Honeymoon in Hawaii

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Wednesday night saw us doing last minute packing -- that would mean most of it. The airlines now have a weight restriction of 50 lbs. per bag. Thank the gods for an accurate bathroom scale. We managed to fit most of the scuba gear in 1 bag, sans Susan's BC, the weight belts, and extra wet suits. Susan also made some shrimp and packed that with a salad for our flight.

Susan's dad was at the house by 6AM to drive us to the airport. Susan and her dad waited as I got dressed and did some last minute packing of things I neglected the night before. Hey, at least I made the coffee. We loaded the bags, grabbed coffee for the road and said good-bye. Surprisingly "C" terminal at Newark Liberty International Airport was unusually empty. A sky cap was at the curb and readily took our flight information, only to come back to say we needed to check in at the counter. He brought us to the agent and waited for his tip. He got one, but I wondered for what? He didn't check us in, only wheeled the bags to the counter.

The agent at the counter gleefully told us that there were new weight restrictions and sinisterly told us our bags looked overweight. It would have made his day if he could have charged us extra for overweight, but all the bags weighed in below the max of 50 lbs.. He then proceeded to print 4 labels for the 3 bags we were checking, forcing him to have an even better day. He had to redo them all. Hopefully we set the tone for the rest of his self made miserable day at the counter.

Next over to the security area where they zap the bags with high powered x-ray. We watched as the bags were taken from us and put onto a conveyor belt only to disappear into a cavernous opening. The first one was through when we heard a big clunk; the sound of a bag dropping out of the other side. The attendant there was much happier at 7AM. We joked with him about the bags getting dropped out of the machine, as he tried to assure us that it was just the sound the hard case makes when it exits.

Painlessly out of the high security portion of our trip we sailed through the individual security check. Susan and the attendant noticed that everyone who goes through the arch ducks their heads when they pass under it. Again, another happy person. Off to the gate we go.

Now, whenever Susan and I fly our flight is always at the farthest gate from the security checkpoint and today was no exception. Gate 99 would be our exit out of New Jersey for Houston, Texas, where we would get our connecting flight to Maui. Landing in Houston at 10:50 AM we disembarked the plane for our connection. Of course, once again the gate was D12, down to the intersection and all the way to the end.

The plane was not too crowded, but it seemed like everyone was looking for 1st class upgrades. We were going to ask for an upgrade and use the "we're on our honeymoon" plea, but after hearing that the front was full decided against it.

We landed in Maui and noticed that it wasn't very hot, but humid. Picked up the convertible and we were on our way to the Whaler in Kaanapali. Unpacked our bags, made a drink and took a walk up and down the beach past the other hotels.

We were still on New Jersey time and awoke about 4AM although the alarm was set for 4:30. Made coffee and left at 5 for Kihea where we would meet the dive boat for our first dive trip in Hawaii. The boat was 40' and room for 14 divers. This trip saw 12 divers and 1 snorkeler. First site: the back wall of Molokini. Molokini is the top of a volcano with just the rim showing. The back wall drops off into the ocean giving the diver a feeling of being in space. Nothing but the deep ocean blue below you. The current is usually pretty strong making it a drift dive, but it was pretty light this day and toward the middle of the dive we passed over a group of divers going the other way. A small white tipped shark was spotted near the wall that got spooked and swam off when Susan got close to it.

The second dive was at a site called Turtletown. The visibility wasn't as good as the back wall but still interesting. Yes, we saw big sea turtles.

We went back to the condo and snorkeled off of the beach at a site referred to as blackrock. There we were able to spot a spotted eagle ray soaring beneath us.

Dinner was at Kimo's in Lehaina. They make very good sea breezes and the food was great too. The fish is all local and prepared in a variety of ways. Definitely worth the wait and the money.

