Mele Kalikimaka, Kids! Santa Says We Are Sailing in Hawaii! (TR 12/29/15-1/10/16)

[SonoranDevil]

This is wonderful to read! Thank you so much for the time and effort you're putting into this! We sail October 29, 2016 and this is just adding to the excitement!

[AryMay]

Thanks a bunch for posting your wonderful review. We will be boarding the POA in San Francisco (following the dry dock) six weeks from today and I am still wavering about what to do at each port. Reading about your trip up Haleakala is swaying me to think that might be a good choice for us. I was also considering purchasing the Gypsy Guide app and your report makes that sound like a good choice as well.

 

Our cruise will only be spending ONE day in Maui from 8 am to 6 pm. Do you think the trip to Haleakala would fit well within those time constraints? We were considering doing at least part of the Road to Hana, but it sounds like too much driving and not enough time to stop and look around.

 

I am anxiously awaiting the rest of your review from Maui...and also the remainder of your trip! :)

 

[baseballsandbows]

This is wonderful to read! Thank you so much for the time and effort you're putting into this! We sail October 29, 2016 and this is just adding to the excitement!

 

Thank you for reading! It does take time to write, but I enjoy it, and I get to relive the vacation!

 

Thanks a bunch for posting your wonderful review. We will be boarding the POA in San Francisco (following the dry dock) six weeks from today and I am still wavering about what to do at each port. Reading about your trip up Haleakala is swaying me to think that might be a good choice for us. I was also considering purchasing the Gypsy Guide app and your report makes that sound like a good choice as well.

 

Our cruise will only be spending ONE day in Maui from 8 am to 6 pm. Do you think the trip to Haleakala would fit well within those time constraints? We were considering doing at least part of the Road to Hana, but it sounds like too much driving and not enough time to stop and look around.

 

I am anxiously awaiting the rest of your review from Maui...and also the remainder of your trip! :)

 

 

Wow. Choosing what to do in one day on Maui is tough! I really loved the beauty of Haleakala, and it was very different from our other experiences in Hawaii. It did take about 4 to 4 1/2 hours round trip, however, so I'm not sure how much time you want to devote. It would be nice if everything was a quick 30 minutes from the ship so you could fit it all into one visit, but I guess it doesn't work that way. I really wanted to see some of the Road to Hana as well, but we didn't think that spending all day in the car would be a good idea with the kids. Also, we are prone to motion sickness, and I know the RTH would have been a tough one with all the curves. I will write about this soon, but we also visited the Lahaina area on the northwest side of the island, and I loved that area as well. What a tough choice!

 

I'm usually a planner and have things set in stone, but your day might be a good one for a flexible itinerary, perhaps having a plan and a backup plan. Our day at Haleakala was great, but you might be there on a day when it is very cloudy, and that might affect your enjoyment of the crater. It wouldn't be good to spend a large chunk of your day driving up and back down if you couldn't have good views. Of course, if you leave the ship right at 8 and have 9 hours or so, you could potentially go to Haleakala and still have time to drive some of the RTH--I'm just not sure how far you have to go on the road to get bang for your buck.

 

Sorry I'm not much help, but no matter what you decide, I think the GyPSy Guide would be enjoyable. It isn't pricey, and we enjoyed the commentary during our drive. Even the kids liked it. If I had been sharing the information, the kids would have tuned me out, but if sound is coming from a device, they are all ears! :rolleyes:

 

I hope you have a wonderful trip! I think you will enjoy having at-sea days and port days! We loved visiting all the ports, but did miss having a few do-nothing days!

[AryMay]

Thank you for reading! It does take time to write, but I enjoy it, and I get to relive the vacation!

