Hawaii 2025

Mimosas and Grits waiting to board flight to Honolulu	Made it to Honolulu International Airport	Our room at Hyatt Regency Waikiki	On our balcony at Hyatt Regency Waikiki	Maddie and Gramp at the Hyatt Regency Waikiki
Grandkids enjoying Pacific surf	Grampa and Maddie on Waikiki Beach	Barbara, Don, Maddie, & William on Waikiki Beach	Surfers on Waikiki Bay	View of Diamond Head from Waikiki Beach
Watching surfers in Waikiki Bay 1st thing in the morning from our hotel balcony	Rainbow Eucalyptus at Dole Farms, Oahu, Hawaii	Eating Pineapple Swirl at Dole Plantation	Entering the Polynesian Cultural Center on Oahu	Bill with statue of Hamana Kalili, who is credited with originating the 'shaka' hand gesture
Opening Ceremony at Polynesian Cultural Center	Fijian dancers at Polynesian Cultural Center	Boat show at opening ceremony at Polynesian Cultural Center	Canoe ride at Polynesian Cultural Center	Tour guide on Canoe Ride in Polynesian Cultural Center
Hawaiian Tattoo at Polynesian Cultural Center	Fijian Temple at the Polynesian Cultural Center	Fijian Cheiftan explains history of the Islands	Aoteraroa is an island off the coast of New Zealand	Aotearoa demonstration of Maori weaponry (Mau Rakau)
Samoan fire-making demonstration	Maddie's tired after at the end of the day at Polynesian Cultural Center	Coconut tree climbing demonstration in Samoan village of Polynesian Cultural Center	Hawaii Veterans Memorial in Honolulu	Washington Place (built 1847) was the residence of Queen Liliʻuokalani (1862-1917) and served as the Governor's mansion int
St. Andrew's Cathedral (1897-1902) in Honolulu, Hawaii. Andrew's Cathedral (1897-1902) in downtown Honolulu, Hawaii	William at King Kamehameha I Statue in front of Hawaiʻi State Judiciary Building	'Iolani Palace in Honolulu (1849) was the royal residence of the rulers of the Kingdom of Hawaii	Kawaiahao Church (1836-42) in Honolulu is often called 'Hawaiʻi's Westminster Abbey'	USS Missouri and USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
At Pearl Harbor Historic Sites in Honolulu	On the boat headed to the USS Arizona Memorial	Watching US Army Logistics Support Vessel departing Pearl Harbor	Approaching the USS Arizona Memorial in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii	Entrance to USS Arizona Memorial
Remains of Gun Turret Number 3 from the USS Arizona	The 'Wall of Honor' at the USS Arizona Memorial contains the names of the 1,177 sailors and Marines who died on the USS Arizona	The USS Missouri viewed from the USS Arizona Memorial	The wreckage of the USS Arizona at Pearl Harbor still contains the remains of over 900 sailors and Marines	Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz statue at USS Missouri Memorial
Susan at entrance to USS Missouri Memorial	Reinacting iconic kiss in front of USS Missouri	Aboard the USS Missouri	USS Missouri Main Battery Turret #1 consists of nine 16 inch guns with a range of up to 23 miles	Decal on USS Missouri represents 285 Tomahawk missiles fired in Iraq during Operation Desert Storm 1991
Photo of the signing of the the Formal Japanese Surrender aboard the USS Missouri on September 2, 1945	Plaque marking the spot where the Formal Surrender of Japan in WWII took place on the USS Missouri	Photo of service members aboard the USS Missouri to witness the surrender of Japan in WWII	Cost of snacks about the USS Missouri in 1945	Enlisted sleeping quarters on the USS Missouri
Chief Petty Officer quarters on USS Missouri	Chief Petty Officers Lounge on USS Missouri	Kitchen on the USS Missouri	View of USS Arizona Memorial from the bridge of the USS Missouri	Family photo aboard the USS Missouri
Japanese Zero at Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum	William and Gramma at the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum	Anniversary margaritas at Aloha Amigo Mexican Cantina in Waikiki, Hawaii	Island dancers at the Hyatt Regency Resort Hotel	Sunset from Waikiki Beach, Hawaii
Diamond Head Lighthouse (built 1917)	Haona Cove Beach was setting for beach scene in 1953 From Here to Eternity	Pele's Chair on Oahu is where the Pele (godess of fire) allegedly sat aviewed the ocean	Byodo-In Temple is a smaller-scale replica of the nearly 1,000-year-old Byodo-In Temple in Uji, Japan	Statues on the grounds of Byodo-In Temple in Oahu