We drove up the north west side of the island and stopped at a State Park that was a walk down the steep slope to the beach. There were a few surfers and swimmers in the water even though it was pretty rough. Susan and I decided to go for a swim since it looked so inviting. Susan got bowled over by a wave early and got out. I, on the other hand made it pretty far out looking to body surf a wave in. Unfortunately the waves either broke in front of me or behind me. I kept getting swept further out and found myself treading water in 6 to 8 feet of water with waves 6 to 8 feet over my head.

We passed many more photo opportunities on our trip. Stopped and bought home baked cookies at an inlet from a woman who had set up a fruit stand. Across the street from her were two young people selling "bud"; don't think they meant beer. We came up through a very small village on a one lane road and purchased fresh made banana bread from a woman selling it from the front porch of her home.

Rounding the north point we headed back through the center through the I'o valley. We walked through the state park there and saw local young men jumping into the spring fed pools. They more like belly flopped then jumped. The pools were too shallow to dive, but I don't know why they would belly flop. The park gave us a great view of the I'o needle that was used as a lookout for Maui warriors in times of war.

We left the valley and headed back towards Kaanapali. Near Ma'alea harbor we spotted Buzz's Wharf and decided to stop for a bite to eat. The food was decent and the bartender entertaining. We discovered upon leaving that someone (and I won't mention her name) had left the keys in the trunk. The top was down, but Chrysler saw to it that the trunk can only be opened with the ignition on. We called Dollar and told them of our plight. They wanted $20 to get the spare keys out of a cabinet and $30 for the cab ride from the airport to deliver them to us.

Being members of AAA we called them for roadside assistance. The AAA office on Maui closes at 2PM on Saturdays. We called the 800 number that got us to the mainland, who redirected us to the Maui office that was closed. Another couple of phone calls and many minutes used up on the cell phones finally got us a AAA representative who would send out a locksmith to help us out. An hour later he arrived, a transplant from Israel working as a locksmith in Maui. He had a key already made (they called Dollar and got the key code for the car) and we were off, but not until we finished our drinks. After all we were locked out of a car in front of a restaurant with a bar.

While waiting for the locksmith we met a Harley rider and his wife who had stopped in for a bite to eat. He was originally from New Jersey and she from California. They would be coming to New Jersey for a few months next year to visit her son who had decided to attend high school there. He was riding a 1941 Knucklehead that was originally a Maui bike that he bought the first time he lived in Hawaii. He transported it back to California where he rebuilt it and shipped it back again. He also has another knucklehead. It was suggested that we stay for Halloween in Lehaina where bikers from all over the islands ship their bikes to Maui and there is a gathering in the town for Halloween.

Dive trip. Back at the Kihea boat ramp at 6AM for another 2 tank dive with Scuba Shack. This trip brought us back to Molokini crater. This time we would be diving the center reef in the crater. The 2nd tank was at a site called Red Hill. More turtles sited here. The highlight of the trip was spotting resting dolphins on the way back in. They would surface for air but it was explained that most were resting, except for the young ones that would leap and spin out of the water. The downside of the trip was an annoying teenager that was just plain annoying, in the water and out.

After diving we went south of Kihea to the little beach at Makena. On the way we got island style fish tacos from a roadside stand. They were excellent. An island style taco has the meat or fish, rice and cabbage along with a pink hot sauce. Little beach is a clothing optional beach and although there were a very few gods and goddesses, I must thank the Hawaiian gods for clothing.

We went back to the condo and did a little shopping at Whaler's village, stopping in at a Dive Maui dive shop. We asked about a night shore dive and it just so happened that they had one available for the next night. We made a reservation at the Hula Bar and Grill and went back to the room to shower.

Arriving back at the village early we decided to sample the sea breezes at the local watering holes. The bartender at the Hula Grill put a lime in the drink, and overall it wasn't good. Lelaini's had open seats at the bar and drinks were ordered. Still not a good sea breeze. So far the best were at Kimo's. While we were waiting the sun set and I was able to get some good shots of the sunset and we met a woman who books activities for corporate groups who was able to give us hints as to where to stay.

