#508 Hilo's Japanese Garden

What a way to spend the last afternoon of the last day in our last port! 

We visited Hilo's fantastic Liliuokalani Japanese Garden.

This sprawling thirty-acre city park makes most of the gardens we've already visited on this trip seem like postage stamps. 

Liliuokalani's central pond is a tidal pool alive with exotropical fish and guarded by a massive Banyan tree. 

Maybe we saved one of the best places for last.

Yours in enjoying Japanese gardens everywhere,
Kelly

#507 Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park

Dreams can come true. We’re in Hawai’i!

Of course, the weather is a little wet. We’re in Hilo, after all, the rainiest city in the US.

But what does that matter if you’re off the ship for the first time in 11 days and you’re setting off with good friends to visit a US National Park?

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is filled with all kinds of cool things like calderas…

And the rainforest…

And Hapuu tree ferns...

And lava tubes...

And the Holei Sea Arch...

 And a lava rock wall...

And the Pu’u Loa petroglyphs...

It’s true we didn’t see any molten lava, but then again, we’re kind of glad we didn’t.

Yours in appreciating all the positives of a volcano-covered island,
Mary

#506 Land Ho

After 11 days at sea, we dock in Honolulu to refuel.

Alas, the forward end of the ship is as close as we can get to the island of Oahu.

Yours in Hawaii dreaming,
Mary

#24 Hawaii Rainbows

We found a pot of gold after 5 days at sea. Hawaii. The land of rainbows…we stopped counting them at some point in the afternoon.

We rented a car with fellow voyagers Erica and Sally and completed a partial circumnavigation of Oahu. Waikiki beach, surfers on the North Shore, Diamond Head, the USS Arizona Memorial, a pineapple plantation…we saw about as much as can be seen in a single day. We tracked the elusive malasada Portuguese donut to the Ala Moana Center where we feasted on the freshly fried delights. Thanks to Bert in San Diego, our guide for this successful culinary quest.

Walking back to the Explorer just after dark in the refreshing island mist, we could not think of a better way to have celebrated our 12th wedding anniversary and our 50th state together.

Mahalo Hawaii.

Yours in anti-triskaidekaphobia,
Kelly

#23 Our 50th

Today, on our 12th wedding anniversary, we are visiting our 50th state together. Yup, the 50th state to become a state is our 50th state.

Sure, we have our favorites, but on this day, we appreciate the opportunities that have taken us to all 49 and we appreciate the serendipity that has brought us here today. We are thrilled that the MV Explorer is making a brief stop in Hawaii, so that we may celebrate appropriately.

The Hawaii State Library is closed today, so celebrations might include a tour of Pearl Harbor, a drive around the island of Oahu, and a hike up Diamond Head. The sun is almost up now at 0530, so we gotta go yell, Land Ho!

Yours in love,
Mary