 

 

 

Wow. Choosing what to do in one day on Maui is tough! I really loved the beauty of Haleakala, and it was very different from our other experiences in Hawaii. It did take about 4 to 4 1/2 hours round trip, however, so I'm not sure how much time you want to devote. It would be nice if everything was a quick 30 minutes from the ship so you could fit it all into one visit, but I guess it doesn't work that way. I really wanted to see some of the Road to Hana as well, but we didn't think that spending all day in the car would be a good idea with the kids. Also, we are prone to motion sickness, and I know the RTH would have been a tough one with all the curves. I will write about this soon, but we also visited the Lahaina area on the northwest side of the island, and I loved that area as well. What a tough choice!

 

I'm usually a planner and have things set in stone, but your day might be a good one for a flexible itinerary, perhaps having a plan and a backup plan. Our day at Haleakala was great, but you might be there on a day when it is very cloudy, and that might affect your enjoyment of the crater. It wouldn't be good to spend a large chunk of your day driving up and back down if you couldn't have good views. Of course, if you leave the ship right at 8 and have 9 hours or so, you could potentially go to Haleakala and still have time to drive some of the RTH--I'm just not sure how far you have to go on the road to get bang for your buck.

 

Sorry I'm not much help, but no matter what you decide, I think the GyPSy Guide would be enjoyable. It isn't pricey, and we enjoyed the commentary during our drive. Even the kids liked it. If I had been sharing the information, the kids would have tuned me out, but if sound is coming from a device, they are all ears! :rolleyes:

 

I hope you have a wonderful trip! I think you will enjoy having at-sea days and port days! We loved visiting all the ports, but did miss having a few do-nothing days!

 

I think you are right about having a back-up plan. My husband really wants to visit Iao Valley State Park so I think we would start there regardless of what we decide to do next. We are traveling with another couple so will have to get their opinion as well.

 

Would you be able to tell if Haleakala was clouded in BEFORE making the long drive there?

 

We originally had booked this cruise for last November, but for various reasons had to postpone the trip. When I saw this 11-day cruise I jumped on it. We were able to upgrade to a balcony cabin (we had an obstructed oceanview cabin originally) for $300/person LESS than the 7-day AND we got to keep the free gratuity offer that we had originally. I love sea days and like the idea of gradually adjusting to the time change as we head to Hawaii. We were going to spend a few days in Honolulu prior to the cruise, now we are doing those days afterwards. Flying to San Francisco is also saving us quite a bit over flying to Honolulu.

 

We are having extreme blizzard conditions here today so it is fun to start thinking about warm weather, blue oceans and palm trees!

 

Thanks again for your review...it is a great source of information and help to those of us in the planning stages!

[vms]

Thank you for your review! Hawaii is one of the states I haven't visited yet, and I'm very interested in the Pride of America as a way to see many parts of it.

 

Looking forward to more!

[baseballsandbows]

We returned to the port area about 2:45. There is free parking near the port. It looked like a small parking area to me, but we got there early enough that we didn't have to worry about a parking space. (The next morning, I did notice that there were cars parked in grassy areas, so I think they just cram as many cars in there as they can.)

 

You show your ID and ship card to a guard at the edge of the parking lot, and then you take a gated sidewalk to the ship. I have to say that most of the ports in Hawaii are very industrial areas, and they are not attractive AT ALL. I don't know what I was expecting, but these were definitely the most unattractive port areas I have seen in my five cruising experiences (Alaska ports were the prettiest).

 

We had taken snacks with us in the car, so we didn't stop for lunch. By 3:00, we were pretty hungry. Lunch in the buffet is 11:00-3:00, but they have heavy snacks from 3:00-5:00. The kids wanted to go to Cadillac Diner, but we didn't want to overeat because we had dinner reservations at 6:00, so we promised a future trip to Cadillac Diner and settled on the buffet. After eating, we returned to the room to clean up.

 

DD LOVES entering the room and finding towel animals, so she squealed with delight when we walked in to find that her Lamby and Pinky had made a new friend...

 

IMG_9232 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

Our stateroom host was Jinesh. He was great all week, and we appreciated how well he took care of us!