Dinner at the Hula Grill was pretty good. Great fish preparation but expensive.

We got a late start for the road to Hana. We couldn't decide between driving to the top of Haleakala or drive the remote road to the town of Hana. The rental car companies indicate on a map the roads that can't be driven in their cars or SUVs for that matter. Something about gravel roads. On the way we stopped at the shops at Ma'alea harbor (remember the keys locked in the trunk?) to get water, some munchies and since we had a convertible, hats. The first shop we came to was a Maui Dive Shop (there are a few of them on the island). We didn't find hats to our liking but we asked about dive trips to Lanai. We had seen ads for the Cathedrals there but were having a hard time finding a dive shop that would go. They just so happened to have a dive the following morning leaving from that same harbor. We booked it, then went off to find munchies, water and hats.

Up and on the road to Hana we stopped at a place selling fresh fruit and found out that a site referred to as Twin Falls was a 15 minute walk down a path. We took the walk and came upon a little waterfalls that emptied into a small pool. A couple from Europe, probably Germany, judging by their accents told us of another pool up a trail off to the right of the 'big tree'. They were going to swim in the water so we went for the trail. Up the hill we went and found the other waterfall and pool. Susan went in and I followed. The water was cool and refreshing. We then left and continued our drive.

We got to the part of the road where it is one lane bridges and a very narrow lanes. It was getting late and we needed to be back for the night dive so we turned around. We had passed by a place called Mama's Fish House and decided to stop there for a late lunch. Just before Mama's is a park that overlooks a rocky cliff and rocky surf. The surf was strong and there were many surfers in the water. We went on to Mama's and were surprised to find that our car would be valet parked. We were in bathing suits, tank tops and flip-flops and were hoping they didn't have a strict dress code. The view from Mama's is incredible. I would strongly suggest lunch or and early dinner to enjoy the scenery. The dining are look out over the rocky, rough beach.

We enjoyed a spice encrusted seared Ahi tuna for an appetizer that was the best sashimi we have ever tasted. For the main course we split a Thai dish that was out of this world. This was so good we made dinner reservations for the next night.

Back at the condo we had a message that the night dive was pushed back an hour. The condo had shopping carts in the garage so residents could bring groceries up to the rooms. We found them very useful for schlepping our scuba gear. Each time we filled the cart on the way up we felt like bag people from New York City. The dive equipment and anything else we had picked up in our travels piled into the cart. Often we left it in the room knowing the next day we would need it again.

We met Jack at the Maui Dive Shop north of Kaanapali. We had the option of 2 sites: black rock (very near our condo) or old airport beach. The airport beach was closer to the shop and was a shorter walk with all of the gear on. We chose that site as opposed to walking about 100 yards in full gear. We got to the park, put the gear on the grass and moved the cars out of the lot. The park rangers close the gates about 1/2 hour after sunset. There was a family grilling dinner that didn't know of the policy and the ranger was nice enough to wait for them to finish before locking up.

We suited up and ventured down to the beach. This was our first shore dive and we were very excited. There were plenty of sleeping fish in the reef just beyond the shore. My find of the evening was a very large scorpion fish sitting and almost blending into the reef. I signaled the others to come take a look and Jack got real close to it and made it move. It was only after getting out of the water that I found out it was a scorpion fish and according to Jack the biggest one he had ever seen.

We got out of our gear and laid out on the grassy section of the beach and watched the stars. There is very little light pollution and the stars just fill the sky. Susan saw her first shooting star.

We arose early to get to the harbor for the Lanai dive trip. The Maui Dive Shop boat is a 50' catamaran. It can handle 24 divers but there were only 16 today making for a very roomy boat. The crew was great and included 2 dive masters and the captain. Our briefing was done on the 1 1/2 hour ride to Lanai. The crew were very entertaining during the briefing and the trip. It was obvious that they were out to have fun.

