Our second day in Hawaii puts us in the port of Nawiliwili, on “The Garden Isle” of Kauai. By the way, Nawiliwili is pronounced just like it looks (na-wil-i-wil-i).

We took an excursion called Kings, Waterfalls, & Trains. Our first stop was the old sugar cane plantation called the Kauai Plantation where we rode the Kauai Plantation Railway. Here is the old mansion of the plantation which was built by Gaylord Wilcox, who was Kauai’s Hawaiian Sugar Plantation Baron.

The 16,000 square feet mansion, built in 1935, has been turned into a restaurant, boutique shops, and galleries.

We also rode the Kauai Plantation Railway. This railroad is a narrow gauge which ran around and through the 105 acres of the plantation. Today, instead of hauling sugar cane, it hauls passengers.

Today the plantation is used as an experimental farm growing a wide variety of crops and plants in order to determine which will grow best in Hawaii and be successful.

They still have a number of animals around including chickens that run free and wild pigs which have taken over the Hawaiian Islands since their introduction several years ago.

Next, we headed to the 80 foot tiered Opaekaa Falls.

Which feeds the Wailua River, where in 1962 was designated a National Historic Landmark.

This area was the exclusive and sacred home, sanctuary, and center of government of Kauai’s Hawaiian Royalty and Chiefs.

As we headed for our ship, we had a very nice ride by the Pacific Ocean.

What a way to end the day, or so I thought...

After we got back, I decided I needed to get some medicine for my cold that I got playing with the dogs in the rain in Alaska.

We got a free shuttle to Wal-Mart. Go figure, but each port we have been in has had a free shuttle that only goes to Wal-Mart. As a rule, it is always full.

It was then that we went over to the dark side. We had lunch at McDonald's. Oh-No!!!!! Don't hate me. We didn't have time to get back to the ship to eat. At least that is what I told Rexie. (Did I just say that out laud?)

So, as I am checking out at Wal-Mart, the clerk said in a very disbelieving voice "You have a cold in Hawaii?" Once I explained I got it in Alaska, it was then OK and she finished checking us out.

What a hoot! I must be off!!!

Our first Hawaiian Island is the Big Island. We landed at Kona after a relatively smooth sailing from Alaska.

We took a tour to the United States ONLY sea horse farm. Besides sea horses, we got to see lava up close as the entire sea horse farm was built on a lava flow.

We are looking forward to walking on a black lava beach later.

Back to sea horses…

 It was quite amazing to hear the story of how the sea horses have been all but wiped out in our seas. Between the fish tanks where the seahorse will only last a couple of weeks or the Asian cultures belief in the sea horse for medicinal purposes.

What the sea horse farm is trying to do is breed sea horses that will eat frozen shrimp and survive years in the fish tank. They have accomplished this and now their sea horses life to at least 18 years and counting.

Here is Rexie with a sea horse wrapped around her finger. It was amazing.

More of Hawaii next time.

Today is the first of five Fun Days at Sea. The weather is still a little chili, but is getting warmer. So far, the seas are relatively calm. The next stop is Hawaii and we are looking forward to it as we have never been to Hawaii.

Coming out of Alaska, we saw several whale blows. A pod of whales had circled a school of fish and were enjoying dinner. They wouldn’t come up all the way to the surface, but just close enough to blow the water out and take in more air. There must have been 6-8 whales and it was quite a site just off the starboard side.

I leave you with the sunset over British Columbia…

Yesterday, we were in Ketchikan, Alaska. The weather was just fabulous. They get rain 300 days a year and yesterday we had sun.

Here is a shot of town. It is a beautiful spot with well preserved buildings.

We decided to take a "Duck" tour and was very concerned about getting cold out on the water. So we all bundled up. You can see that they have Plexiglas on the sides and on the top (look at the second picture of the duck). We actually got very warm from the sun, but needed our coats when walking through town..

As we got on, we found that our captain (it is a boat also) looked just like Willie Nelson. What do you think? He then proceeded to take off his wig and bandanna. Didn't look like Willie any shape or form. Notice that our tour guide was in shirt sleeves? She said it was one of the warmer days that had experienced in several weeks. She was very comfortable.

As we leave Ketchikan, the sun is just about ready to set. 

Rexie had a little excitement as she got to have another visit to the infirmary. She fell in the dinning room at breakfast. They took her to the infirmary in a wheelchair this time, instead of carrying her on a stretcher. Just bruised knees and wrists. Now she is sitting on the coach with ice bags in three places.

I guess with all the fog outside, she wanted to make things a little more exciting.

Tomorrow we land at Vancouver, and then we head to Hawaii. We have been told that there are 10 milestone cruisers and over two hundred platinum cruisers. Should be interesting.

I must be off!

We are cruising again. Currently, we are in Skagway, Alaska. 

On Monday, we arrived in Seattle, waiting on our cruise ship, the Carnival Spirit, which we will take all the way to Sydney, Australia.

On Thursday we were in Juneau, Alaska. It was raining and miserably cold. However, Rexie and I went dog sledding. Because it is Summer (couldn't prove it by me), the dogs were in training. We road in a wheeled cart hauling six people and the musher.

All these dogs wanted to do was run. They were so excited when they were stopped, it was unreal.

Yesterday we went into Glacier Bay and and went to the head of the Grand Pacific Glacier and to the John Hopkins Glacier. It was a beautiful day and the park rangers that were with us said that this was one of the two best days his year to see the glaciers. Here you can see a glacier where direct got compacted between the layers.

Because of the overcast, it is tough to see how blue the glacier is.

Today, we were in Skagway and took a city tour of Skagway on the street car. It has gotten colder and we are looking to go to Hawaii soon. However, we have one more stop in Alaska and that is Ketchikan tomorrow.

That is all for now.