KOI at Byodo-In Temple on Oahu, Hawaii	Bill ringing the Bon-Sho (sacred bell) for happiness, blessings, and a long life	Barbara helping Susan ring the Bon-Sho (sacred bell)	Buddha at Byodo-In Temple on Oahu	Leaving Byodo-In Temple on Oahu, Hawaii
Japanese Cemetery near Byodo-In Temple on Oahu	Stop at Macadamia Nut Farm Outlet on Oahu	Kualoa Ran_ctions	Kualoa Ranch cover 4,000 acres on the island of Oahu	The TV series 'Lost', Magnum P.I., and new 'Hawaii Five-O' were filmed at Kualoa Ranch
The original Jurassic Park and Jurassic World wre filmed on the Kualoa Ranch	The iconic 'log' from the first Jurassic Park movie, where Alan Grant and the children hide from the Gallimimus stampede	Boneyard on Kualoa Ranch used in filming Jurassic World and Kong Skull Island	1998 Godzilla footprint at Kualoa Ranch	Other films at Kualoa Ranch include scenes from Jumanji, Pearl Harbor, 50 first dates, Windtalkers, and George of the Jungle
Battery Cooper Bunker from WWII on Kualoa Ranch is now used as a movie museum	Ahupuaʻa Ka a awa refers to the traditional Hawaiian land division	In addition to movie and tv productions, Kuoloa is still a working ranch with over 500 head of cattle	Cattle and Cattle Egrets at Kualoa Ranch	Kissing gorilla rock formation at Kualoa Ranch
Chinaman's Hat Island (right) and Turtle Island (far left) in Hawaii	Stairs to the chapel at National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, Oahu, Hawaii	National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Punchbowl Crater, Oahu, Hawaii	View of Honolulu from the rim of Punchbowl Crater	First look at Suite 12500 on NCL Pride of America
Living Room of Suite 12500 on NCL Pride of America	Balcony of Suite 12500 on NCL Pride of America	View of Aloha Tower and Honolulu from our balcony on the NCL Pride of America	View of Honolulu and Diamond Head as we sail away from Oahu, Hawaii	Arrival in Maui Cruise Terminal
Map of the Island of Maui, Hawaii.jpg	First stop is the historic town of Paia, Maui	Hemolele' by sculptor Franz Herbich in the town of Paia, Maui, Hawaii	Wonderful ice cream in Paia, Maui, Hawaii	Hiking through the rainforest in Maui to reach Twin Falls
Banana plant in Maui Rainforest	Red Torch Ginger in Maui Rainforest	Madagaskar Gecko in the Maui Rainforest	Heliconia Rostrata, also known as hanging lobster claw or false bird of paradise	Smaller of Twin Falls in Maui's Rainforest
Indian head ginger has an edible yellow flower which we ate	Golden bamboo in the Maui Rainforest	Wlaking through a tangle of roots and branches on the way to the larger of the Twin Falls in Maui	At the larger of the Twin Falls in Maui	Kids climbing to the top of Twin Falls in Maui
People jump from the top of Twin Falls in Maui	Windy day at Ho'okipa Bay overlook in Maui	Ho'okipa Bay Park is a Green Sea Turtle (Honu) Sanctuary on Maui	Swimming and snorkeling in Ho'okipa Bay near Green Sea Turtles ashore in Maui	Green Sea Turtles are a protected species on the island of Maui
Wind surfing is a popular sport on Ho'okipa Bay, Maui	Finishing up our first day on Maui	Show in the Hollywood Theater on NCL Pride of America	Main show in Hollywood Theater on NCL Pride of America	Stage show on NCL Pride of America
First stop on our 'Authentic Taste of Maui' shore tour	Malasadas are delicious deep-fried pastries, originating from Portugal and popularized in Hawaii	Next stop on Maui food tour is Tante's Island Cuisine	Sampling Katsu Chicken, Loco Moco, and Banana Pancakes atTante's Island Cuising in Maui	TJ's is a giant food warehouse in Maui that is famous for Bento Boxes and Poke
Spam musubi is a popular snack and lunch food in Hawaii that combines a slice of grilled Spam with rice and seaweed	Poke bowls (diced raw fish in marinade or sauce) from TJ's Warehouse	Famous shaved ice store on Maui	Sampling Pineapple and Coconut Shaved Ice in Maui	One of the many murals in the town of Wailuku on Maui
Stopped at Wei Wei BBQ 'n Noodle House in Wailuku, Maui	Neeva (tour guide) serving us Korean BBQ and Chow Fun (noodles)	This little guy was the center of attention leaving Wei Wei's BBQ	Last stop on Maui Food Tour is Maui Brewing Company	Bill's flights of beer at Maui Brewing Company
Coconut Island (Moku Ola) is a small island in Hilo Bay, off the coast of the Big Island of Hawaii	Liliʻ_ Japan.JPG	Laarge Monkeypod tree in cemetery outside Hillon on the Big Island of Hawaii	One of many Eucalyptus farms on the Big Island of Hawaii	Tex Drive-in on the Big Island has been making Malasadas since 1969