The current at the first site was too strong for their tastes so we headed to Cathedral II. This was a spectacular dive that took us into the lava tube that forms the cathedral. The second site was Cathedral I. This was another spectacular dive and according to the poll taken by the crew the better of the 2 dive sites. Holes in the top of the tube allowed sunlight in that illuminated parts of the cathedral, while others used flashlights to peer into the crevices.

The exit was at an area they called the shotgun. You hold onto the wall of the cavern by a hole and you feel the current try to push you away and all of a sudden it pulls you through the hole and outside of the cavern. What a fun experience.

Back on board we had a deli style lunch and then proceeded on the ride back to Maui. Once near the Maui coast they stopped the boat so that they and anyone else could swim from the boat in the unusually calm seas. This was an opportunity they couldn't pass up. Once back at the dock we were almost convinced to stay for the 2 tank evening dive to Molokini crater but we had made the dinner reservations at Mama's fish house.

Dinner at Mama's was not a disappointment although we didn't order the Thai dish. This was the best food we had eaten in Maui.

We are up at 3:30 to drive the 2 hours to Haleakela for the sunrise. The summit is over 10,000 feet and it is a twisty road that gets you there. There are many tours that take you up in a van and let you ride bicycles down. We opted for the car. We got to the top before the sun came up and it was very cold and crowded. The sun poked through the clouds and we enjoyed a wonderful display of pink light on the clouds. As soon as the sun was up, people left in droves. Susan and I hung around for awhile and looked at the views, then headed down the mountain.

We went back to the condo and slept for a few hours, got up, showered and relaxed until the Feast of Lele. This is a sit down luau at your own table with selections of food from Hawaii,Tonga, Tahitti and Samoa. Each course was accompanied by dances from those islands.

All of the courses were delicious and the entertainment was fabulous. The entertainers all looked to be having fun performing this evening and it showed in the energy of the performance. We liked the food from Hawaii the best. After the luau we shopped the varied stores of Lehaina.

The Feast of Lele is highly recommended over the usual buffet style luaus.

Today we leave Maui with the feeling of leaving a good friend. We have had so much fun here we wonder if we should leave. We have a flight on Pacific Wings to the Big Island or Big Island.

This is a 9 seater plane and I am prepared with a less-drowsy formula CVS Dramamine imitation. I am told that these small planes are pretty rough. We weigh in 120 lbs. over the luggage limit. We are charged an additional $20 for the extra weight. Pacific Wings was chosen over Aloha Air since they fly direct from Maui to Hilo on the Big Island. Aloha Air would have a stopover in Honolulu on Oahu. The Pacific Wings flight would be just 1 hour.

The flight was surprisingly smooth. We were able to take many pictures of Maui from the air. The landing was smoother than most larger aircraft I have been on. The pilot chalked this up to the moderate winds in the morning and the side of the island we approached from. No matter -- it was a great flight.

We pick up the rental which was supposed to be a compact. Instead we were upgraded to a convertible Mustang. At first we thought this was great until only 1 bag would fit in the trunk and the other 2 had to sit in the back seat. The only way to get them in was to take the top down. It may have been better handling than the Chrysler Sebring but it lacked in luggage space. Oh... and to get the top down you had to activate the parking brake. Many miles were driven with the brake on. At least the Sebring let you take the top down at speeds of 10 MPH or slower.

We headed to water falls north of Hilo, They were in a rain forest and we had a great time hiking through and taking pictures. We left and went to the cabin where we would be staying.

The cabin was part of a bed and breakfast; very rustic and quaint. It was very close to volcano park so we unloaded our bags and got on our way. The first stop in volcano park was the lava tube. This was about 10 feet in diameter and we were able to walk through it. The lava tubes are formed by the flowing lava. The outside cools and hardens and when the lava stops flowing the molten rock empties the tube like water from a garden hose. We had forgotten our flashlights and were not able to continue into the "unfinished" portion of the tube.