 

DD decided to go to the kids' club for a little while. There weren't many kids in there, but it was a fine diversion for her while the rest of us fought over the shower and bathroom (not really, of course, but it did help to have someone out of the room when the rest of us were getting ready). We picked her up at 5:00--I'm pretty sure the club was closed from 5-7 every day.

 

Our dinner on Sunday evening was in Cagneys, and it was delicious! The kids both had burgers, and DH and I had steaks. The kids' truffle fries and mac-n-cheese were so good that I ended up stealing food off their plates (later in the week, I just ordered fries and mac-n-cheese of my own). I can't remember what I had as an appetizer--it might have been a Mexican salad. DH and DS had shrimp cocktail. Hands down, my favorite part of the meal was dessert. DH had crème brulee, and enjoyed it, but the kids and I had Oreo cheesecake. It had a strawberry garnish, and it was delicious. It was definitely one of my favorite desserts of the week.

 

IMG_9233 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

IMG_9235 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

After dinner, DD went back to the kids' club. She had much more fun in the evening because there were more kids in there. Every night had a theme, and although the appearance of the club was not equal to Disney's club, she had just as much fun (or more so) with the games and activities in the NCL club. DH, DS and I went out to play shuffleboard for a bit and then went to the room to relax. We went to bed excited for a second day in Maui!

Edited February 3, 2016 by baseballsandbows

[Kattus]

We returned to the port area about 2:45. There is free parking near the port. It looked like a small parking area to me, but we got there early enough that we didn't have to worry about a parking space. (The next morning, I did notice that there were cars parked in grassy areas, so I think they just cram as many cars in there as they can.)

 

You show your ID and ship card to a guard at the edge of the parking lot, and then you take a gated sidewalk to the ship. I have to say that most of the ports in Hawaii are very industrial areas, and they are not attractive AT ALL. I don't know what I was expecting, but these were definitely the most unattractive port areas I have seen in my five cruising experiences (Alaska ports were the prettiest).

 

We had taken snacks with us in the car, so we didn't stop for lunch. By 3:00, we were pretty hungry. Lunch in the buffet is 11:00-3:00, but they have heavy snacks from 3:00-5:00. The kids wanted to go to Cadillac Diner, but we didn't want to overeat because we had dinner reservations at 6:00, so we promised a future trip to Cadillac Diner and settled on the buffet. After eating, we returned to the room to clean up.

 

DD LOVES entering the room and finding towel animals, so she squealed with delight when we walked in to find that her Lamby and Pinky had made a new friend...

 

IMG_9232 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

Our stateroom host was Jinesh. He was great all week, and we appreciated how well he took care of us!

 

DD decided to go to the kids' club for a little while. There weren't many kids in there, but it was a fine diversion for her while the rest of us fought over the shower and bathroom (not really, of course, but it did help to have someone out of the room when the rest of us were getting ready). We picked her up at 5:00--I'm pretty sure the club was closed from 5-7 every day.

 

Our dinner on Sunday evening was in Cagneys, and it was delicious! The kids both had burgers, and DH and I had steaks. The kids' truffle fries and mac-n-cheese were so good that I ended up stealing food off their plates (later in the week, I just ordered fries and mac-n-cheese of my own). I can't remember what I had as an appetizer--it might have been a Mexican salad. DH and DS had shrimp cocktail. Hands down, my favorite part of the meal was dessert. DH had crème brulee, and enjoyed it, but the kids and I had Oreo cheesecake. It had a strawberry garnish, and it was delicious. It was definitely one of my favorite desserts of the week.

 

IMG_9233 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

IMG_9235 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

After dinner, DD went back to the kids' club. She had much more fun in the evening because there were more kids in there. Every night had a theme, and although the appearance of the club was not equal to Disney's club, she had just as much fun (or more so) with the games and activities in the NCL club. DH, DS and I went out to play shuffleboard for a bit and then went to the room to relax. We went to bed excited for a second day in Maui!