At the Waipiʻo Valley lookout on the northeast coast of the Big Island	Waipio Valley, also known as the Valley of the Kings, is a sacred and historically significant valley on the Big Island of Hawai	Waipio Valley was a place where King Kamehameha I spent his youth	Honokaa, Hawaii, depended on the Hāmākua Sugar Company from 1873 to 1994	Stop at Laupahoehoe Point Beach Park along the Big Island’s Hamakua coastline
Classic car with camper at Laupahoehoe Point Beach Park	Interesting trees at Laupahoehoe Point Beach Park	Remains of a lighthouse destroyed by a 1946 tsunami with 56 feet high waves moving 490 mph that killed 156 people	Black lava rocks cover most of the shoreline at Laupahoehoe Point Beach Park	It is only safe to swim in the tidal pools at Laupahoehoe Point Beach Park
Orange-fronted yellow finches at Laupahoehoe Point Beach Park	Memorial to 24 students and teachers killed at the Laupahoehoe School by the April 1, 1946 tsunami	The Honomu Post Office (north of Hilo) serves a village of 370 people	Trail to Akaka Falls lookout point on the Hilo side of the Big Island of Hawaii	Flowering Banana (Musa ornata) along the trail to Akaka Falls Lookout on the Big Island of Hawaii
Akaka Falls is a 442 feet tall waterfall on the northeastern Hilo Coast of the Big Island of Hawaii	At the Akaka Falls Lookout on the Hilo side of the Big Island	More steps on the Akaka Falls Lookout Trail	Kahuna Falls is just visible through the trees on Akaka Falls Lookout Trail	Walking through the Akaka Falls Rainforest on the Big Island of Hawaii
View of the top of Akaka Falls from our picnic table at lunch	Mural on the side of the Hilo Town Market in Hilo, Hawaii	Visiting Rainbow Falls in Hilo, Hawaii	Offerings left at the Rainbow Falls Lookout in Hilo, Hawaii	Rainbow Falls (no rainbow today) in Hilo, Hawaii
The Wailuku River feeds Rainbow Falls in Hilo, Hawaii	King Kamehameha Statue in Hilo was erected here because Hilo was the first official capitol of the unified Hawaiian Islands	Sailing away from Hilo, HI at sunset	Anchored off Kona on the Big Island of Hawaii	Approaching Kona by Tender Boat
Kona Coffee Museum	In the Kona Coffee Museum	Kona Coffee Farm	Kona Coffee Museum and Shop balcony	Entrance to Lava Tube, Kona, Big Island
Inside Lava Tube on Kona	Inside Lava Tube	Mural at entrance to Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park on the Big Island of Hawaii	Mural at Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park depicting violation of sacred laws that could lead to death	Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau is a sacred place of refuge for those accused of vioating sacred laws of the King of Hawaii
Konane was an ancient Hawaiian strategy game	Image of one of the Hawaiian gods on Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park	Keone'ele is a protected cove on Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park	At Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park with the Royal Mausoleum in the background	Two images stand as guardians on the shore of Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau
Ki'i are wooden of images of Hawaiian gods protecting the bones of chiefs enshined in the mausoleum	The Great Wall around Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau is over 400 years old	Traditional Hawaiian Outrigger Canoe at Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park	St. Benedict Catholic Church (aka The Painted Church), South Kona, Hawaii (built in 1842 and moved in 1899)	Graveyard in front of St. Benedict Catholic Church, Kona, HI
Father John Berchmans Velghe painted the interior of the church with 3D depictions from the bible	Paintings on the walls of 'The Painted Church' are untouched orginals from 1899-1904	Painting of Jesus behind altar of 'The Painted Church' can only be seen from the left side of the church	Altar of 'The Painted Church' on the Kona side of the Big Island	Father John painted religious scenes with no formal training in art
Father John used only three colors of house paint plus pigmentaion from local vegetation in his paintings	Father John painted scenes to explain the bible to parishoners who could not read	This painting of Hell is the only one in poor condition due to heat from the sun on this part of the church	The 1942 original steeple from 'The Painted Church' had to be replaced when the church was moved in 1899	Replica of the Pieta on grounds of 'The Painted Church' is the 13th Station of the Cross