The next stop was a hike down into the crater and through a lava flow from 1959. We walked a path that descended 400 feet down into the crater and then walked across the lava bed. There was still steam exiting the ground in spots as the lava was still cooling. We were surprised to see some plants growing through the lava bed. Rather than hike the 4 mile route we decided to turn around and shorten it by a mile by walking back up the way we came.

Back to the car we drove the 11 mile crater road that goes around the top of the crater. There were signs indicating the lava flows and one can see how vast an area the lava covered. Many places are still steaming and many still look like a barren waste land.

Our cabin had a fireplace and a pile of wood in the lanai. There was also very thick blankets on the bed. We fell asleep the night before with no fire and just the blankets. After all we were in Hawaii and shouldn't need heat. At about 5AM I awoke and built a fire. It was pretty chilly in the room and the fire helped to take some of the chill out of the air. Once the sun came up the place heated up nicely.

Our breakfast consisted of a homemade bread that was pretty good toasted with mango jelly. We also had passion fruit nectar and fresh bananas and papayas. There is nothing like fresh tropical fruit that ripens on the tree.

We packed the Mustang and headed for Kona where we would pick up a flight to Kauai, our 3rd island of our journey. We decided to drive to the north then around to Kona. People had told us the northern route was the most scenic. Along the way we stopped in a small town at a cafe that advertised coffee and Internet access. We met the owner, Eric Stuart and spent about 2 hours talking with him about life in Hawaii and the mainland. He grew up in Pennsylvania and has relatives in New Jersey. After pizza we left with little time to spare to catch our flight.

We drove past the largest privately owned ranch in Hawaii and most likely the United States. The northern section became very desert like in contrast to the rain forest near the volcano. We traveled on for miles in what looked like grazing land of the western United States.

We reached Kona airport with minutes to spare. We were able to skirt the long check-in line, weigh-in and go right to the security check. Our plane was 10 minutes late and if we hurried we could make it. We made it since the flight was more than 10 minutes delayed. Aloha airlines is like a bus leaving Manhattan; you wait in line, and the seating is first come first served.

We had a layover in Honolulu and then were on the way to Kauai. Landing just around dusk we didn't remember which rental company we had booked with, only that we had made 2 reservations: 1 for a convertible and 1 for a midsize.

The National desk was open and we were instructed to take the shuttle to the lot. We were surprised because we were told that the cars were located on the airport property. After a short ride we lugged the bags off of the shuttle and waited in line for the car. We had booked a convertible and decided to take it, since an upgrade would be too costly. As it was we lost the reservation and the entertainment coupons and would be paying walk-in price.

We selected a car and tried to load the trunk. This time Susan's bag would not fit. It looked like we would need to have 2 bags in the back seat again. Tired of this we again asked for an upgrade, and again it would be too expensive. We remembered that we had made another reservation with Hertz. The National clerk was kind enough to let us use his phone (since both of our cell phones were dead) to verify the reservation. We canceled the car with National and boarded the shuttle again for a return trip to the airport.

Back at the car shuttle section of the airport we got on the Hertz shuttle bus and proceeded to the lot. Indeed we were to get a mid-sized car, but better yet the clerk upgraded us to a full-size for the same price. What luxury! All 3 bags fit in the trunk with room for my backpack, the regulator bags and Susan's carry on. And what room in the car! No more cramped legs when we put maps, paperwork and cameras at our feet. This was the way to go.

We were now on our way to the Cliffs at Princeville, even if it was dark. With the directions in the luggage we zoomed past the entrance to the resort. Winding our way down a mountain we discovered we were in Hanalei Bay and had missed our mark. Besides we were now below the cliffs.

Back up the road we went and with the help of directions got there. Our initial impression was one of disappointment. It looked like a condo complex that you would find in a retirement village in Florida. Nothing resortish about it. Entering the unit, which was on the 2nd floor with no elevator, we felt no relief from the heat and humidity.