 

I LOVE the Oreo cheesecake at Cagney's! Can't wait to have it again in May :)

[baseballsandbows]

We woke up on Monday morning about 7:30 and hit the buffet for breakfast. After eating, we disembarked and walked to the car. On the agenda today was whale watching in Lahaina!

 

Lahaina is on the northwestern coast of Maui, which is a very popular resort area. It is popular for good reason as the rugged mountains in the background and the beautiful blue waters were simply gorgeous! We drove across the valley before the road turned to hug the coastline for a little while. I loved this drive. It only took about 40 minutes to get from Kahului to Lahaina. With our GyPSy Guide giving information and the beautiful scenery, the drive passed quickly.

 

Lahaina was such a cute town. As we came into the historic downtown area, we were fortunate to find a public parking lot that was free for 3 hours. I'm sure it filled later in the day, but there were spots available at 9:15.

 

There are shops, historic government buildings (Lahaina was the capital of Hawaii at one time, I think), and the beautiful banyan tree. The banyan tree is huge! It looks like several trees near each other, but it is actually one large tree.

 

IMG_0477 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

The center portion...

 

IMG_9251 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

I loved the feel of Lahaina. You can see some of the buildings in these pics I took as we were leaving the harbor.

 

IMG_0261 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

IMG_0260 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

I wish I had better pictures of the downtown area and the coast. If I were to come back to Maui, I would want to stay in the Lahaina/Ka'anapali area and explore the island from there.

 

Coming next...our whale watching adventure!

[baseballsandbows]

We had a whale watching excursion with Maui Adventure Cruises booked at 10AM. There were about 25 of us on a zodiac type boat. You could sit under the covered seating area in the middle or on the inflated sides of the boat. Of course, the kids wanted to sit on the edge!

 

IMG_9254 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

We were in Alaska in the summer of 2013, and we did a whale watching excursion then. We were so fortunate to have a whale breach right next to our boat multiple times during that excursion, and I knew that a repeat of that experience wasn't likely. However, it was so nice being out on the water in the warm sunshine, that I would have enjoyed the 2 hours in the boat even if we hadn't seen any whales!

 

I loved the view of the sun shining on the island.

 

IMG_0474 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

IMG_0351 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

IMG_0305 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

I'm off to a middle school basketball game, so I will post actual photos of marine animals as soon as I can! :)

[sjmbruce]

enjoying your review in anticipation of my hawaii cruise in april!

 

i was wondering if you visited/saw many waterfalls? i've heard and read that rainfall has been minimal this year and that may affect or even stop the amount of water.

 

thanks!

[baseballsandbows]

enjoying your review in anticipation of my hawaii cruise in april!

 

i was wondering if you visited/saw many waterfalls? i've heard and read that rainfall has been minimal this year and that may affect or even stop the amount of water.

 

thanks!

 

We saw many waterfalls! There was a server at dinner on the last night of the cruise that said there weren't as many waterfalls in Kauai that day because it hadn't rained a lot that week, but we saw so many that I couldn't imagine there being more. Perhaps it will be less, but I don't think you will have trouble finding waterfalls!

[baseballsandbows]

We headed out to find some whales, and it didn't take long to spot a group. There were three males "courting" a female. Our guide was very excited because the male who was winning had a white underbelly. That meant nothing to the rest of us, but she said it was rare, and she was hoping for some more white-bellied babies. We watched as the males showed off to impress the female. Eventually, some of them gave up and left.

 

The first sign of the group was the spray from their blowholes...

 

IMG_0266 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

IMG_0284 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

IMG_0289 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

IMG_0285 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

 

After watching this group for a little while, we spotted some dolphins and went over to watch them for a bit...

 

IMG_0348 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

IMG_0349 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

[baseballsandbows]

I never got good pictures of any whales breaching, although we did see some breaching in the distance, but the highlight of the day was finding a mom and a calf. Because of some markings on the calf, our guide estimated that it was less than two days old. It still looked huge, but if you look carefully at the photo, you can see that its hump looked tiny compared to its mom's! The baby is behind the mom.