NCL Pride of America anchored on the Kona side of the Big Island of Hawaii	Mural on the wall in Kona, Hawaii	On the dock in Kona, Hawaii	Boarding a Catamaran for our cruise of the coastline near Kona, Hawaii	Royal Kona Resort, Hawaii
Coastline of Kona, Hawaii	Aboard the Body Glove Catamaran	Waves breaking on shore of Kona, Hawaii	St. Peter’s by the Sea Church was built in 1880, Kona, Hawaii	Kohola beer is being brewed in Kona because of the Maui wildfires destroyed their brewery
Holua slide is made of rocks that are covered in fresh dirt and reeds and used for sled surfing (an ancient Hawaiian sport)	Waves breaking of the rocks along the Kona coastline	Homes along the Kona coast of Hawaii	Isolated white sand beach among lava deposts along the Kona coast	Rock formation on Kona coast associated with 'Pele - goddess of fire'
The Napo'opo'o Lighthouse on Kealakekua Bay, Kona, Hawaii	Kealakekua Bay, Kona, Hawaii is popular for snorkeling tours	Captain Cook Monument in Kealakekua Bay marks the spot where Captain Cook was killed in 1779	Dolphins in Kealakekua Bay, Big Island of Hawaii	Dolphins
More Dolphins	Mother Nature's water show on the Kona coast	The Club at Hokuliʻa golf course in Kona	Homes along the Kona coast, Hawaii	The Kona Inn was built in 1928 to cater to wealthy tourists arriving by steamship
Huliheʻe Palace (1838) was a summer home in Kona for Hawaaian Royalty	Officers Dinner with Ship's Nurse, Cruise Director, and Head Chef	Susan was disappointed that there was no creme brulee on the menu so the chef had one sent to our suite	Cake to celebrate our anniversary aboard the Pride of America	Docked in Nawiliwili, Kauai, Hawaii
The Smith Family provieds entertainment aboard a riverboat on the Wailua River in Kauai	Fern Grotto ia a geological wonder of Kauai where ferns grow upside down from the roof of the grotto	Fern Grotto acts like a natural amphitheater and a popular venue for weddings	I thought this rooster at the Fern Grotto was attacking	Wild Rooster lives at Fern Grotto in Kauai
Performing the Hawaiian Wedding Song at Fern Grotto	Lush foliage along the Wailua River in Kauai	Wailua River is one of the few navigable waterways in Hawaii	Paddleboarding on the Wailua River in Kauai	Lava rock walls in Wailua State Park (Kauai) were most likely erected in the 1600's
Stop at Opaekaa Falls Overlook in Kauai	150-foot Opaekaa Falls (Opaekaa means 'rolling shrimp' which were once abundant in the stream	Close-up of Opaeka'a Falls on the island of Kuaui, Hawaii	Wyland mural in Kapa'a, Kauai, Hawaii	Restaurant in Kapa'a, Kauai, Hawaii
Kapa'a First Hawaiian Church was founded in 1836 in a grass hut (current building dates to 1948)	Driving along the coast of Kauai	Kilauea National Wildlife Refuge is a bird sanctuary	Red-footed Boobies on Crater Hill in Kilauea National Wildlife Refuge	Daniel K. Inouye Kilauea Point Lighthouse (1913)
Daniel K. Inouye Kilauea Point Lighthouse	Kilauea National Wildlife Refuge shoreline	Entrance fountain in Princeville, Kuaui, Hawaii	Princevill_itted .JPG	Hanalei Valley Lookout on Kauai
Bali Hai (of South Pacific fame) marks beginning of the Na Pali Coast on the north shore of Kauai	Kuaui Valley waterfalls.JPG	Area of Hanalei Valley is sometimes called Little Vietnam because of its rice paddies	Kauapea Beach Lagoon on Kauai	Kauapea Beach on Kauai, Hawaii
Sleeping Giant, also known as Nounou Mountain, is a prominent landmark on Kauai's east side	Golf course on the 'Coconut Coast' of Kuaui	Banyan trees that have combined to form one large tree	At the Luau in Kuaui	Uncovering the IMU (Hawaiian Underground Oven) at Luau on Kauai
Pig in the IMU at Luau on Kauai	Pig ready to eat at Luau in Kauai	Entertainment at the Luau on Kauai	Hawaiian history at the Luau on Kauai	Fire performer at the Luau on Kauai
Cast of entertainers at Luau on Kauai	16th green on the Ocean Course at Hōkūala on Kuaui	Ninini Point Lighthouse (1897) on Kuaui	Sailing away from Kuaui on the way to Oahu	Towel Art from the trip
Docked back in Oahu, Hawaii	Aloha Tower (1926) is a retired lighthouse at Pier 9 of Honolulu Harbor	Leaving Honolulu International Airport	Gardens in Honolulu International Airport	Umbrella drinksin Delta Sky Club waiting to board our flight home!
Susan in the cockpit of our Delta plane before takeoff from Honlulu