There was no air-conditioning! Susan promptly got on the phone to alert the condo office that we were not happy there. We spent the night sticking to the sheets with ceiling fans blowing full force. Our view from the bedroom sliding glass doors was of the office across the street with the glare of a Coke machine as our night light. The vertical blinds were broken and couldn't be closed completely. Around 3AM the wind kicked up and made such a racket with the verticals that I got up and shut the sliding glass door.

Saturday, October 25, 2003

We planned on leaving the condo at the Cliffs at Princeville and heading south to a place that would be closer to restaurants and the diving we planned on. We figured that we would get breakfast in Hanalei since it looked like a neat place. We stopped at the Wake Up Cafe that was pretty crowded. The walls were papered with pictures and photos of surfers, ancient and recent. It was a great breakfast and one of the few we had eaten in Hawaii.

We left the cafe and headed to the beach at the bay. The water was somewhat rough and filled with surfers. Just past Hanalei pier we met a father and son pair in a pickup truck with a sign that indicated they gave surfing lessons. We stopped and talked with them for a few minutes and then began our walk back to the car discussing whether we should learn to surf. Just past the pier we decided to go for it.

Lono and Keo were very easy going and friendly. The assured us we would be standing on the boards with just the one 2 hour lesson. With the boards tethered to our ankles we entered the water. We paddled out past the breakers and waited. At first they pushed us into the waves to make sure we caught them. Susan was the first to stand pretty much all the way in. I was able to get up, but would lose my balance and end up in the surf.

We found surfing great fun. It is no surprise that surfers will wait in the water for the next wave or converge enmass when the surf is up. The hardest part isn't standing up but catching the wave. I am sure there are other finer points that we missed, but for us our 2 hour surfing adventure was great. At least we can tell people that we surfed the north shore of Kauai.

The town of Hanalei was made famous in the mythical song about Puff the Magic Dragon. Search we did but no sign of Puff. Throughout the town we saw no reference to Puff at all. Perhaps the town is best left as a surfer haven and a quaint little tourist area.

We drove north from Hanalei towards headed to the Na Pali coast. The Na Pali coast is inaccessible by car. There are helicopter, boat and raft tours that will get you by or into the area. There is also a 12 mile trail that will take hiker along the coast of Na Pali. We ended up at a State Park that had many chickens and roosters walking around. We weren't sure of the birds but again the views were magnificent.

We headed back to Hanalei and had a great lunch at Zelos. Susan had found a place in Poipu Beach on the southwest side of Kauai. We felt it would be a better place to be. She also arranged with the condo management that we would leave the next day with no penalty. So we shopped in the town of Hanalei and in the evening visited the elegant Princeville Hotel for cocktails.

At the complex a woman had set up a stand selling fresh fruit and vegetables. I bought papayas, apple bananas, and key limes. The apple bananas were very sweet and the papayas were excellent. There is nothing like get fruit that has ripened naturally on the tree or vine. The key limes were a great addition to vodka on the rocks. These were very small but packed a lot of juice. We spent the last night at the Cliffs at Princeville happy in the thought that we would be leaving.

We got up happy that we were leaving. We had booked a helicopter tour with an 11:15 check-in. It was on the way to the Kiahuna Plantation so we packed and left. We arrived at the Air Kauai office to find out that like the airlines an 11:15 check-in meant we would be flying at 12:15. No earrings, bags, etc., only cameras.

The helicopter tour took us over the southern coast and up into the Na Pali coast. It was an awesome flight. The scenery was magnificent. Everyone should take at least 1 ride on any of the islands they visit.

Our hour was up and we were back on the road again driving to the Plantation. We arrived and checked in. We had a good rate with an entertainment card and found out why when we arrived at the room. Up on the 2nd floor our view from the porch walkway was an outhouse, construction equipment, and roofing material. It was also the furthest from their beach. We were closer to the Marriot Waioli than the Plantation's beach area. There was also no direct path from our room to the beach without walking on the road. If we were to stay there again we would ask for a different building.

