Our first big vacation since retirement was a trip to Hawaii! It was scheduled just as I wrapped up my contract assignment at CDS and the weather dipped into the teens. We were off to 80 degrees!
Eric upgraded our flight to first class into ATL. It was pretty nice because it gave us 2 free bags checked the entire way.
We arrived into Oahu safely and took a stroll along Wakiki beach. The next morning, Eric hit the surf.
As we embarked onto the ship, we were given leis made of shells. They looked nice with our matching shirts!
One of the first things I noticed about the islands is how green everything was, and how different the trees were. It's a silly thing to notice, but just look at these pics! So strange from what we have in SC.
Our first stop was Maui. Here, we went wale watching...
And exploring for some merch (ie. necklace and flower clip).
In so many places they had statues dedicated to their heritage, or flowers arranged beautifully in nature in respect of a sacred space.
Our beach day in Maui was my favorite! The bus ride over was pleasant, and I was encouraged to see so much revitalization after the fires last year.
Here is a cute monk seal who came ashore to nap.
Our next cruise stop was the big island of Hawaii. Here, we explored lava caves and walked on cooled pyroclastic flows.
At one point, we walked on lava rocks that still had thermal heat below the surface, enough to turn rain into steam.
The next day while still on the big island, Eric again tried his skills at surfing. This time, the waves were a little bigger and he was able to get up!
Our third island to visit was Kauai. Here, we enjoyed a great hike to the top of a mountain called the Sleeping Giant.
The trail was more challenging than we expected, but that just made it more fun.
Besides the spectacular views at the top, we also saw a waterfall.
On the way down the opposite side, we passed through ceremonial rows of pine trees planed by Capt. Cook, one of the early explorers of this island.
After the hike, we rented bikes and rode along the shore line. Simply beautiful!
Our 2nd day in Kauai was supposed to be a boat tour around the Napali Coast. Since that was cancelled due to high swells, we made the most of the opporunity and explored more of the island. We saw the Wakamea Canyon....
This time, we were treated with a green sea turtle coming ashore to relax.
Back on Oahu, we disembarked the ship and took a tour of Pearl Harbor. The memorial and museums stirred deep gratitude for those who lost their lives as well as the ones who continued to fight in WWII.
With enough daylight left for one final hike, we trekked up Diamond Head, the most famous crater in Oahu.
I was proud of how much exercise we got on this trip. Eric's watch logged an average of 20k steps a day. It's the only cruise where I've lost weight!