 

IMG_0439 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

The baby had to surface more frequently, so we saw its sweet little hump several times...

 

IMG_0420 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

We ended the excursion by seeing a few more lone whales on the way back to Lahaina.

 

IMG_0468 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

IMG_0469 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

IMG_0472 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

Whale watching is only an option in the winter, but I highly recommend it. If you can't do whale watching, there are quite a few other options for water activites at the harbor in Lahaina. It was a beautiful area, and we had a great morning.

[cruzmom68]

Thanks so much for the review and all the details. My children are similar in age to yours. We have also cruised Disney (and RC) and have been to AK. We are on POA in June. I have been worrying about NCL, but you are giving me hope that we will have a great time. The stateroom size is an issue, but it's bigger than the room we had on Radiance of the Seas in AK. In that one, the bed from the ceiling was completely over my & my DH's head and the pullout was between our beds and the bathroom. You could only get to the bathroom by crawling over the pullout. But we made it work & had the best time ever!

:D

[baseballsandbows]

Thanks so much for the review and all the details. My children are similar in age to yours. We have also cruised Disney (and RC) and have been to AK. We are on POA in June. I have been worrying about NCL, but you are giving me hope that we will have a great time. The stateroom size is an issue, but it's bigger than the room we had on Radiance of the Seas in AK. In that one, the bed from the ceiling was completely over my & my DH's head and the pullout was between our beds and the bathroom. You could only get to the bathroom by crawling over the pullout. But we made it work & had the best time ever!

:D

 

You are going to have a great time! I do think there is a true "Disney Difference." As a whole, I would have to say that we like the DCL product better. But, in the case of Hawaii, NCL has the best itinerary, and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this cruise. The Pride of America doesn't have all the bells and whistles that newer ships have, but you are in port so much that you don't have time for all the bells and whistles anyway! While I would rate our DCL on-board experiences higher, I wouldn't hesitate to sail NCL again if the itinerary and price are right. We had a wonderful trip, and I know you will as well!

 

And wow, your Radiance of the Seas room sounds TINY! But like you said, you can still have an amazing time! :)

[baseballsandbows]

I forgot to mention one aspect of the whale watching. We were able to listen to the sounds of the whales using a hydrophone. They are very loud! It was surprising to hear how much noise there is under the surface. We did not do this on our whale watching excursion in Alaska, but most of the Hawaii excursions mentioned this as a feature.

 

We got back to our car about 12:15, and since our three hours of free parking were up, we headed out of Lahaina. We had considered going to Ka'anapali Beach, which was nearby, but we decided to return the car and head back to the ship instead. Part of the allure of this cruise is having so much time in port, but that also leads to tired tourists! Lunch on the ship and a little break sounded just right. I always have a difficult time with this because I want to see EVERYTHING and pack in as much as we possibly can, but DH is an introvert who needs some quiet time, and my kids definitely need breaks from each other every now and then!

 

We drove back to Kahului, returned the car, and caught a shuttle back to the pier. We had a little bit of trouble getting back to the rental agency. The GPS actually leads you into the parking lot at the airport, so be sure to follow the signs instead. The agent let us out of the parking lot without charging us...she said GPS messes people up all the time.

 

We got back to the ship about 2:00 and headed to the Cadillac Diner for a late lunch. The kids were really looking forward to eating here. We all started off with some fried mozzarella sticks and spinach artichoke dip with chips, which everyone enjoyed. Then, I think we all had burgers, which were better than I expected. I didn't love the brownie sundae that we ordered for dessert, but DH and DS ate one later in the week that was warm, soft, and much better. It may be a hit or miss kind of thing.

