial. We
drove through the Punchbowl National Cemetery of the Pacific, through downtown
Honolulu and we had a view at Iolani Palace. Then we saw the Kawaiaha’o Church, the statue of King Kamehameha
the Great, Honolulu City Hall, and Chinatown. After finishing the tour everybody embarked the
Pride of America, our home for the next week. |
Cruise departure |
Haelakala Crater |
At our first port of call we took a scenic journey through Maui to the world's
largest dormant volcano, Haleakala. The volcano last erupted in 1790. Haleakala Crater is the
highest point on Maui with the top reaching more than 10,000 feet above sea level. |
The second day at Maui combined all the highlights of West Maui like Iao Valley
with the Iao Needle, a 2,250-foot cinder cone pinnacle, Maui Tropical Plantation where we had
lunch and a nice tram tour. The tour ended at the Ocean Center where we experienced an 'underwater'
journey. |
Iao Needle
|
Rainbow Falls
|
Our stop in Hilo allowed us another all day tour that started with a drive
to Wailuku River State Park and Rainbow Falls. At Volcanoes National Park, we saw Kilauea Volcano,
the earth's most active volcano. A visit at the Hawaii Volcano Observatory and Jaggar Museum in the
park helped us to understand the birth of the Hawaiian Islands as geologists see it. A video
showed the most recent volcano activities and lava flows on the island. Afterwards, we had the
opportunity to walk through the Thurston Lava Tube. The last stop of our tour was the Akatsuka
Orchid Gardens. |
The focal point of our tour in Kona was at Pu'uhonua O Honaunau National Historical
Park. This place of refuge has served as a political and religious sanctuary since ancient times and
is home to the sacred Hale o Keawe Heiau, a temple that once housed the bones of deceased chiefs.
While continuing
our tour through Kona, we also saw the famous statue of King Kamehamea. A stop at a macadamia
farm allowed us to sample different flavors of macadamia nuts.
|
In front of the King Kamehameha monument
|
Lei workshop
|
Kauai was our port of call for the next two days. The first day we took a drive
along the dramatic coastline to the Wailua River, Hawaii's longest navigable river.
We embarked a flat-bottom motor boat for a tour of the river. We disembarked for a brief walk
to the beautiful Fern Grotto. Back at the marina we continued to the valley of the
Sleeping Giant.
The second day’s adventure was the breathtaking gorge, Waimea Canyon, the 'Grand
Canyon of the Pacific.' The canyon offers the visitor a spectacular view of rainbow colors. The
colors were created by the reds and browns of exposed volcanic rock. The impressive canyon is
10 miles long, one mile wide and 3,400 feet deep. |
|