Again no air-conditioning. This place was cozier and more comfortable than the Cliffs. Unfortunately with all the windows opened you hear everything going by at all hours; street traffic and residents in all manners of waking and sleeping life.

We had great fish tacos at Kioki's and then managed to find an open house. The house was going for $949K and was a 2 bedroom with a 1 bedroom guest house attached. There was again no air-conditioning, but there was a lap pool and you could see the ocean off in the distance. The realtor offered her husband's services to drives us around the condo complexes in the area. He was very friendly and offered us information regarding the negative cash flow of owning a condo in Hawaii. He also offered us a glimpse into the real estate market on Kauai.

Every place we saw there were chickens and roosters hanging out. According to the realtor the story is that at one time the Hawaiians had problems with rats in the sugar cane fields. The Hawaiian king and his advisors decided that the solution was to import mongoose. The mongoose were shipped to all the islands, but somehow the crate destined for Kauai was left at the dock.

By the time the second shipments of mongoose arrived the Hawaiians discovered that the mongoose did a good job of controlling the bird and snake population but did nothing for the rats. The mongoose solution was canceled and Kauai still has wild chickens. The businesses on Kauai sort of poke fun at the wild chickens using images of them in ads and some restaurants have chicken decorations. The realtor told of a mainlander who relocated to Kauai and called the town asking that the chickens be removed from his backyard. In most of the mainland chickens are a farm animal.

Next question was that of AC. Everyone will say you don't need AC in Hawaii. According to the realtor the electricity goes for $.29 per kilowatt hour, compared with our $.06 per kilowatt hour. The cost of AC, even in a $1 million home, would be prohibitive.

The roosters began crowing at 3:30AM. We had scheduled an afternoon boat dive and an evening shore dive. We got our gear together and started on our way to Port Allen. On the way we stopped for breakfast since the night dive pretty much followed the boat dive. Just before getting to Port Allen, Susan's cell phone rang. It was the Bubbles Below informing us that the boat dive was canceled do to sea conditions.

Susan was driving and we decided to continue driving up the southwest coast. I was starting to get motion sick and she pulled over to let me drive. We drove a few miles up the road and decided to try to contact the person for the evening dive to see if it too was canceled. Susan couldn't find her phone. It was no where in the car, so it must have fallen out when she pulled over.

We doubled back looking for the phone thinking we would see it in pieces in the middle of the road. We turned around once we were sure that we were beyond the area of the driver change and half road the shoulder looking for the phone. Again we turned around and drove back, this time we parked the car and started walking looking in the grass for the phone. After about 5 minutes of walking I found the phone in the grass.

With phone in hand we didn't have the phone number. We came upon the Waimea Brewing Company and stopped in for a beer. Now you shouldn't dive after drinking but we were sure the evening dive would be canceled. We found the dive company in a phone book and got the number. The beer was ok, Susan didn't like hers and I had an India Pale Ale that was ok, but nothing special.

Back on the road we found out that the evening dive had been canceled. The bartender told us of 2 beaches up the road with the further one being the best. She said it was easy access. We drove up the road and turned off on a dirt road where the sign indicated Polihale State Park. We drove and drove along sugar cane and wondered where the beach was. After about 15 minutes of traversing this dirt road in a full size car we got there. We were wondering what the road would have been like if she said it was hard access.

The beach was beautiful and remote with a view of Na Pali behind us. We had flown over this stretch the day before in the helicopter. There was a person out on the waves with a boogie board and perhaps 3 other couples on the beach. The waves were huge and the surf was very rough. Dives canceled due to weather conditions. Beer at brewery, drive to remote beach with rough surf and big waves. Beach in front of mountains flown by in helicopter on Na Pali coast.

We left after an hour or so and stopped in Koloa for some shopping, beer and very bad pizza along with very bad service. From there we stopped at Spouting Horn, a hole in the rocks that the tide shoots water up through. Very impressive and certainly a Kodak moment.