 

IMG_9260 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

[baseballsandbows]

I honestly don't remember what we did until dinner, but I think DD went to the kids' club, and I know we all got cleaned up. Our dinner came early as we had a 5:45 seating at Teppanyaki. We really enjoyed having the Unlimited Dining Package, and this meal was one of the reasons. This was such a fun experience, but we wouldn't have paid to eat here because the kids ate almost nothing. In fact, they went to the buffet after the meal! But, they loved the show, and we had a great time with our tablemates.

 

IMG_9269 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

IMG_9275 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

IMG_9268 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

IMG_9267 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

As far as the food goes, it wasn't my favorite either. I didn't eat much of the miso/seaweed soup (I'm not really a soup fan). DH LOVED the rice, and I will agree that it had a great flavor. I'm also not a hue rice fan. :rolleyes: The meat was good, and the fruit sashimi for dessert was yummy. There was a green tea ice cream for dessert as well, but our tablemate didn't love it. Honestly, it looked kind of gross.

 

I don't think I have mentioned the ship motion yet, but the seas were much rougher on this cruise than I expected. During our dinner at Teppanyaki, one of our tablemates had to leave because she was getting sick. I get motion sickness VERY easily, but we are always proactive when we cruise. We start taking non-drowsy Dramamine 24 hours before we sail and take it throughout the cruise. I never got sick, but there were times when it was difficult to walk straight, and this was one of those nights. I think the seas are rougher in the winter (that is why all the surfing contests are in winter), so those of you going in other seasons may not have the same experience.

 

After dinner, DD and I went to our one and only show of the week. It was a magician, and we were hoping it would be entertaining. It was ok, but it was strange. The magician was also a dancer, so he would dance dramatically during most of his magic acts. Perhaps some people loved it, but when it was over, DD and I looked at each other and said, "What was that?" It was just a weird combination. Disney's Broadway-style shows (and even their magicians and physical comedy acts) are much more to our liking. I will also say, for those of you going with kids, that the shows are not as family friendly as Disney (no surprise there). The clothing for the ladies is much more revealing, and we heard jokes about people getting "lei'd" and such multiple times during the show or other activities on board. I expected this, and it wasn't over the top or anything, but I just wanted to mention it for those taking kids. Some of it will go over their heads, but my 11yo DD did understand enough to ask me a few questions about some of the jokes. I'm sure my 14yo son would have understood even more, but he won't go to any of the shows anyway! :)

 

After the show, DD went to the kids' club for a while, and then we all turned in. Next up...Hilo!

Edited February 9, 2016 by baseballsandbows

[baseballsandbows]

Tuesday morning started with the breakfast buffet again, and then we disembarked in Hilo. Mary Lou, from Mary Lou's tours, was waiting for us in the port, and we started our day quickly. I knew from the beginning that this was going to be a good day. Mary Lou was very welcoming and upbeat, and she felt like a friend immediately.

 

There were six of us with Mary Lou: the four of us and a couple from Brazil. The couple was probably in their 50s, and we enjoyed spending the day with them. We got a good laugh out of the fact that she was VERY displeased that NCL served Pepsi instead of Coke. We felt the same way, so we quickly bonded over our mutual dissatisfaction. My DS is in his first year of Spanish. Although their native language was Portuguese, the couple also spoke Spanish, and they tried to converse with DS. With only one semester under his belt, that was an entertaining endeavor!

 

It was a beautiful day. At the time we left the port, which was about 8:30, it was 68 degrees. Not long after we pulled out of the parking lot, we saw some locals working outside in heavy coats, hats, and gloves. I live in the southeastern US, and we are often the brunt of jokes when it comes to dealing with winter weather, but these guys looked like they had just stepped out of a winter catalog for Land's End, and it was 68 degrees. It was very funny to all of us!

 

As we started our journey, Mary Lou drove us through the historic banyan trees in downtown Hilo. Most of them were planted by famous people. Mary Lou is a baseball fan, and we are as well, so when she stopped at this tree, we were delighted to see that it was planted by Babe Ruth.