Up the road from there we stopped at a small inlet to snorkel. The reef was close to shore and we saw a small turtle along with the regular reef resident fish. It is fantastic to be able to drive along, stop at a beach, don snorkel gear and get in the water. In this case the coral was about 50 feet from shore and was abundant with life. More than we saw on many of the dives and with much larger fish.

Up early again with the roosters and a morning dive scheduled. It is raining as we drive to Port Allen where we would meet with Bubbles Below. Bubbles Below is willing to go out but warns of rough surf and the possibility of not finding a dive site with conditions favorable enough. We bag out of the dive feeling it is not worth the sea sickness. Everyone else also cancels out, so we aren't the only wimps.

We leave Port Allen and Susan wants to see what is at the other end of Poipu Sands road. It turns into a dirt road and we follow it figuring that it must lead to a beach somewhere. We drive for awhile and pass by a horse ranch that offers horseback tours of the area. We also pass by a sign that indicates that the road may be private or public. It was very confusing, but we proceed along our way. We would just feign ignorance if someone asked us about being there.

We finally came upon a very secluded beach and parked the car. We walked around a bend and come upon a couple walking the other way. Then up further a family was walking and in the distance was a house that was probably the horse ranch. Still a beautiful and secluded area, but there went the visions of laying clothesless in the sand.

It began to rain so we retreated to the car where it really began to pour. We left and made our way back on the dirt road that in some spots was now a little river. We stopped at Brennecke's for lunch and a pitcher of margaritas. Brennecke's is across from the beach with a great view. The rain stopped long enough for the sun to come out. The margaritas hit the spot and lunch was good. Their lunch menu was more impressive than their dinner menu.

From there it was back to the condo and relaxing in a cabana chair in front of the Sheraton resort, then back to the condo to pack, shower and off to Kioki's for another fish taco, which ended our stay in Kauai.

Up early we head to the airport for our Aloha airlines flight to Honolulu. We give ourselves 1 hour to get there and neglect to factor in the rental car return. We also didn't count on getting stuck in rush hour traffic. This was something we hadn't experienced during our stay in Hawaii.

We managed to make the flight even with having to redistribute some of the weight in the luggage. An hour later we were in Honolulu. Honolulu is the biggest city we encountered with buildings and 3 lane interstate highway. We upgrade to a mini-van at the car rental and for the last time load the luggage. Then off to Pearl Harbor.

Pearl Harbor is very moving and something everyone should see while in Hawaii. It is surprising to see oil still seeping from the vessel 60 years later. The main deck of the ship is visible beneath about 6 feet of water. We then head to Waikiki.

Waikiki is very built up and not like the Hawaii we saw on Maui, Big Island and Kauai. It is interesting, though, with many shops and restaruants. We enjoy a cocktail on the beach then it's over to a Thai restaurant where we will meet friends for dinner. The food was good but not as spicy as we have come to like. We talk of life in Hawaii and like most who visit dream of living there. Our friend and her boyfriend live on the north shore of Oahu where it is more country like.

We leave the restaurant and hit rush hour traffic again on the interstate back to the airport. Through the check-in, baggage check, and security and we board a plane for home.

In our time in Hawaii we saw 4 islands, volcanoes, rough surf, calm waters, desert landscape, rain forest and ocean life, enjoyed picturesque sunrises and sunsets and ate much too much. We liked Maui the best even though it was somewhat commercial. The people were very happy and friendly and when we left we felt like we were leaving an old friend. We didn't spend enough time on Big Island or Oahu but did take in some sights. Kauai was beautiful and is very tropical in appearance. I think that Maui offered a good mix of tourism and Hawaii. You could escape to remote areas of the island or be overloaded with gift shops, restaurants, and hotels. The choice was yours. Those looking to get away from the tourist stuff would definitely enjoy Kauai more. Maui had a "mana" that we did not find on the other islands. When we did discover a person with the "mana" we would come to find that they were from Maui.

Aloha!