 

IMG_0479 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

Next, we drove by the statue of King Kamehameha.

 

IMG_0481 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

We got out of the van for the first time at Rainbow Falls. Mary Lou gave us time to look around, and she also explained some of the plants and trees in the area. She showed us a kukui tree. Kukui nut shells are used to make necklaces, and the oil is sold as well. She showed us a few other interesting plants, but I can't remember them now. I should have taken notes!

 

The hike to the top of the falls was very short and there was also a nice overlook where you could get a view of the front of the falls.

 

IMG_0483 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

IMG_0490 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

IMG_0493 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

IMG_0501 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

Edited February 9, 2016 by baseballsandbows

[baseballsandbows]

After leaving Rainbow Falls, we headed to Volcanoes National Park. It was probably about 45 min to a hour to the Visitor's Center at the Kilauea Crater, but Mary Lou kept us entertained with information about the island and by personal stories. Mary Lou is originally from Washington State, but has lived on the Big Island for years. She was so enthusiastic and knowledgeable about all of the locations we visited, and her attitude was infectious. Also, because we left the port so quickly and there were fewer of us, we were able to stay a step ahead of all the large tour groups.

 

At the Visitor's Center, we stopped for photos with the smoking crater in the background.

 

IMG_0511 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

IMG_0515 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

IMG_0518 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

IMG_0505 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

IMG_9289 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

Then, we went inside to look at the exhibits. Mary Lou pointed out several of the more interesting areas and shared information that kept even my 14 year old's interest. :rolleyes:

[Kattus]

We also booked with Mary Lou in Hilo, can't wait!

[baseballsandbows]

We also booked with Mary Lou in Hilo, can't wait!

 

Her husband Ken also takes a group, and he seemed great as well. You will have a fun day!

[baseballsandbows]

After leaving the Jaggar Museum (visitor's center at Kilauea), we drove to the steam vents. There were two that were accessible to tourists, and they have railings around them. Mary Lou warned us to approach slowly--the steam is hot (yes, I know it's steam, but it still surprises you a bit when it hits you in the face)! One of the vents is prettier and more lush, but the steam hits you better when standing by the other one.

 

The more lush steam vent...

 

IMG_9292 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

This vent is less photogenic as it just looks like a hole cut into concrete, but it's the better choice if you are looking for a facial...

 

IMG_0521 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

Here you can see the back of Mary Lou. The couple on the left wasn't with us, but Mary Lou gave such great information at all the stops that people would often come over to hear what she was saying.

 

IMG_0520 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

Next, we headed to the Thurston Lava Tube. On the way, we stopped at another overlook, giving us a different view of Kilauea.

 

IMG_0529 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

IMG_0532 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

[baseballsandbows]

Parking is limited at the Thurston Lava Tube, but we were fortunate to find a spot immediately. We walked on a path through a rainforest-y area to get to the lava tube. Mary Lou was so great at pointing out interesting plants. This one was special for some reason, but I don't remember why! Helpful, I know!

 

IMG_9293 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

There was a bit of a line to get into the tube because people wanted the photo op. We waited for our turn.

 

IMG_9297 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

I'm always amazed at the power of plants to work their way through rocks, concrete, etc... Here are some roots that have made their way into the tube.

 

IMG_9299 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

A picture of my daughter taking a picture of the tube...

 

IMG_9301 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

It seemed just like a cave, but it was very cool to think about the lava forming it.

 

IMG_9303 by Lauren Sullivan, on Flickr

 

Sorry for adding short segments, but I am trying to write as I have time! I will finish eventually! :o

Edited February 11, 2016 by baseballsandbows

[Set to go]

It sounds like a great trip. It is on my bucket list, but Alaska has to be first (per my husband).

 

Diane

[baseballsandbows]

It sounds like a great trip. It is on my bucket list, but Alaska has to be first (per my husband).

 

Diane

 

Alaska is amazing!